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From state to state the laws that govern physician-assisted suicide vary greatly. You can be on the border of two states and be fine in one but be charged with murder in another. The state has the right to become very involved in euthanasia cases. The state can specify the number of individuals that must agree for euthanasia to be performed. The state can specify how frequently someone can sign a euthanasia authorization. The state can also specify that only the individual can decide (Pahl 20). Living wills are also a big part in the legal aspects of euthanasia. A living will can express a patient s thoughts towards his future medical treatment (Horkan 70). Living wills are legal in forty states. They allow anyone capable of making decisions to tell the doctor beforehand that they do not wish to be put on life support. People could put whether they would consent to

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euthanasia prior to there ever becoming sick so there would be no question to their sanity at the time or ability to make a decision. If first the procedure was legalized and then made more accessible then there would be no need for patients to seek means other then those given by a doctor. No longer would the sick and dying have to turn to less than reputable doctors or to their own friends and families but have outlets and a means to those outlets. There could be one way of administer this form of mercy killing that would be tested thoroughly and screened for any possible errors. Just like abortion, which was once done in dark and dank rooms away from the public eye and are now done at centers there could be places specifically to deal with this problem. No one would be guaranteed treatment but all would be considered.

These criteria for assisted suicide would be a laundry list of details. So in place there would be doctors and a checklist of sorts that would both need to be satisfied. The list would consist of such things as does the next of kin consent, is the patient able to make decisions for him/her self, does the primary physician believe that death would be better then having the patient live along with several other criteria. Not only would certain pre-requisites be required to be met but also a board of doctors at a hospital or other professionals would have to review each case. This way no case would slip through the cracks and each would get the attention it deserves. This would be run similar to pretrial held before court and the sick would be allowed to either give testimonial through tape or in person. Also there would be a vote made by the board, a 4/5 vote or something similar to more than half would have to be in agreement. If the procedure were to be granted it would be done in view of kin and be administered by a trained physician. The

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patient would have to declare themselves DNR or do not resuscitate. This would keep the doctors from having to revive the patient once they first officially die. And this keeps any doubt as to whether or not the patient wanted to die or not. When someone dies from natural causes what are they dying from, it is nothing more than something we cannot stop or postpone any longer. Euthanasia is a good death; a death that is more dignified then slowly rotting away into nothing. There has to be something better to do though. What can be done to make this process more acceptable?

What of the conservatives who believe euthanasia should be outlawed though and doctors that do this are nothing more than murderers. What of banning euthanasia throughout the country and not leaving it up to states? This would satisfy the extreme right wing conservatives. But these politicians are not the ones in the beds suffering and dying slowly. If the country were too outlaw euthanasia that would make a statement about the worth of human life at the end of the cycle of life. However right now in the US abortion is legal and in abortion it is giving a person the right to choose between life and death. Euthanasia is the same idea but on the opposite side of the spectrum. There are a large number of elderly in the US and that number is just going to steadily increase. We need a solution to this problem now and not just turn a blind eye to what is wrong with the current situation and the one we will face when dealing with euthanasia.

To truly curve the conservative nature of this country on this problem every possible angle must be covered. First any physician that wished to be trained could and receive special training and psychologists must be brought in to do an examination. Family of the patient would be apart of the decision and be apart of the meeting in front

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of the medical board. This is not a procedure that is taught in medical school but after and only by choice. Then the procedure is perfected so that there is no chance of a failed procedure. This way there is one and only one way to administer assisted suicide. It is not up to chance whether or not the patient dies but a given. So that when the patient is injected they will die.

The review board involved would also have to consist of older and younger doctors as to make it vary in experience and conservative and liberals. The doctors would have to write a report for every report done and they would be paid money in addition to their normal hospital salaries. Each one would be able to talk to the patients and their

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