Doctor-Assisted Suicide Analysis

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Life can be defined as the most precious privilege in the world. Being able to live and feel divergent emotions such as, joy, pleasure, anger, sorrow, nervousness, and excitement, is an honor like no other. The frightening realization is that no matter how diverse humans are, physically and mentally, every life results in the same outcome: death. Why should anyone be allowed to take the beautiful, yet fragile, gift of life away from themselves? In this case, innumerable critics provide sufficient reasons as to why Brittany Maynard should not have decided to use doctor-assisted suicide to end her life after being diagnosed with stage four cancer, especially being the young woman she is, but enduring the effects of a malignant brain tumor would …show more content…
Religious followers, particularly, state that suicide, under any circumstances, is never the answer; suicide is a sin equivalent to murder. Cancer survivor and international advocate for people with disabilities, Joni Eareckson Tada, states that Maynard is missing the most important factor of life: God, “I understand she may be in great pain, and her treatment options are limited and have their own devastating side effects, but I believe Brittany is missing a critical factor in her formula for death: God” ( QTD. in Duranado). For all religious followers, their God must be the utmost important factor in any person’s life, and in Maynard’s case, she is taking away that simplicity. Furthermore, Christians and Catholics embrace pain and suffering, so they view Maynard’s decision as secular. “Suffering is not worthless,” declares Catholic seminarian, Phillip Johnson, who also suffers from brain cancer, “and our lives are not our own to take. As humans we are relational — we relate to one another and the actions of one person affects others" (QTD. in Durando). Coming from a man who must endure the same effects of cancer as Maynard, the reader is inclined to believe such a trustworthy man, but why in the world should anyone tell someone whether they should suffer or not? No one should suppress an individual’s decision made on their life, let alone decide whether they should suffer or not. Other critics assert that hospice care stands as the most reasonable option for dying patients rather than assisted suicide. According to Doctor Sandeep Jauhar, hospice patients live a month longer on average than patients with similar conditions who do not receive such care. However, after dealing with a case where an elderly woman requested to die as soon as possible, Doctor Jauhar disagrees, yet agrees with doctor-assisted suicide under certain circumstances
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