veiled4allah: physican-assisted suicide

In my Legal Research class we have to research Oregon's 'Death with Dignity' Law which allows physicians to help terminally ill patients who have requested it to end their own lives. John Ashcroft has been trying to strike down this law, so in addition to the questions raised by the law itself about suicide and the role of the physician, Ashcroft's actions have also raised questions about whether the executive branch of the federal government has the right to overrule a law that the people of the state have chosen to enact. The courts do have the right to overturn laws that are unconstitutional, but what about the Department of Justice? I am deeply concerned about Ashcroft's behavior in general. His actions have clearly shown that he has little regard for the Constitution and the limitations on government power that it prescribes, and that he will take action to circumvent it whenever he feels the need. Considering that he holds a position where he is supposed to uphold the laws and the Constitution, this is very disturbing.

As to the law itself, as a Muslim, I believe that suicide is wrong and a grave sin. Although at times our pain (physical or emotional) can be so great that all we want is for it to end, we should try to keep enduring the best we can. Enduring afflictions with patience and trust in God will bring about a great reward (i.e., Paradise), next to which the sufferings of this life are as fleeting as a nightmare. Additionally, I feel that doctors have a moral responsibility not so much to "reduce suffering" but rather to help preserve the life and health of their patients as much as possible. There is an argument to be made for choosing not to take "extraordinary measures" to prolong a person's life if they would remain in a vegetal state. But actively doing something to end a life is different.

The actual assignment is not to discuss what to do about physician-assisted suicide, but simply to prepare a two-page report on what the existing laws and court decisions are and the current status of the measure. Whether we want to bring a case to challenge the constitutionality of Oregon's law or whether we want to challenge Ashcroft's actions, we have to know where we stand. As the class goes on, we will learn more about how to proceed with preparing a case for trial (though I'm sure we won't be studying this particular issue all quarter; she just chose it because it's well-known and there's a lot of information available on it, and to make it interesting)