preview

Peter Richardson Death With Dignity Analysis

Better Essays

The film by Director Peter Richardson "How to Die in Oregon" is a documentary reflecting a debate over whether or not people in the United States should have the right to die with dignity. It presents compelling arguments for why the right to end one's live should be given to people, who suffer from terminal illness. It gives an intimate insight into their lives, unveiling the reason behind the choices they make. The topic of euthanasia remains highly controversial in ethical, religious and social debates as well as popular views. As the documentary informs, at the time when in 1994 the Oregon law sanctioned the "Death with Dignity Act," only two other countries; Switzerland and Netherlands allowed the practice. The "Death with Dignity …show more content…

Five of the portrayed people suffer from terminal illness. However, only four made the decision to end their lives. One of the men, Andrew, who suffered from terminal prostate cancer was the only one who clearly verbalized his desire to live, and to receive treatment. He however, was refused the necessary treatment that could potentially save his life by the insurance company who rejected his request for treatment, viewing is as futile, and instead offering him palliative care. In the end, the insurance company reversed its initial decision refusing treatment, but only after Andrew, brought his case to the media. He died after four weeks of treatment, succumbing to the …show more content…

As a person living in a secular world, I do believe that everyone has the right to self-determination, and he or she should be able to determine whether their life is worthwhile. As the documentary suggests, not everyone suffering from a terminal illness will choose to hasten their death. Not everyone crippled by their disease who falls at the mercy of their loved one feels humiliated or degraded. We are all very individual creatures with a different threshold for pain, different views and understanding of what "worthwhile life" is. I believe that each one of us should have the right to decide whether we had suffered enough. As a Christian, I also believe that in our public life, there should be a place to bring forth the "thick" traditions into the discussions about life and death, as well as policy discourse regarding health care for everyone. As the issue of the right to die remains controversial one, I believe that we should fall on our Christian stance that teaches us not to harm others, as well as respect their rights. The conflict and the moral dilemma, I had experienced while watching the documentary, comes from these particular teachings. When we enact legislature preventing people from " Death with Dignity" while we know that in some cases, there is no available treatment to relieve suffering; do we not harm them? Do we not impose our views and morality on them by rejecting

Get Access