8mm
Posted on 03/22/2008 3:45:23 PM PDT by greyhoundlc
The phrase "Death with Dignity" may or may not be familiar to many citizens of the United States.
However, it is yet another new term our society has had to learn and face in order to keep up with the polarized ethical debates which mark our time.
It is the idea that as humans, we deserve to pass away in a dignified matter. However, for many citizens in our society, dignity means control.
Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is the practice in which a physician provides the means by which a patient takes his or her life.
The most common manner in which they accomplish this is in the form of lethal injection or an overdose of some sort.
It has been legal only in the state of Oregon, when, in 1997, the Death with Dignity Act was passed.
And since then, close to 300 patients have opted to die with dignity through suicide.
California, with a population close to 35 million, is looking into similar legislation which would legalize PAS for patients who have been diagnosed with six months or less to live.
Defenders of the 1997 act and the proposed legislation in California say that PAS restores dignity by allowing the person to choose their own life.
What I would like to know is where did people get the idea that dignity means control?
When I looked at the eight definitions of "dignity" given by the Oxford English Dictionary, control was not mentioned at all. According to the dictionary, dignity is "the quality of being worth something." It is a state of "elevation and honor."
Some people would argue that the ability to choose for oneself demonstrates worthiness.
I would argue that dignity and worthiness have nothing to do with control and choice.
(Excerpt) Read more at media.www.loyolagreyhound.com ...
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