What Thanksgiving Is Really About

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks.  We gather our family at the table to stuff our faces, to watch our uncle spill everything he touches, and to hear our grandma tell the stories of which only she knows what she is talking about.  Before we know it, we are getting dressed, filling up our cars with gas, and ready to celebrate Thanksgiving the right way; by finding the best deals on pointless items to buy for ourselves.  Next thing we know, we are at the mall pushing our way through the wild crowd fending for ourselves. 

Walking through the mall is like trying to go against the current of the Amazon River.  The only way to get through is to pretend that we are football players heading for the end zone in the super bowl.  We push through the crowd to get to the sales we are so thankful for on this special day because we want is that special blanket with sleeves because it’s now only $15.99.  Hours later, with our arms full of pointless items, we head toward the parking lot.

The parking lot is like a maze we have to get through.  When we find our car, and maybe even the people we came with, is when we truly give thanks on this Thanksgiving Day. We have made it out of the mall alive!  Later that night, we are back at the house ready for bed, we come to realize the table is still filled with leftover turkey and stuffing, grandpa is still shoveling food into his mouth, our uncle is sitting in a pool of  gravy on the white carpeting, and grandma is still sitting in the same spot telling her stories.  We come to realize we have completely missed the Thanksgiving experience we used to cherish.  But, hey, we found some really good sales and got a lot of really pointless, but cool stuff!  Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about?

Physician Assisted Suicide

The topic I chose to write about is physician assisted suicide.  I feel this topic is not discussed as much as it should be and that it should be an option given to all patients who are terminally ill.  The only states in which physician assisted suicide is legal to perform in are Vermont, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.  There are many different illnesses that do not have a cure which results in a slow, usually painful death.  By the use of physician assisted suicide, this painful death can be avoided and the patient can live they’re last days comfortably doing what they want.

Recently in the news, there has been an on-going story about a woman from California who moved to Oregon after she was given six months to live after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  She had made the decision in October to die using physician assisted suicide, but decided to wait a while longer.  As of November 1, 2014 she passed away in her home surrounded by her family.  This story has brought attention to physician assisted suicide and how it can be a positive way to die.  If this woman decided to go through different treatment options, she would just be prolonging her suffering as there is no cure for brain cancer.  Because of physician assisted suicide, this woman died a peaceful death surrounded by those she loved.

I think when physician assisted suicide is discussed people usually discuss the ethical issues that surround it and not the humanity side of the argument.  When our pets are having a hard time toward the end of their life, we take them to the vet where they put them “to sleep” to end their suffering.  This should not be any different for humans.  Instead of peacefully going “to sleep” humans are told they have to take the slow and painful route to die.  Physician assisted suicide should be legal to eliminate suffering from a slow and painful death.