Imagine this: a mother and her son are out for a walk; they wander aimlessly on the street for a while, pick up hot coffees at nearby bakery, and buy a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers just before they go back to the dark hospital from which they came. Machines beep loudly, lights shine brightly, and doctors run around wearing blue surgical masks, protecting themselves from what they are hired to do. The two are visiting their ailing grandmother, who is extremely ill and going to die within the next 6 months. Her cancer has viciously spread from her lungs to her brain, and she begs for someone to end her misery.

Unfortunately, this woman, similar to thousands of others in agonizing pain, must suffer. In a whopping 46 out of the 50 United States, physician assisted suicide (PAS) is illegal. The doctor who aids in this patient-induced death can face a potential charge of murder or manslaughter or a fine worth up to $30,000 (procon.org).

Why, I ask, is this illegal? Should it not be one’s own personal choice with what they do with their own life? Physician assisted suicide is not a harm to society, therefore it should become legal in all states nationwide.

In a perfect world, our bodies would be impervious to inimical diseases and malicious maladies would not exist, allowing us all to pass away peacefully. Though these wishes may not be realistic, we can still make dying less painful with the use of modern medicine. Physician assisted suicide is a cautious and quick procedure, described here by Jaime Joyce of The Atlantic:

In Oregon and Washington, patients must first make two requests of their doctor for medication, fifteen days apart. The patient then has to make the request in writing. In order to prevent potential abuses, patients are required to sign consent forms in the presence of two witnesses, to at least one of which they are not related. Once approved, patients must self-administer the drugs. Typically, it's a deadly dose of Seconal, a barbiturate often prescribed by doctors to treat insomnia or to calm patients before surgery. The contents of the capsules are stirred into a glass of water or a serving of applesauce, to dull the taste. Statistics compiled and released annually by the Oregon Department of Health show that in the majority of cases, people lose consciousness within five minutes of swallowing the drugs. It can take anywhere between one minute and four days to die, but for most people death comes in just 25 minutes. 

This summary of physician assisted suicide may help those unclear about the process. The practice of physician assisted suicide is less degrading than the average person may assume; the person is required to make several requests prior to the procedure, and the medicine involved is a commonly used drug, proving that it does not provoke any pain from the patient. Because of the multiple required verbal requests, one written request, and consent form which is signed in front of two witnesses, the system is extremely careful and selective. Patients are monitored and advised by others and have enough time to carefully consider their options.

Those who oppose physician assisted suicide may protest that the idea is immoral and that providing a patient with the necessary supplies to commit this act denies them the right to live. Not Dead Yet, a group that opposes PAS, was founded by Diane Coleman. Coleman had once stated that “it’s the ultimate form of discrimination to offer people with disabilities help to die without having offered real options to live” (Schneider). This statement is understandable. If someone has physical limitations, they should never be abandoned while dealing with such conditions. However, if there is no chance of the patient living past six months, then it is permissible to proceed with physician assisted suicide; over half of the American people that NPR-Truven Health interviewed agreed. PAS is becoming more and more admissible: “Truven Health's Dr. Ray Fabius said, ‘There's a majority opinion that physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill people is now acceptable. It's stable and steady’" (Hensley). Many people are coming around to the idea of this practice figuring that it is a suitable use of modern medicine.

The opinions that really matter in this debate are those of whom are dying or extremely sick. If they want to shorten their suffering, who is a judge or state to deny them that right? Aja Riggs, a New Mexican cancer survivor who was used as an example by a PAS advocate in a lawsuit, claims that “‘Most Americans want to die peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, not die in agony in a hospital...I feel the same way. If my cancer returns and I face intolerable suffering, I want the option to cut it short, and to die peacefully at home.’” (Mungin). Riggs is speaking on behalf of all terminally ill patients when she says this; no one should ever be refused their right to die. Is life really meaningful when one reaches the point of terminal illness? Well, that answer is up to the patient. And as common citizens, we must acknowledge this right, allowing them to deal with their situation as they please.

Incurable diseases impact humanity day after day. It is not the choice of the victim to be ill, so they can at least be in control of the terms of their death. This right is one that the entire population needs to acknowledge, allowing those who opt for physician assisted suicide the chance to exercise it. Within the future, it is our duty as people to legalize the right to perform physician assisted suicide. Because of the headway science has made in technology and medicine, the performance of PAS is safe and quick. Ending the suffering of many enfeebled people nationwide should not be considered an exploitation of an ailing individual; physician assisted suicide should be considered a basic fundamental human right.