Moor vs. Moor: California’s New Right to Die Bill
ELIAS ALMAREZ-HERRERA
ELVIN CHAU
Staff Writers
By signing this bill Governor Brown has sparked much controversy on whether or not the decision is justified. The Right To Die bill is beneficial because it gives patients who are experiencing severe pain the choice to end their suffering. This bill will be beneficial because it can protect the freedom of self-determination.
One of the biggest things people fail to realize is that euthanasia, the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering, is heavily safeguarded and that a patient’s request for euthanasia can only be met under certain circumstances. There is a long list of eligibilities that must be met. A patient must have only six months or less to live and be 18 years of age or older. Additionally, the doctor must first discuss alternatives with their patient, refer patients to psychological examinations and have another doctor approve the eligibility. Because euthanasia is so heavily safeguarded, it is ensured that not just anyone can be euthanized.
Society will greatly benefit from having the Right to Die bill enacted because it will end the pain and suffering of patients who have no prospect of improvement. Things like Schizophrenia, Ebola, Polio, Diabetes, AIDS/HIV and various types of cancers are incurable. People who were against Governor Brown’s decision must take into consideration the amount of pain that will be relieved from a patient who is terminally ill; the only inhumane thing in this situation would be to let them live in pain even longer.
FARRAH LUU
Editor in Chief
MADELEINE PARAGAS
Staff Writer
On Sept. 9, Governor Jerry Brown passed the Right to Die Bill, also known as the End of Life Option Act, allowing terminally-ill patients the right to request physicians to administer fatal drugs. Even before Governor Brown passed this bill there were many controversies revolving around the act of euthanizing patients. Although some may say that the Right to Die Bill allows patients to die with dignity, friends, families and doctors are also greatly affected by their choice.
The Right to Die Bill available to patients will pressure them to think that there is no other option left but to die and they will start to ignore the advice of others and the idea of dying will become so appealing that the patient will see it as the only way to stop the pain. However, there are ways to make the pain be tolerable for the patient to continue fighting against their disease such as anesthetic injections or pills.
Many doctors choose to enter their profession because they want to save lives, give people hope, and use new medicines and techniques that will help better their patients’ well-being. Instead the bill forces doctors to give their patient the option to die and basically stop believing in them. It takes away the purpose of a doctor, belittles their profession and ultimate goal to help people get better. The title of being a doctor, because of what the act allows, now not only comes with saving lives but also helping to commit suicide.
Overall, the Right to Die Bill will alter the image of humanity. By allowing us to think that if we are in pain, it is okay to die because we will die anyway. The value of our lives will no longer be the same.