The Death With Dignity Act

The Death With Dignity Act Although the Death with Dignity Act empowers individuals to control the timing of their death, physician assisted suicide still remains a controversial topic in todays society that raises many ethical questions. These questions include: Who is the true owner of our lives? Should relieving suffering always be the highest priority or does suffering occur for a reason? Is suicide a purely individual choice (Mathes, 2004)? The answers to the above questions are subjective, yet healthcare workers deal with the difficult issues associated with end-of-life care on a daily basis. Since patients and families frequently ask nurses to provide information about support in dying, it is important for nurses to thoroughly understand the topic of physician assisted suicide regardless of whether it is legally permitted within the State where they are working (Ersek, 2004). The purpose of this paper is to describe benefits and disadvantages of assisted suicide and to discuss the ethical reasoning behind both of these opposing viewpoints. Throughout the literature, there are many arguments that support the prohibition of physician assisted suicide. One of the most obvious arguments is that health care providers are supposed to save lives-not take them. (de Vocht Nyatanga, 2007). This principle of nonmaleficence can be traced back in time to Hippocrates, a Greek physician, who states this duty as I (healthcare provider) will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but I will never use it to injure or wrong them (Beauchamp Childress, 2009, p. 149). In other words, this statement can be interpreted as do no harm. The American NursesAssociation supports the notion that active participation in assisted suicide goes against the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (2001). Helping a client take their own life is not only in contrast with ethical traditions of nursing but it could also discourage clients from seeking out medical care due to fear (Ersek, 2004). In response, proponents for assisted suicide argue that it is well within the patients right to decide whether he or she lives or dies. Emphasizing the importance of the principle of autonomy, they feel that quality of life is a very personal opinion. By preventing clients from taking their life, they feel healthcare providers are being paternalistic and imposing their views onto their patients. Some also feel that it is pride, not altruism, which inhibits healthcare workers from supporting assisted suicide. They argue medical professionals do not like to admit that they cannot fix a situation, because it causes them to acknowledge their own limitations and evokes a feeling of failure. (de Vocht et al, 2007). Another reason many dislike physician assisted suicide is their belief that it might eventually lead to involuntary euthanasia. This slippery slope conjecture is based on the idea that small steps will eventually lead to an inevitable chain of events that cannot be stopped once started. This notion is supported by statistics gathered from the Netherlands that state roughly 1,000 patients die due to the result of an end-of-life decision made without their explicit consent (Dieterle, 2007, p. 129). Therefore advocates of this theory feel that the best way to prevent the establishment of involuntary euthanasia is by barring assisted suicide. In contrast, supporters of physician assisted suicide feel that the slippery slope argument is an exaggeration. Since the passage of the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon, involuntary euthanasia is far from being a reality of the status quo in the United States. This is a living example that demonstrates assisted suicide can be passed without spirali ng out of control. Therefore support of the slippery slope argument is closed minded and shows little faith in human nature (Dieterle, 2007). However, the possibility that patients might be coerced into participating in assisted suicide against their will is very concerning to many people. Opponents to legalizing assisted suicide fear that patients could be persuaded by their family or insurance companies into requesting support in dying. A specific concern exists for vulnerable populations which include the elderly, poor, and minorities. These groups of people may be easily manipulated and lack the means to defend themselves. In summation, it is very possible that abuses of law could occur (Dieterle, 2007). The argument also exists that legalizing assisted suicide would make it easier to regulate these practices. One result of not legalizing assisted suicide could be that people might utilize the euthanasia underground as a source of relief. These people are very determined to die and may go to other countries or fall back on illegal methods to reach their goal. This not only makes it hard to control what is happening, but some people are also dying in ways that they do not prefer (de Vocht et al, 2007). Since assisted suicide is a complex issue, many feel that forming comprehensive legislation that is safe is an impossible task. The current Death with Dignity Act uses many terms which are subjective. For example, there is no definite way to determine the exact time and date when a person will die. Therefore the 6-month prognosis is not reliable even if it is agreed upon by two different physicians. In addition, mistakes in assisted suicide are permanent and cannot be corrected (Gannon Garland, 2008). Conversely, assisted suicide supporters argue physicians are already familiar with facilitating the death of their patients. Currently, In all 50 states in the US, patients have the right to refuse treatment and be allowed to die. Furthermore, all 50 states have procedures in place for allowing substituted judgments for the refusal of treatment (Dieterle, 2007, p. 132). Although end-of-life issues are complex, legal support for physicians comfortable with this process should continue. Another argument against assisted suicide is that it could encourage people to give up and take the easy way out. By allowing a person to take their life when they feel hopeless, it might give off the wrong impression to the public that when life becomes hard it is acceptable to quit. (Dieterle, 2007). Instead of focusing on ending life, emphasis should be put on how to enhance palliative care. On the contrary, proponents for assisted suicide argue that the people who are requesting it are not hopeless and depressed. The clients who utilize the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon, Linda Ganzini states, are not so much depressed as determined (Schwartz Estrin, as cited in Dieterle, 2007, p. 134). Ironically, these people say that assisted suicide actually instills hope in people because they feel they have a way of controlling their life if it becomes too unbearable. Conclusion While there many arguments for and against assisted suicide, the answer to the question of whether it is right or wrong remains ambiguous. One reason for the lack of clear cut answers is that assisted suicide is an ethical issue which is dependent on a persons values, morals, religion, and experiences. In general, the topic of end-of-life decision making is very sensitive and evokes strong emotions and opinions. Instead of debating the issues involved with assisted suicide, this paper merely describes pertinent arguments that have been presented by both sides. There are many nursing implications that are associated with assisted suicide. Among these is the importance for nurses to be aware of their own beliefs about end-of-life care. Selfawareness will prepare nurses for obstacles they will face when dealing with death. Another implication is that nurses need to be cognizant of politics and legal authority. Becoming active in political processes, nurses can work to ensure that they w ill not be forced into doing procedures that come in direct conflict with their beliefs. Writing this paper has taught me that autonomy is a very controversial issue in the health profession. I have also learned that there is a fine line between being a patient advocate and acting paternalistically. There is also a very fine line between providing a patient with information and influencing their decision making process. I plan to use this knowledge in my practice by being aware of my own biases and respecting the beliefs of my patients. I have come to the conclusion that facing ethical issues is inevitable part of a nurses professional practice.

