The Effects of Legalizing Assisted Suicide While slowly experiencing death, the pain of a fatal illness is unbearable. The constant anguish of a helpless cancer patient, Richard, is taking away all sanity. As he lies on the hospital bed next to his family, Richard finally makes a grave decision. He decides to see a doctor to put an end to his pain. The doctor would give him medicines that would lead to an inevitable death. Since he knows he will die within a few weeks anyway, Richard questions the doctor about the drug. “Just give me the word and I will hand him over to you,” says the doctor. “I would add, however, that even though it may be an option, do you think it is morally right?” The doctor is obviously an honest and noble man who expresses his sincere opinion to all his patients. This, in most cases, is not common in the character of a doctor. Richard is left with those words of the doctor and is given time to talk about the situation with his family. After a long discussion, they realize that life is a privilege and should not be taken by choice, no matter how intense the pain. Weeks later, at Richard's funeral, the family feels proud of him for enduring that harrowing experience and dying naturally. Choosing physician-assisted suicide may be an inconsequential issue for some, but when dealing with terminally ill patients, it is definitely an observable option. These people must realize that taking life, whether that of someone else or their own, is dishonorable. Assisted suicide should be against the law in all states because it would affect medical procedures, persuade doctors to make bad decisions, and change the morality of people across the country. The population of this country is partially represented by the Supreme Court of the United States. Indeed, the U.S. Supreme Court will become the final judge of this important issue because two U.S. Court of Appeals decisions recently declared laws banning physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional (Court 1). There is no doubt that the effect of the speculations of this country's highest court on physician-assisted suicide will be as great as anyone has witnessed in a long time. Doctor-assisted suicide is one of the most controversial medical issues there is. Although a recent poll shows that between 64 and 73 percent of Americans believe that doctors should be allowed to end the lives of terminally ill patients under their permission, Americans may not realize what could actually happen if