Euthanasia: Whose Choice Is It?
Most people in North America die what may be called a bad death. One study found that, "More often than not, patients died in pain, their desires concerning treatment neglected, after spending 10 days or more in an intensive care unit." (Introduction 1)
Is a painful death a natural and acceptable fact of life? It is my belief that a person with a terminal disease enduring uncontrollable pain who has the desire to end their life should be able to do so. Unfortunately, many groups and government agencies have taken it upon themselves to block a patient's access to an early death via a lethal dose of prescription drugs from their own physician. This leaves many ill people desiring to end their lives no choice but to wait until the disease kills them in it's slow, painful and debilitating way.
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