Chapter 9 of the Great Gatsby Essay

Chapter 9, the last chapter of the novel, is used by Fitzgerald to create a sense of finality for the reader, suggesting ‘the party was over’. This chapter allows him to make his final comment on the unfulfilling nature of the American Dream, and the nature of the people that lived in the ‘Roaring Twenties’. The chapter is made for the obvious purpose of being the conclusion to the story. Rather than leave the ending ambiguous as many authors do, Fitzgerald wraps up the narrative decisively. This sense of finality of the book allows the reader to come to final conclusions and judgements of what they have seen. An open ended book can allow readers to come up with their own endings, but a book with a definitive ending allows readers to see what happened and then decide what it means. Fitzgerald allows the reader to form their own opinions on the events that definitely happened in the story, giving a greater sense of meaning and attachment to the story. Nick narrates the chapter from two years later, looking back at the final days he spent in New York. Throughout the chapter Nick shows his disgust and contempt for the East of the U.S., clearly preferring ‘[his] Middle West’. Fitzgerald does this to make us, as readers, antagonise the East society as the main cause of the tragic events of the novel. He does this by showing Nick, the one involved in most if not all the events of the novel, completely appalled at the actions of people that have made their lives in the East. This is particularly shown when Nick initially refuses to shake Tom Buchanan’s hand. He has correctly deduced that Tom was the one who told Wilson that Gatsby’s car was the one that ran Myrtle over, and out of his ‘provincial squeamishness’ he did not shake hands. He does ultimately shake hands, but only out of pity and as a sign of farewell so that he does not have to see Tom again. We are meant to feel Nick’s relief of not having to see this clear representation of all that was wrong with ‘old money’ and the novel’s portrayal of the East; that it was essentially ‘careless people, [who] smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness†¦ and let other people clean up the mess they had made’. At first, Gatsby seems to represent the success story of the American Dream. He creates his own fortune and earns great wealth and material possessions; but, in the end, his dream fails anyway. At the conclusion of the novel, Gatsby does not get what he wishes. ‘his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know  that it was already behind him,’ Gatsby’s death without the total commitment from Daisy that he always sought after is a tragic display of the reality of the American Dream: that it has been corrupted from the ‘pursuit of happiness’ to the ‘pursuit of wealth’. Fitzgerald uses the distortion of the readers’ perception of the American Dream so that we pity the unfortunate characters of the novel: Gatsby, Jordan, Daisy, Tom; who despite having money, do not seem to have true deep happiness. Overall, Fitzgerald uses the closing chapter of the novel for exactly its intended purpose: to finish the novel. We see the end of the story of Gatsby and the effect he had on people and reflect on what it truly meant.

