Death with Dignity

Control is something that everyone desires to have in their life. People will often choose various details throughout the course of their lifetime: deciding when to start a career, when to get married, when to start a family, and when to retire. When diagnosed with a terminal illness, why should they not be able to decide when they get to die? Why not make the best of the last days of their lives before they start to suffer? Although, it's controversial, Physician assisted suicide (PAS) should be legal for a life threatening or terminal diagnoses of a sound minded person.

When a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, there can be a variety of emotions that come along with the news. Hearing that he or she may only have a month or so to live can be traumatic. Thoughts may be racing in their minds. What options might they have? Who will take care of them when they can no longer take care of themselves? The options they are faced with can be confusing or not appealing. Whether its experimental medications, no treatment, medications that have been around forever, or physician-assisted suicide. There are a variety of responses, some may have more support than others. There is always hope that maybe the diagnosis is incorrect, but chances are slim. Physician-assisted suicide can be benefitial to the terminal patient, as well as the family, not having to watch their loved one suffer through the turmoil that the illness will instill upon them.