10/2/18

Dear Reader,

How would you and your loved ones react if they found out that you were diagnosed with something expensive and debilitating? What if you didn’t have the money to help you, or there wasn’t a cure? If it were your pet they would be put down, but humans sadly don’t have the luxury to end their life if faced with a situation like this. Many humans die slowly, and a lot of  times painfully, each year due to situations like this. The solution to these issues is called assisted suicide, and the legalization of it would save a lot of people the pain and money involved with treating the expensive or untreatable diseases and injuries.

One reason assisted suicide should be legalized is people lose their beloved pets every year to injuries and illnesses that they can’t afford to treat, but luckily, your fluffy friends don’t always die slowly. Euthanasia is many times cheaper than paying for expensive medicines and surgeries that may not even save your pet. Even according to PETA, euthanasia is a “tragic necessity.” However, humans aren’t nearly as lucky. Plenty of people are stuck in the hospital paying for things they can’t afford, or paying to prolong their already shortened life. Many times these people would prefer to die peacefully, rather than slowly in a hospital bed, while their family struggles to pay the hospital bills. Some may argue that animals aren’t and shouldn’t be held to the same standards as people, but if they are really “below us”, then wouldn’t being put out of your misery be a good thing?

According to the website ProCon, David Goodall, a 104 year old Australian man, chose to end his life through assisted suicide in May of 2018. “My abilities and eyesight are declining, and I no longer want to live this way,” said Goodall, when interviewed by article writers. Goodall was one of the lucky few who were able to end their lives when they and doctors deemed it over; however, many people who were in much worse shape than him, and will likely never grow better, have to suffer as they slowly die in hospital beds, and their family pays for bills that shouldn’t have to be paid for. People go through unnecessary pain that could have been avoided if they had chosen to go with assisted suicide. You may be thinking, “but he was old and wasn’t going to live love anyway”, but neither are the many people with terminal illnesses.

Assisted suicide would be very beneficial to our society. It would keep people happier with their lives, knowing that they can chose not to suffer when faced with a deadly or painful illness or injury. The elderly can leave their lives peacefully and without pain.

Honestly,

Nic Smith