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With the morphine drip, the doctor holds the sin of murder. With physician assisted suicide, the patient holds the sin of taking his or her own life. Once again conflict is present; who deserves such guilt less?

Euthanasia is in the same predicament as administering a morphine overdose when it comes to sin. The doctors in both situations are, technically, murdering someone. If this is the wish of that patient, however, where is the problem? If that person is getting ready to pass away anyways, why should the sentence (in terms of the law) be equally severe to that of murdering a healthy child/adult? The law does not seem to compensate for projected lifespan or preternatural situations.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the infamous suicide doctor, believes that the debate over end of life issues needs to be raised. In a shocking video that he submitted to CBS's 60 Minutes, Dr. Kevorkian is shown administering a lethal dose of potassium chloride to a patient who desired for his suffering to be over. This expos landed the doctor in jail on murder charges. He got his wish, though; the issue was finally raised.

Life embodies conflict. Conflict pulls at each of us every day, sometimes in the most subtle of ways. End of life issues are in no way exempt from this generalization. There are many aspects of this debate, all of which can not possibly be discussed here. The one most relevant to me, currently, is that of the beliefs of the immediate family versus those of the patient. The family is dealing with a suffering parent. At the same time, however, they desire to spend as much time with their loved one as possible. It is hard to let someone go, especially a spouse or parent. The desire for time conflicts with the desire for the loved one to be comfortable and peaceful. The patient is dealing with not wanting to leave their family and, also, the desire to want to be in control of their own death and suffering. Precious moments do not want to be lost on either end, but there is also a point of no return, where suicide is no longer an option.

The wife of a terminally ill man put forth her opinions honestly and emotionally. "Sometimes I wish this were all over," she said, "but then I realize that means he has to die." This genuine view is a typical conflict. How can time be maximized and suffering be minimized? And, when death is the end, how can you desire for the ordeal to finally be over? Do we want more time or less suffering? It is one or the other.

According to Oregon law, physician

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