Imagine a man dying of cancer and doctors give him less than three months to live. The man holds several hostages and it results in a police standoff. The man has no intention to harm the hostages, but attacks a police officer. As self defense the officer shoots the man- another example of police-assisted suicide. The ill man was in pain and wanted to die, but failed do it himself. Assisted suicide presents itself in other ways too. Physician-assisted suicide given as an option to terminally ill patients means they no longer need to endure endless pain and suffering. People need to accept physician-assisted suicide out of respect for the autonomy of the patient, out of mercy, as a source of pain treatment, and ultimately as a final source of comfort. .
Arguments against physician assisted suicide fail to acknowledge the patients right to self- determination. Every person possesses the right to determine how they die. Imagine sitting in a hospital bed in severe pain with less than three months to live, dying seems like a relief. Perhaps The Economist said it best in their article, Easing Death, People should be free to determine the course of their life, and death is part of that. People choose how to live their respective lives, and death a part of life. As long as the patient really wants to die, and she knows the outcome, how can someone deny her that right? Patients, overall, own the right to death and no one can deny them that.
With physician-assisted suicide, physicians can be show mercy through the relief of a patients pain and suffering. Mercy, an incredible thing, means helping people when they need it the most. Physicians helping a terminally ill patient through extreme pain and suffering presents a perfect example of mercy. For many people with a terminal illness the pain can be excruciating. Physician-assisted suicide can show mercy by ending that pain, by stopping the suffering.
