Euthanasia in Oregon Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Euthanasia in Oregon Oregon is currently the only state that gives the terminally ill the right to decide how and when they want to die. This is known as â€Å"Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act† which lets ill, competent patients, who have less than six months to live, choose their preferred lethal dose of medication after they confer with two doctors. Since this right is present in only one state, it causes controversy. David Sarasohn in â€Å"No Last Rights† discusses Attorney General John Ashcroft’s challenge to the 1997 Supreme Court decision, which gave doctors in Oregon the right to prescribe federally controlled substances intended to euthanize. Ken MacQueen in â€Å"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 euthasasia during a week when anthrax and 9/11 were pressing issues for Ashcroft. In the article, Ashcroft states how using federally controlled substances, for the purposes of assisting suicide, violates the Controlled Substances Act (Sarasohn 8). The author states broadly how Ashcroft throws out the Oregon euthanasia law, not specifying the effect his challenge had on the law. It is important to note that Ashcroft’s 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 conclusion 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 unclear and vague, making the reader want to do additional research on the subject. Sarasohn’s article is extremely concise and it relies on many, elaborate quotes without much evidence provided by him. This drastically affects his credibility. On the other hand, Ken MacQueen’s â€Å"Choosing Suicide† presents the reader with a much more upbeat and detailed outlook on Oregon’s law. He sums up Ashcroft’s effect on the law in a few sentences while 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 Cited MacQueen, Ken. â€Å"Choosing Suicide† Maclean’s v. 115 no31 (August 5 2002) p. 40-1    Sarasohn, David. â€Å"No Last Rights† The Nation v.273 no19 (December 10 2001) p. 8