Euthanasia in Oregon Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Euthanasia in Oregon Oregon is currently the only state that gives the terminally pallid the right to decide how and when they want to die. This is known as Oregons Death with Dignity manage which lets ill, competent patients, who have less than sixer months to live, choose their preferred lethal dose of medication after they chatter with two doctors. Since this right is presend in only one state, it causes controversy. David Sarasohn in No Last Rights discusses Attorney General John Ashcrofts argufy to the 1997 self-governing Court decision, which gave doctors in Oregon the right to prescribe federally controlled substances intended to euthanize. Ken MacQueen in Choosing Suicide reflects on various cases of euthanasia, differences in lawmaking on euthanasia between Canada and Oregon, and illegal acts of euthanasia. Sarasohn begins his article by acknowledging how Ashcroft valiantly takes the task of confronting the voters of Oregon to contemplate eu thasasia during a week when splenic fever and 9/11 were pressing issues for Ashcroft. In the article, Ashcroft states how using federally controlled substances, for the purposes of assisting self-annihilation, violates the Controlled Substances Act (Sarasohn 8). The author states broadly how Ashcroft throws out the Oregon euthanasia law, not specifying the pitch his challenge had on the law. It is important to note that Ashcrofts reversal of the 1997 Supreme Court ruling does not prohibit medically assisted suicide in Oregon. However, it does forbid the usage of federally controlled drugs to kill a patient. The stopping point of the article talks about the Bush administration commending the decision and how Ashcroft sent out a DEA administrator to implement the new ... ... of his explanations are indecipherable and vague, making the ref want to do additional research on the subject. Sarasohns article is extremely concise and it relies on many, elaborate quotes without mo re evidence provided by him. This drastically affects his credibility. On the other hand, Ken MacQueens Choosing Suicide presents the reader with a much more upbeat and expound outlook on Oregons law. He sums up Ashcrofts effect on the law in a few sentences eon focusing on other important aspects of the concern. In the end, these articles entice the reader into wondering if Oregon state law on euthanasia serves as a model to the rest of the nation or as a poison to medicine. Works CitedMacQueen, Ken. Choosing Suicide Macleans v. 115 no31 (August 5 2002) p. 40-1Sarasohn, David. No Last Rights The Nation v.273 no19 (December 10 2001) p. 8