Assisted Suicide
Task Read all instructions carefully. Your job is to take the knowledge you’ve gained so far and put it to use in a short, persuasive essay. Aside from the components of a good paper (see “Instructions” below), there are two requirements about what your essay should contain: You must present an argument for your position and you must use at least one argument by analogy. Of course, your ultimate goal is to persuade me, through reason. I will repeat: Your paper must contain at least one argument by analogy. For your topic you must choose some current legal or moral issue (for example, the death penalty). Aside from that restriction, the choice of topic is still up to you. And, as with the first paper, you must make sure that (a) you choose a topic that is open to debate, and (b) that you take a position on the issue (merely expressing your opinion, simply telling me what you do or don’t believe, is not sufficient). You are writing a persuasive essay. You should write in the first person and make your argument as clear and concise as possible. Please follow the structure below. Instructions Your paper must have: 1. An introductory paragraph that briefly explains what the paper will be about and ends with: 2. A thesis statement telling me exactly what you will be arguing for (i.e., your conclusion). 3. Body paragraphs, wherein you a. carefully explain each premise in your argument, with b. a separate paragraph for each premise, c. every paragraph starting with a topic sentence that tells me what the paragraph is going to be about; d. and you should have at least one paragraph where you consider an objection to your position. 4. A concluding paragraph that restates your conclusion, and summarizes your reasoning. Length: Approximately 4-5 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, normal margins, etc.
Due: Sunday, May 25th (submitted electronically via email attachment)
Draft Due: Thursday, May 22nd, in class for peer review—bring a (full, completed) copy of your paper to class.
*Please note: You must participate in the peer review process to receive full credit for the paper. Failure to participate in the peer review process results in an automatic 20% score reduction. Length: Approximately 4-5 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, normal margins, etc. Points: 100
Task
Read all instructions carefully.
Your job is to take the knowledge you've gained so far and put it to use in a short, persuasive essay. Aside from the components of a good paper (see "Instructions" below), there are two requirements about what your essay should contain: You must present an argument for your position and you must use at least one argument by analogy. Of course, your ultimate goal is to persuade me, through reason.
I will repeat: Your paper must contain at least one argument by analogy.
For your topic you must choose some current legal or moral issue (for example, the death penalty). Aside from that restriction, the choice of topic is still up to you. You must, however, choose a different topic than the one you wrote about for the first paper (obviously). And, as with the first paper, you must make sure that (a) you choose a topic that is open to debate, and (b) that you take a position on the issue (merely expressing your opinion, simply telling me what you do or don't believe, is not sufficient).
You are writing a persuasive essay. You should write in the first person and make your argument as clear and concise as possible. Please follow the structure below.
Instructions
Your paper must have:
1. An introductory paragraph that briefly explains what the paper will be about and ends with:
2. A thesis statement telling me exactly what you will be arguing for (i.e., your conclusion).
3. Body paragraphs, wherein you
a. carefully explain each premise in your argument, with
b. a separate paragraph for each premise,
c. every paragraph starting with a topic sentence that tells me what the paragraph is going to be about;
d. and you should have at least one paragraph where you consider an objection to your position.
4. A concluding paragraph that restates your conclusion, and summarizes your reasoning.
Please Note: You are required to pay attention to the advice given in the "Simple Writing Tips" document in the Course Documents section of Blackboard. You will lose points for poor writing (especially if it's easily avoidable—like spelling mistakes!).
Assisted Suicide
Name:
Institution:
Introduction
In a twisted state of events, sometimes our bodies let us down and there is no much we or the doctors can do to bring back the spark. On the deathbed, much of the thoughts that run through a patient’s mind that has been diagnosed with a terminal disease involve death. When the relatives come visiting, it is not that they are coming over to give the patient hope, it only adds to the torture of the patient’s conscience right after the short, blissful moment with the family. In most of the cases, the pain and the depression associated with the thought of death and the failing organs are just too much to bear for the patient. In more than one cases, patients will solicit the physicians to help them die faster, while in other cases, patients will refuse to take medicine and food. This happens to patients as they try to kill themselves (Chua, 2013). At the same time, there have been several incidences where relatives have been involved in lawsuits by the state, after helping their loved ones take a break from the torments of failed health and bodily system mechanisms. At the moment, most of the states will prosecute anyone that is found to have been involved in assisted suicide, regardless of the patient’s condition and state of mind at the time of death.
Thesis statement: In the context of the patients’ suffering and the suffering of their loved ones, assisted suicides should be legalized.
I believe that the act of helping a patient die should be legalized for the sake of the patient in question and their loved ones. The torment of a terminally ailing patient does not just harm the social lives of the patients, but for those that are close to them, whether friends or family. This should not be taken to mean that every other person should have the right to assist the patients to die. Rather, it is supposed to mean credible doctors/physicians should be licensed to carry out the assisted suicide of their patients. This would translate to several doctors per local hospital. In the case of the patient, there should also be a criterion for determining those patients that are stable and have clear thoughts. If the patient is found to be a sound mind and the health status that they are in dictates that they cannot recover; in the event that they feel that they would rather die than waste away on the death beds, their wish should be granted (Chua, 2013). I believe this is the most compassionate thing that a doctor can do for the patient, their friends and family. The cost of treating a patient that will not recover aside, the mental trauma to the friends and family having to visit a person in their deteriorating state is excruciating.
As much as this may seem like the easiest way to help the patient die, it is crucial that there is control. One of the aspects that I believe would be the ultimate guiding principle is the idea of first exhausting all the possible means of treating the patient. This is due to the fact that, I believe, this can also be subject to abuse from various quarters. Patients or friends and family may force the situation into place. This way, if one is found to have assisted a patient to their death, without having exhausted the possible treatment regimes, then they should be prosecu...