Euthanasia and assisted suicideThere has been much discussion about euthanasia and assisted suicide without any agreement in sight. Oregon is currently the only state that allows euthanasia and assisted suicide in the United States. Like all issues that involve projecting personal beliefs onto the fate of an entire population, this is a question that may never be resolved. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are methods that people can use to end their lives on their own with lethal prescriptions from doctors, or under the care of a doctor or assistant through various methods, including l lethal injection and "pulling the plug" on life support machines are the most common. Assisted suicide would only be granted to a person "who is terminally ill and who believes that his or her life is not worth living because of intractable pain and/or a loss of dignity and/or capacity and who requests repeatedly and actively aid in committing suicide and that he is of sound mind and does not suffer from depression." [Robinson] Conservative religious groups, some medical associations, and disability groups are the most common protesters of assisted suicide. Many fundamentalist religions believe that it violates the natural desire to live, harms other people, and ultimately that life is a gift from God and should be taken only from God. [Robinson] Some disability groups fear that assisted suicide could lead to more cases of people being killed against their will to satisfy society's desire for a disability-free population. Medical associations often disagree because their goals are often to extend and prolong life as long as possible. Th...... middle of paper ......g. Completely excluding this option means taking away a personal human right. As with most ethical squabbles, the debate over legal euthanasia is a personal one. There is a strong desire in government and religion to decide the fate of one's people based on individual position. It seems that personal choice is the only solution to the euthanasia debate. Those who oppose assisted suicide would not choose to have one and would respect the choice of others to live or end their lives as they choose. Assisted dying is not something to be taken lightly or used often. Strict laws are needed to regulate their use. In conclusion, a quote from Derek Humphrey, an advocate of euthanasia, describes the conditions necessary for euthanasia. He said: “Euthanasia should always be voluntary, justified, legal and rare".]