Assisted Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assisted Suicide - Essay Example A suitable way to deal with the matter is increased participation and involvement of the government in the cases of assisted suicide, to discourage the patient and the families from going for assisted suicide and provide them with medical help and resources to reduce the load on the patient and the family. Why Assisted Suicide should be Illegalized There are innumerable justifiable and reasonable arguments against assisted suicide. Firstly, it is a murder from the religious perspective. Secondly, there are many past cases in which the family members regret having led the patient to assisted suicide. Thirdly, there are always chances of recovery. Proponents of the assisted suicide criticize the illegalization of assisted suicide considering it driven by the religious beliefs of the people in power. However, â€Å"the most current opposition coalitions include many people and organizations whose opposition is based on their progressive politics. Among those are disability rights group s; many nationally prominent disability rights organizations oppose the legalization of assisted suicide† (â€Å"Why Assisted Suicide†). We live in a democratic society where everybody has a right to live. In this context, assisted suicide is subjugation of the rights of the person who is being killed. Even if the consent of the patient is involved, it mostly happens because of the family pressure upon the patient. In an attempt to get free from their responsibility, family members tend to induce negative feelings and emotions in the patient that lead him/her to opting for the assisted suicide. Brian Johnston is an anti-euthanasia activist. In his book, he writes, â€Å"In addition to their own emotional needs, it is the family and friends, more than anyone else, who will influence the mood and mindset of the patient. They may, even unwittingly, reinforce negative thoughts and attitudes.† (Johnston 17). In a vast majority of cases, assisted suicide of a family me mber leaves the rest of the family particularly the parents with a life-long trauma and guilt. They are not able to forgive themselves for being so selfish at a point in time back in their life when they got rid of their loved one when even the personal consent and will of the deceased was not involved. In certain cases, assisted suicide of one family members leads to subsequent suicides committed by the guilty conscious family members. According to a research conducted by the UK Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) in 2003, at least 30 per cent of the suspects of assisted suicide commit suicide. Deborah Annetts, the chief executive of VES says that the number of sufferers is much greater than the 30 per cent statistic of the suicide committers (â€Å"Impact of Euthanasia†). Proposal to Reduce the Cases of Assisted Suicide The government should form a committee to look after the cases of assisted suicide to make sure that most of the patients are saved from being killed. The go vernment should deem all such cases of assisted suicide illegal in which the consent of the patient is not involved. In cases where the consent of the patient is involved, once the family as well as the patient have given their consent to go for the assisted suicide, the case should be referred to the committee. The committee should extend help to the patient to make him/her aware of the possible effects of assisted s