According to Came and Deacon (1991), a woman known only as Nancy B., requested the assistance of her physician to help her commit suicide. Since 1989, Nancy  had been suffering from a severe neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barre that had left paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a mechanical respirator. The effects of her condition had progressed to the point where it was irreversible and despite not being able to move, Nancy suffered from the aches and pains caused by continuous infections and her lack of mobility. Fed up with living this way, Nancy wanted to have the tube removed from her throat because, in her words, "It's no longer living." (Deacon and Came, 1991, p.5).  What makes Nancy's case controversial is that it brings the subject of physician-assisted suicide to the attention of a society that is still uninformed about the difference between living an extended life through the use of machines to one that is pain free. Compared to passive euthanasia, where disconnecting a respirator et al is considered acceptable, physician-assisted suicide is considered to be murder because it is an act of active euthanasia performed by a doctor where deliberate action is taken to end a life.  As legal and medical definitions about death are continually being redefined to fit the advancements made in medical science, society needs to recognize that just as everyone can have different views on death, they can also have different views on how life should be lived. Therefore, the practice of physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in Canada
 

                                       According to Douglas (1994), euthanasia, both passive and active, was widely accepted in many societies. Philosophers such as Plato condoned forms of euthanasia but the rise of organized religions such as Christianity lead to the condemning of euthanasia because of the belief that all life is sacred. Despite the fact that there has been a separation of church and state, the laws that are in place, even today, reflect the view and opinion of society at the turn of the 20th century. Since that time, groups such as the Hemlock society ( According to Egendorf (1998) Hemlock was a plant given out by the Greek government to those who wanted to die) have fought for public support. Douglas (1994) noted that aside from being unsuccessful in fulfilling their goal, they have made a serious impact in the easing of laws against passive and voluntary ( request by the dying patient through their legal representative) euthanasia. The legalization of the "living wills", which instructs physicians to withhold life-support systems when the person becomes terminally ill, was considered a major victory despite the fact that many people do not accept it as a legally binding contract.
 

                               When the Bible was written over two thousand years ago, there were no respirators available to keep people alive. If someone lived after having a limb cut off, it was understandably seen as the will of God. But today, the Bible, as well as other  works, have been flawed by the passing of time. Not only are they an awkward fit in modern times, the individual interpretation of these works has drastically altered their original message There is no commandment that states : Thou shall not have an opinion based on your own experiences. Religions argue about the sacredness of life and how it can not be taken away, and yet, there are contradictions that can be found in the writing of their own texts and in the actions of it's followers. Spong (1996) noted that according to the Hebrew scriptures, the same God that ordered his people "Thou shall not kill", could also order Saul to kill every  man, woman, and child who belonged to the Amlekites (p.2). In countries such as Jordan where Islam is a dominate religion, it is acceptable to kill a girl in your own family who has allegedly, lost her virginity. However,  in the same country, it is punishable by death if you assist in voluntary euthanasia. Such contradictions in societies where religious devotion is of the upmost importance, show that it is important for individuals to reconsider the information available on euthanasia and base their opinions on their own ethics and morals.
 

                                                Why do people want to die?. There are many reasons; terminal sickness, permanent disability, etc.. It's because of these reasons that many people want to live life to the fullest.  The populace will always hear stories about people overcoming odds just so they can enjoy the things we take for granted. In the case of Nancy B., life wasn't life anymore. To her, suffering from the pain cause by lack of movement in her lower body and breathing through a tube wasn't life.  She knew it was hard on her family, so she made the choice to kill herself with the help of her physician. Nichols (1996) reported that a Canadian named Austin Bastable died from Carbon Monoxide poisoning with the help of Jack Kevorkian. Crippled by the effects of multiple sclerosis, Bastable campaigned for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and was crushed when Prime Minister Jean Chretien avoided meeting him at a Liberal Party Convention in April of 1996. Bastable,  died so that other Canadians may someday want  a say in how they will die. Nancy B. and Bastable used their deaths as a way to awaken the country to the need for the legalization of physician-assisted euthanasia for people in the advanced staged of either terminal or painful diseases because the pain prevents the patient from enjoying the life they have left.
 

                                            When a suicide occurs with the help of a medical physician, the person who is in the toughest position is not the patient, but the physician . They risk the respect of their peers and their certification as doctors if it is discovered that they assisted in a patient's suicide. Corelli and Hiller (1997) reported about the arrest of Dr. Nancy Morrison in connection with the death of a throat cancer patient named Paul Mills. Mills could only communicate through blinking in response to questions and, according to his widow, he never wanted to die. But the family agreed that the life support devices gradually be reduced before complete shut- down. According to a relative of Morrison, Dr. Morrison, being a specialist in respirology, heard Mills gasping for air and speculated that he would die within that hour.  In Canada, euthanasia and mercy killing are not terms known in Canadian law, though most provinces do allow physicians to withhold life-support at the patient's request but not to the hastening of death on their own terms. But the problem is, the family did request for the machines to be gradually shut- down and if Dr. Morrison didn't help hasten death, than Mills would have suffocated and choked to death over a long and arduous hour, not quickly and almost painlessly which Dr. Morrison provided. To allow Doctor assisted suicide would enable the patient, doctor, and family of the patient to discuss the means by which euthanasia would be used, what forms and on what terms.
 

                                           The arguments against euthanasia are supported by two strong pillars; Religious beliefs, and the theory of the slippery slope. The slippery slope is the belief that if society legalizes voluntary euthanasia for competent, terminally ill adults, acceptance for of euthanizing elderly, uninsured, or physically handicapped people will follow. Egendorf (1998) cited  Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock society as saying that if one believes that the legalization of euthanasia is the beginning of the slippery slope in killing off our burdensome, "...you have no faith in the goodness of human nature or the ability of the American democratic system to protect the weak". (p. 2). Egendorf (1998) also reports that supporters of euthanasia believe that guidelines similar to those in Oregon, the only U.S. state to legalize euthanasia, i.e, waiting periods, doctor's confirmation etc., will protect patients and increase physician accountability.
 

                                     In Nancy B.'s case, because she wasn't old or terminal, the rest of her life would be marred by  pain. Could society, as a whole, justify her suffering because of the perception that pain makes you stronger. When people are in pain, society tends to believe that it is only temporary, but never considers pain to actually be painful. To keep a person alive just to remind us of how good most of society got it is neither ethical or moral and actually devalues the life of these people. The patients who need the assistance of a physician in committing suicide, feel as if their dignity is lost because since they already have no control over their lives, to have no control over ones death at such a stage is an unsettling experience. The author of this paper believes that the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in Canada would be a merciful step in the right direction that would work if the patient, physician, and family work together in meeting the guidelines and understanding the true uses of euthanasia.
 
 
 
 
 

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