Universalizing the Death with Dignity Act Despite its Moral Flaws

By Eunice Kim

Cypress High School

Physician assisted suicide, a hotly debated topic, is currently legalized in eight states due to the Death with Dignity Act. The Death with Dignity Act allows for mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses to request medication to hasten a patient’s death. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 68% of Americans believe that physicians should be legally allowed to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives. However, America’s laws do not reflect the support of the majority. Terminally ill patients go to great heights to obtain this right, such as moving to the state where the act is legal. And I believe that the US should legalize the Death with Dignity Act in all 50 states. 

First, I want to highlight that I don’t believe that the Death with Dignity Act is moral. I believe that every life is valuable and deserves the chance to be lived out to the end. Even if an individual is in pain, suicide is not the answer. It is a permanent solution to a precious life. Kenneth Yang, a rising senior at Fairmont Preparatory Academy expresses the same sentiment. He says that “Physician assisted suicide is not moral for the terminally ill whatsoever. I ethically feel as if it is not valuing a life despite them being diagnosed with an illness that could potentially kill them.”

Also, the Death with Dignity Act goes against the Hippocratic Oath, an oath of ethics that all physicians take. Specifically, one line states, “neither will I administer a deadly drug to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest a course.” Giving patients pills that ensure death is far from medical care and is exactly what physicians swore against. 

From a religious standpoint, I don’t think it’s okay to end the life of God’s creation. Christianity says that God created every single human on Earth in his own image with a divine purpose. It is not right for people to end that sacred life. 

But despite my disagreements with the concept of the Death with Dignity Act, the United States is a democracy that values individual autonomy and decision-making. While I and many others continue to firmly believe that suicide is immoral, I also believe that the government’s job isn’t to control when people live or die. By making physician-assisted suicide illegal, it tells citizens that they do not have the legal right to die an assisted, safer death. This is not a power that should be extended by the government. Also, the Death with Dignity Act is on a voluntary basis, meaning that there can be no coercion on the governments’ behalf. Terminally ill patients would have the decision to consult with their medical professional and see if this is the best option for their care.

“Terminally ill patients should be able to make their own end-of-life decisions.” -  Frederick Suh, 11th, Cypress HS