PersuasionSpeech

IhadadogwhenIwasgrowingup.Shewasamuttofsomekind,and
asshegotoldershegotverysick.Itwashardforhertowalk;shehad
arthritis,badhips,cataractsinhereyesandtumors.Myparentsmadethe
verydifficultdecisiontoputherdown,andputheroutofhermisery.Now,
mostpeoplewouldntreallythinktwiceaboutthisstory.Youknow,itmay
besadtothem,but,theyprobablyhaveheardthissamestorysomanytimes
thattheyhavebecomenumbtoit.TheASPCAreportsthat1.2milliondogs
areeuthanizedeveryyear,whichisabout3,300dogseverysingleday.A
doggetssick,youputitoutofitsmisery,itsasimpleenoughconcept(Pet
Statistics).
Iapplythissamelogictoterminallyillpatients.Ihavespokento
manypeople,especiallythoseinhospice,anymanytellmethattheyjust
wishthattheyweredead,whichiswhyIbelievethateuthanasiafor
terminallyillpatientsshouldbelegal.Euthanasia,nowreferredto
sometimesasphysicianassistedsuicide,actuallycomesfromaGreekword
thatmeansgooddeath,isthepainlesskillingofapatientsufferingfroma
painfuldisease.Aterminallyillpatientisamedicaltermthatisusedto

describeadiseasethatisgoingtokilltheperson,regardlessofanytreatment
orintervention.
CBSNewsdidamajorinvestigationoncostsofUnitedStateshealth
careandfoundthatkeepingpatientsaliveforthelasttwomonthsoftheir
livescostMedicare50billiondollarsayear,anditsestimatedthatabout
30%,orrightaround15billiondollars,ofthismedicaltreatmenthadno
meaningfulbenefit.WhenIsaythatithadnomeaningfulbenefit,acommon
exampleissomeonebeingkeptinaveryexpensiveintensivecareunit,
hookeduptomachinesthatarekeepingthemalive.Thereportstatesthatan
averagestayinanICUcostsabout10,000$aday(Kroft,2009).
So,answerthisquestion,ifyouareterminallyillandhaveacoupleof
weekstolive,wouldntitbebettertogooutonyourownterms,painlessly
andpeacefully?Ordoyouwanttostayaliveforthoselastcoupleofweeks,
stressingoutyourlovedones,manyofwhomareprobablycomingtothe
hospitaleveryday.Honestly,Idontcarewhatyouwanttodo,becausewhat
Iamsuggestingissimplygivingpeopletheoptiontobeincontroloftheir
lives.Idontwanttodecidewhatsomeoneshoulddowiththeirlife,their
diseaseortheirmoney,Iwantyoutoempathizewithpeoplewhowantuse
euthanasiaforareasonthatisimportanttothem.

Manypeopleareagainsteuthanasiaandpatientassistedsuicide
becausetheybelieveitgoesagainsttheirreligiousbeliefs.Itotally
understandthispoint,whichiswhyIwouldneversupportalawthatforces
euthanasiaonanyonethatdoesntsupportit.Itstheirlife,itstheirbeliefs,I
acceptthat.However,accordingtothePewResearchCenter23%of
Americansidentifyasagnostic,atheistornostatethattheyhavenoreligious
preference.Justbecauseyoumaybelievethateuthanasiaisagainstyour
religion,youshouldstillrespectthefactthat75millionAmericansdonot
considerthemselvesreligious,andtheoptionshouldbemadeavailable
(ReligionLandscapeStudy).
Now,inmyopinion,thebestargumentagainsteuthanasiaisthat
righttodiecouldeventuallyturnintoadutytodie.Look,moneymakes
theworldmove,anditdoesstrangethingstopeople.So,whenyour
terminallyilllovedonehasamilliondollarstheyareleavingtoyou,and
theywanttobekeptaliveatanymeansnecessary,theoutsidepressure
placedonthatpatienttorequestdeathcouldreachabsurdlevels.Iagreethat
isaveryscaryideathatcouldcomeabout,whichiswhytherewouldhaveto
beasystemputinplacetoensurethatthereisnooutsidepressureonthe

patient.Anypatientagreeingtoeuthanasianeedstoundergothorough
psychologicalevaluations
Presently,procon.orgreportsthat5statesallowphysicianassisted
suicide,California,Montana,Oregon,VermontandWashingtonstate.I
thinkonanissueaslargeasthisone,personalbeliefsneedtobesetasidein
favorofwhatisrightforterminallyillpatients.Again,Ireallywanttostress
thatIdonotcondonekillingoldpeople,thisisstrictlyrelatingtoterminally
illpatientswhohaveagreedtoundergothisprocedure.Iwanttogivethese
terminallyillpeoplemoredignityindeath,andmorecontrolovertheirown
fate(StatebyStateGuidetoPhysicianAssistedSuicide).

References:
Kroft, S. (2009). The Cost of Dying. Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-cost-of-dying/
Pet Statistics. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.aspca.org/aboutus/faq/pet-statistics
Religious Landscape Study. (2015, May 11). Retrieved from:
http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Euthanasia ProCon.org. (2015). Retrieved from
http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?
resourceID=000132