2008 Woodie Awards
Should the ill choose to die? YES
Terminally ill patients should have the liberty.
By: Anthony Pantoja
Issue date: 3/31/05 Section: Insight
- Page 1 of 2 next >
People who are terminally ill should have the right to end their own life or have their legal guardian decide if they should live on.
Brain damaged since 1990, Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed at her husband's request, last week.
Schiavo had suffered a massive heart attack which prevented oxygen from going to her brain. She has been in a vegetative state for the past decade and doctors say she has shown no improvement.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, petitioned in 1998 to have her feeding tube removed in the Florida hospice his wife was staying in.
The only thing keeping her alive was her feeding tube, which has been removed since March 18.
Mr. Schiavo should have the right to end his wife's life because he is her legal guardian; he should represent his and his wife's interests to decide if they should take the feeding tube off and let her pass away. Keeping somebody alive who is almost already dead is not right.
In California, the Right-to-Die law would give the right to the elderly, terminally ill and brain damaged patients the right to terminate their lives by request or by the request of their legal guardian, instead of suffering until the day which they die naturally.
These patients should have a right to end their lives if they suffer chronic pain, or, if they are brain damaged, their legal guardian should have the decision to end their lives.
However, this law was rejected by voters because of the fear of massive suicide by the elderly and terminally ill. If the elderly are afraid of dying in pain and would prefer to die in a peaceful way, they should have the right to end their own lives instead of suffering before they die. There is also the public's fear that people would want to commit suicide at any time and could legally do it.
For example, a lot of religions are against assisted suicide or cutting short somebody's life span, so they could pump more fear into the communities to be against this law.
Brain damaged since 1990, Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed at her husband's request, last week.
Schiavo had suffered a massive heart attack which prevented oxygen from going to her brain. She has been in a vegetative state for the past decade and doctors say she has shown no improvement.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, petitioned in 1998 to have her feeding tube removed in the Florida hospice his wife was staying in.
The only thing keeping her alive was her feeding tube, which has been removed since March 18.
Mr. Schiavo should have the right to end his wife's life because he is her legal guardian; he should represent his and his wife's interests to decide if they should take the feeding tube off and let her pass away. Keeping somebody alive who is almost already dead is not right.
In California, the Right-to-Die law would give the right to the elderly, terminally ill and brain damaged patients the right to terminate their lives by request or by the request of their legal guardian, instead of suffering until the day which they die naturally.
These patients should have a right to end their lives if they suffer chronic pain, or, if they are brain damaged, their legal guardian should have the decision to end their lives.
However, this law was rejected by voters because of the fear of massive suicide by the elderly and terminally ill. If the elderly are afraid of dying in pain and would prefer to die in a peaceful way, they should have the right to end their own lives instead of suffering before they die. There is also the public's fear that people would want to commit suicide at any time and could legally do it.
For example, a lot of religions are against assisted suicide or cutting short somebody's life span, so they could pump more fear into the communities to be against this law.