Assisted Suicide

Armond Dowdell

November 9, 2011

English 1102 (9:30)

Assisted Suicide In America: Dignity or Murder?

To most people assisted suicide appears to be something new, but in reality it can be dated back to the 5th century A.D. During that time in classical Athens, the city magistrate kept a supply of poison for anyone who voluntarily wished to die for the right reasons such as to end the suffering of a terminal illness (Manning, 21). In the ancient Samurai day, seppuku also known as a ritual suicide was chosen in preference to a dishonorable death at the hands of an enemy. Seppuku was one of many unquestionable demonstrations of one’s honor, courage, loyalty, and moral character (Fukuoka Guide). Fast forward to the early twentieth century, assisted suicide has been viewed as a counter to the breakthrough of modern medicine. The expensive medical technologies progress has been developed to prolong life. However, these modern technologies have been associated to prolonging the dying process in which may be questioned whether or not these modern medicines is inflicting patients to live in unnecessary pain with knowledge of no cure. Assisted suicide is most widely defined as a type of active euthanasia in which a doctor provides the means of death – usually by prescribing a lethal dose of drugs – but the patient is responsible for performing the final act. Although assisted suicide is illegal in America except for two states, its practice is increasingly emerging both detected and undetected in hopes of legalizing its influence. Such groups as Georgia based, Final Exit Network are advocates of at least one hundred and thirty suicides across the country. The Final Exit Network “group argues that it merely provides a compassionate presence for terminally ill people, giving them information about suicide if they request it (Times, Bowers).” The American Government pleads that the public will lose its...