Unclear matter of life and death
Doctors may have the best of intentions, but not ways. We're raised in a society that credits longevity and health, so it can be disturbing to suggest a longer life does not mean a more enjoyable life. Often this refers to terminally ill patients suffering on a daily basis. Some are so tired of trying to stay alive they have a strong urge to give up on life.
A vote on whether or not to decriminalise doctor-assisted suicide was carried out in Massachusetts on Tuesday. This has heated up the age-old debate in the US. The public tends to favour the idea of euthanasia, while legislators and religious groups hate it - for good reasons. They fear such legislation will cause huge damage to a society's morals, and more people will commit suicide.
Yet I believe definitions and values change naturally over time and people should embrace more freedom. It is a blessing to make our own decisions, and we have a right to take charge of our own lives. We enjoy a right to life, so I believe we should enjoy a right to die. I think it is less inhumane to "kill" a person than to artificially prolong his life against his will.
Should doctors keep terminally ill patients alive as much as possible, or help achieve what they want to achieve? Should they be decision makers, or carry out the patient's will?