Your body, your choiceBrittany Maynard committed suicide at the age of 29. On November 1, 2014, she took deadly medication, prescribed by her doctors, in Oregon, at home, surrounded by her family (Ertlet 1). “I want to live,” she said. But she had brain cancer, a stage 4 glioblastoma tumor, with very little time to live. “It’s a terrible way to die. Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying,” she explained (Should euthanasia...1). However, this right to die, the right to medically assisted suicide, is currently only legal in 4 American states (state by state...1). Physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, is the “process by which a physician of a sick or disabled person engages in an activity that directly or indirectly leads to the person's death” (Salubre 1). Contrary to popular belief, PAS and euthanasia are not the same thing. Although both involve lethal drugs, the difference lies in who administers the drug. In PAS, patients administer the medication themselves, while euthanasia involves a third party administering the medications (Braddock 1). Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The fight against PAS in America began in the early 1900s, when the first euthanasia bill in the 'Ohio was drafted and did not come to fruition (Chronology of ...1). A big step was taken years later when Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act in the late 1990s, legalizing SAP under various safeguards and guidelines (1). Perhaps one of the most memorable events in SAP history was that of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who helped over 100 sick patients die. However, even though these patients made this decision voluntarily, Kevorkian was ultimately charged with murder (1). Why should a man who helped terminally ill patients who wanted to die die, be sent to prison? Physician-assisted suicide should be legal everywhere because of the concept of bodily autonomy, which includes the reasoning that the freedom to live according to one's personal beliefs should always be respected and that terminally ill people can choose how they die instead than let their lives be unintentionally taken by an incurable illness and should not be forced to suffer. Bodily autonomy is one of the most fundamental human rights. You cannot be forced to donate blood, donate a kidney, have sex, or become pregnant (Personal Autonomy 1). An individual should always have control over who or what uses and what happens to their body. This right to privacy and personal autonomy is protected by the 14th Amendment, which states that any state is denied the right to "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." ; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (14th Amendment 1). Being able to commit suicide with the help of a doctor is a right as fundamental as any other and falls within the range of freedoms under the concept of bodily autonomy; being able to commit suicide should be the individual's choice to do what they want with their body and life. Through an understanding of this simple yet complex notion of bodily autonomy, one can conclude that the freedom and right of an individual to live according to their own beliefs, especially those that do not cause harm to others, should never be raped. This is what the First Amendment states.Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression (First Amendment 1). If a person with a terminal illness and who has benefited from certain protective measures wishes to end their life and end their suffering, their doctor should be able to prescribe lethal drugs for this purpose. This action does not cause harm to the patient or others, it does the opposite by helping an individual by ending their suffering. And ending suffering is not an unfamiliar or immoral concept to Americans. When an animal is suffering, a majority of people will consider, or even advocate, euthanasia to “put the animal out of its misery”; the general American population generally considers it cruel to let a suffering animal live in pain. The same should be true for humans; a terminally ill person should not be forced to suffer, but rather should be given the opportunity to choose how they will die instead of waiting to be killed by an incurable illness. It is inhumane to force an individual to suffer, just as it is inhumane to allow an animal to suffer, and it is implausible to believe in the idea that “there is a duty to continue living.” Believing in such an insane concept, requiring an individual to live despite terminal illness and/or pain, could encourage ill patients to take matters into their own hands and attempt suicide by other means. This was the case of Danny Bond, who was born prematurely and who, as a baby, developed an infection of the intestinal mucosa; health problems never stopped as he aged and he was only able to spend a few months out of the hospital at a time. By the age of 20, he had undergone over 300 surgeries and wanted nothing more than to die and end his suffering. But the only legal way to commit suicide was to starve to death. He died at the age of 21 within a few days (Grimminck 1). However, there are common assumptions that patients who ask to die are making the irrational decision, that legalizing PAS will increase suicide rates, and that it will put pressure on the poor and disadvantaged. However, while these are legitimate concerns and questions, these views can be refuted by looking at the state of Oregon, where PAS has been legal for nearly ten years (Ten Years ...1). Since the Death with Dignity Act was passed in Oregon in 1997, more than 1,100 people have been given lethal drugs, fearing a loss of autonomy and dignity, and approximately 750 have actually used them to end their lives. days (Pope 1). Oregon has numerous safeguards in place to ensure that a patient makes an informed and voluntary decision when requesting a lethal drug, including: Patients must be at least 18 years old, in good health mentally and having asked two doctors to determine that they no longer have it. more than six months to live; the doctor is required to inform the patient of all options and the patient must make 3 separate requests, each spaced at least 15 days apart, and one request must be in writing and witnessed by two other people (1). The patient has the option to cancel their request at any time and if they choose to die, they must administer the medication themselves (1). And these preventative measures are working, there is no evidence of disorderly impacts on vulnerable populations; more than 98% of deceased PAS patients had health insurance and more than 72% had received partial or complete college education (1). Naturally, with the legalization of PAS, PAS rates in Oregon have increased, by more than 306% since the first year of legal PAS (ten years...1); however, this was in no way associated with....1).