Hawaii Youth Link Assisted Suicide to Teen Suicide
Dear Editor:
As a teenager, legalizing assisted suicide is concerning to me because it seems to counteract the positive messages teens need to hear. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hawaii ranks number one with the highest prevalence of high school students who have considered suicide. How can we prevent and discourage teen suicides if we pass legislation condoning ending one’s life in certain circumstances? It seems hypocritical to me to tell teenagers to “choose life” and not give up, while permitting other people to end their lives.
We cannot take any risks in implementing a policy that could further promote suicide. For the sake of my generation, the youth of Hawaii, and the future leaders of Hawaii, our state should take a strong stance against all forms of suicide, including any so called “Death with Dignity” legislation.
-Gracie Cockett, age 17.
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Dear Editor,
I am 12 years old and believe that organizations like Hawaii Death with Dignity Society have been advocating that physician’s assisted suicide is a dignified death and that they are being compassionate toward patients. Death with Dignity advocates believe that the way to stop the unbearable pain of a patient diagnosed with a terminally disease is to simply euthanize them, and they believe that this form of “suicide” is able to take away any anxiety from the patient. Physician’s assisted suicide (PAS) is what they would call a dignified way to die.
First of all, physician’s assisted suicide (PAS) is in total contradiction with the oath under which medical professionals practice their profession. The oath quotes, “Never do harm to anyone....I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel.” These are the very words by which medical professionals abide by. A doctor’s main purpose is to help patients through any way possible, not kill them. “Death with Dignity” is far from the truth because the same doctors which find ways to cure us and help us are being enabled to kill us.
Second of all, a suicide performed by a medical professional should never be considered as an act worthy of honor and compassion. There is nothing respectful with the choice of suicide, especially with other options such as palliative care available (which helps minimize pain through medication etc.). If you break down the word compassion, it actually means to suffer with. There is nothing compassionate with the killing of anyone prematurely. The words compassion and dignity are in total contrast from their titles and should not be used improperly.
Third of all, there are so many alternatives to turn to. Why anyone would want to terminate someone else’s life is beyond any form of reason, especially when we are at an age of cutting edge advancements in every field. They are just so many options like never before. Acupuncture for instance, has been proven to relieve certain kinds of pain. If the purpose behind the push for physician’s assisted suicide is to relieve pain, their solution is very silly compared to everything and is nothing short of murder. Physician’s assisted suicide is void because there are just so many other options which could improve the patient’s health instead of killing them.
In conclusion, physician’s assisted suicide is dangerous for our medical professionals and our society. Physician’s assisted suicide will also endanger the ethics by which medical professionals are taught. Physician’s assisted suicide will greatly affect the way we will live our lives in the future.
Isaiah Sabey Jr
Makiki, Oahu
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