assisted suicide is wrong

MY OPPONENT- "He believes that AS is wrong. (his case) That is impossible to prove, since morality is subjective. He cannot objectively prove AS wrong in all cases, no matter how hard he tries. There will always be a gray area, and that defaults to my side. Since it is impossible for him to prove morality in this case, we default neg." First of all i would like ask my opponent not to make assumption of probabilty of your winning this debate, stated as fact. It is very rude and insulting. That is for the viewers of this debate to decide. And without hearing my arguments first, you have no way of knowing what counters i will make to your arguments. If this debate was un-winnable, it would hardly be a debate would it? with all due respect, i know you care alot for this topic, but in your first round you seek to put down your opponent to an inescaple area. I would like to ask that we finish this debate out formally, and without suggesting incapabilities. I accept my opponents judging of this debate as being one of morality. As stated by my opponent, i will be trying to prove that AS is wrong in all cases. PLEA FOR HELP- Suicidal Intent is typically transient. Of those who attempt suicide but are stopped, less than 4 percent go on to kill themselves in the next five years; less than 11 percent will commit suicide over the next 35 years. Terminally Ill patients who desire death are depressed and depression is treatable in those with terminal illness. In one study, of the 24 percent of terminally ill patients who desired death, all had clinical depression. Due to these results (http://www.euthanasia.com...) This shows that the persons wanting the suicide, can indeed be helped after a period of time. GOOD DOCTORS-Pain is controllable. Modern medicine has the ability to control pain. A person who seeks to kill him or herself to avoid pain does not need legalized assisted suicide but a doctor better trained in alleviating pain. It is not impossible to withstand pain. But then some would ask why stay, what is the point? SELFISHNESS- Often times when an individual commits suicide, they only seem to think of themselves, and what they have to go through. However, they try not to tend to think about what their loved ones will go through. It is extremely selfish to give up your life, just so you can be released from pain. Even in this story you have given me. In this, it is no different from committing regular suicide. People who commit suicide, do it to escape from emotional. People who wish for assisted suicide, do it to escape physical pain. Is this how much life is worth to us humans? We are just going to give it all up, all those years of living, Just because you don't want to deal with the pain. In my opinion, this is extremely cowardice. What about your family? Or friends? You cannot say that the person who asks for assisted suicide is not going to hurt somebody by having his wishes accomplished. This is indeed very wrong and selfish. To cause pain to others, without a care. Its one thing to be killed by accident ie a car crash. For that is not the individuals fault. But to give up there life, just to Escape from the pain without a care for any body elses objectives, Is THE most selfish thing to do. My opponent makes a point to where its the individuals life, and he/she can do whatever they want with it. But does that nessicarily make it right? seeing as this IS a debate about morality, we must ask ourselves, is giving up our life the right thing to do, just because its our life to do with what we choose? People with this state of mind, are a leading cause of low society. example 1: A Man decides he is going to go out and do drugs. Why? Because its his life and he can do with it how he pleases. He decides to take a short drive afterwards. While hallucinations kick in, he loses sense of what he is doing, and kills some one. An innocent human being is now dead, because of this man decided that it didn't matter if his choices affected anyone, because it is his life, and his life only. example 2: A teenager is fed up with problems at home with his family. He decides he can't take it anymore, and chooses to run-a-way, seeing as it is his life, and he can do whatever he pleases with it. He runs away never to return again. The Family of this Teenager, although they may have had problems, really loved this boy and now have to live with the knowledge that he could be anywhere, any place, surviving the world by himself. They now Have constant Worry to fill them everyday. Is this fair? Well its the teenagers life is it not? So this makes it perfectly fair. MURDER- My opponent claims that a doctor complying with the wishes of the patient, is not killing. As i have shown before, the majority of patients are just looking for there problems to be over, meaning they can be helped. They dismiss this fact though and proceed in killing the patient any way. No one should be able to decide they can play god, and choose who lives and dies. As my opponent says in his story, the patient is going to die in a month. The doctor, having the ability to provide pain medicine, can alleviate the patient to live his full term of the month he has left. The patient, Can seek many oppurtunities to fullfill in his last hours of life. He can do something uplifting, such as mend old relationships, or do something he has never had an oppurtunity to do before hand in his life. The doctor in your story, ignores these facts and proceeds in ending the patients life, merely because the patient asked him to. How is this murder you ask? First of all the doctor is playing the role of god. No one should choose who lives or dies. there is an appropriate time for everyone to die, and by denying some one the natural aspect of death, is considered murder, no matter what the reasoning behind it. Should i go murder some one because i myself, see it is better to do so? Obviously the doctor feels it is better to follow the patients wishes, and proceed in ending his life. The doctor thinks that the world will improve by his actions. So if i feel the world would be a better place if i assasinated the president of the united states, that makes it not murder? Definition of murder: to thus end another life, by one's own accord (dictionary.com) Ending the patients life, is indeed not only the patients accord, but the doctor too for complying. My opponent says that what he and i both think is wrong, may be of difference. This is indeed true. thats why the decision of what is more right, or what is more wrong, is left up to you, the voters and the judges. Do you think it is right to be selfish? Do you think it is right to hurt another's life? Do you think it is right to end another's life out of a personal opinion? Dear voters, you must ask yourselves these questions before deciding what is really considered right and wrong. We must look at all aspects of a decision. When we focus on just the person who wishes to attempt Assisted suicide, we do not take the harm principal into account and the factor in which others deal with. Most people would think, Just on first hearing, that this sounds justafiable. We need to learn, what the true sense of ethics is, if we are going to side ourselves with an Ethics statement. Ethics is all about right and wrong. What should we or should we not do? Seeing as i am just about out of remaining characters, i will give a quick summary of my points in this debate before closing. 1.Most patients can be helped out of their death prone thoughts. 2.Doctors can ease may granted they are good doctors. 3.Selfishness is wrong, and AS is just as slefish as normal suicide. 4. AS hurts other as well as the individual. 5. Just because it is your life, does not make it moral to do with it in such ways. I thank my opponent for such an interesting topic and look forward to his reply thankyou. -kudos fo-shizzle