The first constructive

Thesis Proposition - This is a petition to change Utah’s suicide law to allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live the ability and opportunity to terminate their lives with the assistance of a physician.

Issue A: Currently in Utah there is a law preventing suicide no matter what the circumstance are.  Utah should pass the death with dignity act allowing terminally ill patients a way out from their suffering if they so get to that point of their illness.

Claim 1: Patients should be allowed to die with dignity and on their terms.  Instead of having to suffer through pain and depression until they either commit suicide on their own or they die of natural causes.  Meanwhile their bodies erode and decompose tinting the air with decay and dead tissue right in front of their family members.  Patients lose their faculties of body and mind.  Their quality of life has no meaning due to the inability of leaving their death beds.

Warrant 1 and Grounds 1: 

a)      When a patient is diagnosed with a terminal disease many things run through their mind.  Family and fear of death are usually the first two things.  Right after that being afraid of the pain is next.  This law would allow people the choice, if they want to take it an opportunity to leave this world on their terms.  Having this choice from the beginning whether they use it or not allows them to have a nest egg for when they might need it. 

b)      Everyone is given the right to live but the definition of such right is not defined.   The European declaration of human rights stats the right not to be forced to suffer.  This is something that is currently being forced upon us right now.  If you have never worked in health care then you should volunteer some time at your local hospice service and watch the individuals that I am talking about suffer and writhe in pain wishing and praying for death.  Granted some of these individuals can manage their pain with medications.  Others manage it by being catatonic until the day of their death.  But we are talking about the individuals that cannot and the ability to choose a different option.

c)      Like most laws that have restrictions, people always find loop holes.  Right now when someone has been diagnosed with a fatal disease they are put on hospice.  This allows them to have huge quantities of pain medication, many times killing them from an overdose.  Unfortunately, this is either self administered or a family member has to administer the medications.  Watching the pain your loved one goes through aids in making sure that they are comfortable causing an accidental death.  This kind of death will cause guilt and family turmoil.  Also there is the matter of comfort measure performed either in a hospital or in their home.  Comfort measure means just that.  You make them comfortable and deprive them of everything else until they either starve or die from their disease.

d)     Currently there are seven countries that permit suicide due to medical conditions and four others that take them as a case by case basis.  In the Unites States Oregon and Washington allow PAS (Physician assisted suicide).  We would not need to reinvent the wheel. The idea of Physicians playing God or having too much power is thwarted by criteria that a patient must have to pass in order to qualify for such opportunity.

1.      The patient must be capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him or herself.

2.      Be diagnosed with a terminal disease which will result in the end of the patient's life within six months.

3.      Two physicians must agree that these criteria have been met.

4.       Both oral and written requests must be made with a timeline in between.

5.       A psychological exam must be met allowing for all ramifications and fears to be discussed.

6.       The patient must discuss with their family members their decision and why they wish to have this done.

7.       If the patient has not met all of these requirements then they are not prescribed the medication.

e)      Studies have shown that due to counseling given that the patience depression has been dealt with at a more successful rate as well as their pain management, especially since there are two physicians that have to answer to each other.  Not everyone uses nor needs to use this option.  None the less they have it available to them.  Those that have not had this either try to commit suicide on their own at 25:1 successrate.  This only causes more issues and problems to have to live with.

f)       Dignity as described in the dictionary is: a way of appearing or behaving that suggests seriousness and self-control: the quality of being worthy of honor or respect.  The Death with Dignity Act is a well thought out plan that is afforded to all those that meet the criteria.  This is not setup up for those individuals that are having a bad day because their cat died or because they lost their job.  We need to remember that this is a right, that should be given to all those that can meet the criteria.  Allowing people not to suffer in any way from their terminally ill disease or infirmity.

g)      If a criminal who has earned the right to have a death sentence placed on them, gets the right to choose how they will die.  Why can’t a law abiding citizen who has also been given a death sentence choose how they will die?