Compare and Contrast of “The Lottery” and “AVOMWEW”

Humans sometimes feel that stereotypical beliefs or values are the black and white of life. In contrast, people are also unfitted to accept misleading truth. The perpetuation of archaic gender roles in â€Å"The Lottery† and the inability to accept unconventional truth in â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† highlights the negative effects of unexamined or misplaced values. In the attempt to accept truth, the townspeople in â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† finds out the truth in an unexpected manner.The incapability to accept unconventional truth in â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† explains the negative effects of unexamined values and beliefs. For example, the family in â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† calls in a neighbor woman who knows everything about life and death to see the man. â€Å"He’s an angel†¦ He must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him dow n. † People will often turn to, or use religion as an alternative to examine truth.â€Å"The Parish priest had his first suspicion of an imposter when he saw that he did not understand the language of God or know how to greet his ministers. † When realizing the truth is not unorthodox, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. â€Å"That was how Father Gonzaga was cured forever of his insomnia and Pelayo’s courtyard went back to being as empty as during the time it had rained for three days and crabs walked through the bedrooms. Generally speaking, accepting unconventional truth leads to stereotypical beliefs.The longevity of archaic gender roles in â€Å"the lottery† highlights the negative effects of misplaced beliefs or values. For example, when the â€Å"wife draws for her husband† it feels very out of place. The townspeople are not used to a woman drawing let alone draw for her husband. â€Å"Don’t you have a grown boy to do i t for you, Janey? † In these times, the men and boys are the leaders of households and hold the authority out in public compared to women.â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example†¦ The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys. † The authority of men plays a big role of how well the children listen and respond to their mothers. The women start to call the children â€Å"and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. Bobby Martin ducked under his mothers grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones.His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother†. The sexist theme of the story explains in great detail how discriminatory the times back then were. In conclusion, the perpetuations of archaic gender roles in â€Å"The Lottery† and the in ability to accept unconventional truth in â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† highlights the detrimental effects of unexamined or misplaced values.

Indentured Servitude A Legal, Written Contract Binding...

Indentured Servitude An indenture was a legal, written contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified term.(1) The system of Indenture and Indentured servants was introduced in Colonial America to meet the growing demand for cheap, plentiful labor in the colonies. The indentured servants worked for no wage; instead they worked for basic necessities such as food, clothing and a place to live. (2) Even though slaves existed in the English Colonies in the 1600s, many farmers employed Indentured Servants instead. There was a high demand for work as the growth of tobacco; rice (which was easy to prepare and was also a hearty meal that would sustain a workers bodies for a long day’s work) and indigo (organic dye, distinctive for its blue color and is used for infection) were very prominent during the 1680s. Choosing to work by this method was not only beneficial to the masters and servants it was an all-around success to expand the working population of the C hesapeake colonies. Aside from the method used above there was the â€Å"Headright System†, used by Maryland and Virginia. The colony leaders were aware of the essential needs for economic survival. They knew that labor was a requirement in order to survive economically, to make this possible they provided inducements for planters to import workers. This became a win-win situation; the masters were rewarded with 50 acres of land for every worker they brought across the Atlantic. This had become a veryShow MoreRelatedIkea Children Labour6495 Words   |  26 Pagesdecision of cutting off one of the company’s major suppliers of Indian rugs. While such a move would disrupt supply and affect sales, she found the reasons to do so quite compelling. A German TV station had just broadcast an investigative report naming the supplier as one that used child labor in the production of rugs made for IKEA. What frustrated Barner was that, like all other IKEA suppliers, this large, well-regarded company had recently signed an addendum to its supply contract explicitly forbiddingRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagescentury c.e. arrived, and there were several points both before the year 2000 (the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, the surge of globalization from the mid-1990s) and afterward (9/11, or the global recession of 2008) when one could quite plausibly argue that a new era had begun. A compelling case can be made for viewing the decades of the global scramble for colonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial