A woman died. A woman by the name of Brittany Maynard died. Who is she? Why is she relevant? Mrs. Maynard was a young woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She originally resided in San Francisco Bay, California but relocated herself to Oregon. Why? Because Oregon allows assisted suicide to terminally ill patients. Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with brain cancer and was later told she only had six months to live. When she found out the terrible news, she wanted to be able to end her illness, her life, on her own terms. Yes, a woman died. But she died on her own terms. She posted a video on YouTube sharing her story. Within it she said: "I will die upstairs in my bedroom that I share with my husband, with my mother and my husband by my side and pass peacefully with some music that I like in the background.”
Euthanasia is the act of permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals for reasons of mercy. This term is relatively new, the idea is not. Most people want to die peacefully and on their own terms. Death is inevitable, and ultimately, what people tend to be most afraid of. People fear the uncertainty of death. Euthanasia provides terminally ill patients a way to know for certain how they will pass. When patients are deemed “terminal”, it is an unspoken truth that they will pass in a hospital when their illnesses becomes too much to handle on their own. As previously stated, Brittany Maynard knew exactly how she wanted to pass. It was not in a hospital, surrounded by doctors and nurses, in clothes that are not her own. She was in a familiar setting surrounded by the people she loved. Shouldn’t everyone be able to dictate their last moments?
Oregon was the first state to pass a euthanasia act. New Mexico, Washington, Montana, and Vermont have since followed suit. A euthanasia act should be allowed nationally. It would prevent terminally ill patients from having to move across state lines. It would provide them to be even more comfortable with their death. It will allow them to stay in their home state.
Euthanasia is often linked with the phrase “Death with Dignity.” Death with Dignity simply means that a terminally ill patient dictates when they will pass instead of suffering and putting their families through the pain of seeing them suffer. If we pass a Death with Dignity act, will the patients be alone in their time of need?
No.
There are many outreach groups and activists that support this idea so that patients know they are not alone. The Death with Dignity National Center is one. This group works to defend dignity, mobilize dignity, and preserve dignity. However, this group is not alone. There are other outreach groups and activists working to make euthanasia national law.The United States prides itself on Freedom. The citizens of this great nation deserve to be Free for their whole lives. This includes death. Allowing patients to dictate their passing further promotes and illustrates the Freedom we are so proud of.
