Citizens living in the state of Arkansas cannot be legally prescribed drugs of a lethal dose. If diagnosed with a terminal illness with a maximum date of living, you do not have the choice of ending your own life. I strongly disagree with this case.

In other states such as Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana (only with a court ruling), you are given the choice of these deathly drugs if you fall under the specified circumstances. Documents state that in Oregon, you must be a legal adult, over the age of 18, and mentally capable of making a decision regarding your own health.

The person must also have a two signatures with other people agreeing with the patient’s choice of death, and the patient must have a terminal illness that would cause them to die within the next six months.

Brittany Maynard’s disease has brought awareness to the nation through the actions that she has taken. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and was told by her doctors that she would have six months to live. At the depressing time of her diagnosis, she decided to move to the state of Oregon where she would have the choice of when and where she died.

The fact that this is not legal in all states blows my mind. You diagnose an innocent person with a terminal illness and then tell them that they can’t die until they live out these next couple of horrifically painful months? I don’t see how this is morally okay.

If a person chooses to live and still fight to keep breathing, then that is their own decision. I feel as if living is your choice. You wake yourself up everyday and do what you have to do to make it through.

This scenario is called Death with Dignity. Most of the people in these circumstances that choose to end their own life make the choice because they don’t want the people around them to remember them at their worst.

If I was told I was going to die slowly and be at a state where I am emotionally and mentally dead when I actually died, I would definitely end my life with the doctor’s help. Men and women throughout the country decide to make this decision as well, and in most cases, move to a different state because of the small number that have legalized it.

In my opinion, assisted suicide should be legal for all american citizens. There are requirements you have to meet to be given the lethal drugs, and the patients are closely watched by doctors or physicians during the time the dosage has been administered.

I believe that prohibiting deathly drugs to help serious conditions does not mean that the drugs will be taken out of hand or used irresponsibly. If monitored the right way, I think Death with Dignity is a right that everyone should have, if they fall under the specified guidelines.