I want everyone to know as I write this article that this is based on my personal opinion on the right to die with dignity. Why should the federal government or state government get involved with someone who wants to die if they have a terminal illness?  What’s the purpose on government getting involved in the process and stopping someone from his or her wish to die? I feel it’s the right of the patient to do what they wish and die on their terms. Why should the government have a say in some ones life and decisions when a doctor tells a terminally ill patient they have no options and  that a suffering death is imminent.

Brittany Maynard has brought that debate back into the spotlight. As everyone knows now she had a terminal illness and moved from California to Oregon, as Oregon is 1 of 5 states that allow someone to take their own life. I don’t think she was trying to the face of dying on her own terms. I think she’s trying to tell the country and probably the world why can’t you die on your own terms. Why let the illness slowly deteriorate your body slowly. Given only a limited time left and then watch the cancer totally destroyed your body and make you suffer. Letting the cancer also put a toll on your loved ones and friends who care about you as well. No one wants to watch a loved one die like that. The various groups who oppose such an act to die with dignity, I would like to ask them. Would you like to see someone you care about suffer and slowly die? Or would you support them if they chose to take their own life. Either way it’s not an easy choice to make on both sides, but if that’s what a terminally ill patient wants, we as a freethinking society should honor ones request to do so. The government should stay out of it.

What’s the purpose of the government getting involved and trying to stop someone from taking their own life if they are dying? When Dr. Jack Kevorkian was assisting people when they were dying, local and state authorities were trying to put him in jail. I thought back then when reading about him helping patients die with dignity was a good thing. Helping patients to ease the pain and suffering inflicted not only on them, but also on their friends and family. The state of Michigan was trying putting a stop to him and finally was able to convict him and put him in jail in 1999.

I think the debate on the right to die needs to comeback to center stage once again. Maybe it’s time to touch this topic and address it like we should. We must invest more money in cancer research and try to find a cure to beat all forms of cancer that affects millions of people around the world. This is a deadly disease that is simply taking lives and is starting to be more common now than 20 years ago. I mean cancer has always been around, but lately it’s more common to hear or read about. The government spends a lot of money on stuff that there is no need for. Politicians who use tax payers money for travel and other expenses needs to stop. We need to hold our politicians accountable and start working for the people and not for themselves. So I say yes, lets fund money to stop cancer and let’s win this fight for everyone in this world. -Jibus