Communication Design 3 Book

Good night Sleep tight rest in peace

We were born small, weak, and helpless

As we grow up, we begin to understand and appreciate life

Until the day we go back to sleep...

I

Table of Contents

II

I

Table of Contents

01

Introduction: Short Story

02

Phase 1: The Concept of Dying

05 06 08

Our Humble Beginning Life After Death Phase 2: A Good Death

10

Which One Would you choose?

12

What Defines a Good Death

14

After all, is death a bad thing?

16

Euthanasia Statistics

18

How long has it been

20

Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s Quote

22

Phase 3: Rest in Peace?

24 26 28

Where do we go?

Where we say hello, is also where we say goodbye Bibliography

“ I’m not afraid of being dead.

I’m just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there

“

- Pamela Bone

01

A

woman in her 70s was sitting anxiously in outside a hospital ward when a man in a white suit came out to break the news.

The dainty woman leapt up from her seat in excitement as the dcotor gestured her to enter the hospital room. The room smells like lavender.

There in the bed laid a woman in her thirties with a small fragile human being wrapped around her firm hands. The little human’s held her hands up against his chest. His little head emerged from underneath the soft fabric that bundled him up.

With joy, the woman that held the baby handed him to the elderly woman. Now, she could feel the

The woman took some time to stare at the tightly shut little eyes of her grandson’s as she started contemplating. Unlike the newborn that just embraced life, the woman might not live any longer. The newborn embraced life, and before her eyes, she felt as if he’s taking the portions of life away from her. She’s going to let go her life anytime soon, while the newborn still has years to live on. Death will soon pick her up, uninvited. She is just counting down the days. Slowly, she leans down to her grandson’s ears and whispered.

“Enjoy your life before death takes you away, the way it will for all of us.”

Phase 1

The Concept of Dying “No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow.�

- Euripides

04

05

Our humble beginning

L

et us say that vital pro-

gone. On the other it might be a

op or maintain themselves. These

cesses are those by which

momentary event. This event might

processes include chemosynthesis,

organisms develop or

be understood in three ways. First,

photosynthesis, cellular respiration,

maintain themselves. These

it might be the ending of the dying

cell generation, and maintenance of

processes include chemosynthesis,

process—the loss of the very last

homeostasis. Then death is the end-

photosynthesis, cellular respiration,

trace of life. Call this ‘denouement

ing of the vital processes by which

cell generation, and maintenance of

death’. Second, it might be the point

an organism sustains itself.

homeostasis. Then death is the end-

in the dying process when extinction

ing of the vital processes by which

is assured, no matter what is done

an organism sustains itself. However,

to stop it. Call this moment ‘threshold

life’s ending is one thing, and the

death’. Then death is the ending

condition of having life over is an-

of the vital processes by which an

other. ‘Death’ can refer to either.

organism sustains itself. However,

Let us add that ‘the ending of

life’s ending is one thing, and the

life’ is itself potentially ambiguous.

condition of having life over is an-

On one hand it might be a process

other. ‘Death’ can refer to either.

wherein our lives are progressively

...let us say that vital processes are

extinguished, until finally they are

those by which organisms devel-

06

Life after death?

We - as human beings should be - are always curious. We always wonder what lies beyond what we see physically.

Where do people go after they die? Religions or beliefs have been foundation of life to most people. Therefore we can say what our beliefs say about death have shaped the way we think about death in our own beliefs.

CHRISTIANITY Christianity believes in an afterlife in Heaven or Hell depending on one’s conduct on earth and belief or disbelief in God. The believers face death without fear and gain eternal life in Heaven in the presence of God. It is believed that the body itself is also a gift from God. Thus, it has to be celebrated and honored.

JUDAISM “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” While this implies there is no afterlife, another view appearing repeatedly in the Torah says the virtuous are reunited with their ancestors after death (the wicked are conversely “cut off” from their people), suggesting some form of life continues.

07

HINDUISM According to Hinduism, the oldest known religion in the world, death is a natural process in the existence of a soul that takes several births and reincarnations on the basis of karma.It explains the body like a set of clothes covering the soul.

Hence, the soul changes bodies like one changes clothes. Hindus think of prolonging one’s life artificially as interfering with karma and hence does not encourage it.

ISLAM Islam believes in continued existence of the soul with transformed physical existence and a Day of Judgment (similar to Catholicism) deciding eternal destination of the human beings to Paradise and Hell. Thus, when one approaches death,

BUDDHISM Buddhist funeral traditions tend to vary because there are different types of Buddhism. Buddhists also believe in rebirth, which is influenced by the state of mind in which a person dies. While dying, a Buddhist is surrounded by family member, friends, and monks who chant mantras and recite Buddhist scriptures to help the person leave the mortal body in a peaceful state of mind.

the family and friends give comfort to the individual and recite from the Qur’an, thereby reminding one of God’s mercy.

Phase 2

A Good Death “You see. No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper.

What you thought was the end is the beginning.�

- Harold Beldon (The Twilight Zone: Nothing in the Dark)

Poi

uthanasia

W h i c h

w a y

S

isoning

Murder w o u l d

y o u

c h o o s e ?

uicide

12

What Defin

D

eath always finds a way. We will eventually die. Young, old, ill, healthy. Death will come at any time. Death is inevitably the most fearful phase in a human’s life. The fear emerges from what we see physically and what we know according to our knowledge: that death marks the end of life. We will no longer exist once death engulfs us and takes us away from our beloved ones.

SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH In addition to that, we often see how the phase of death begins with pain. How painful the pain is going to be? It depends. People assume the more painful it is, the closer those people are

to death. The closer to death, the more fearful they have become. Another aspect that draws the fear during this phase is that, people face uncertainty. Pain can be slow and the slower it goes, the more killing it will feel. It is during this moment people are uncertain whether or not death will take them away, or life will reclaim them. It will be as if facing an intersection.

Unlike in intersection where you can surely make up your choice where to go, people will feel as if they’re on an endless, swinging pendulum, waiting for either life or death to claim them.

Life sometimes cooperates. If life allows, the pain will be taken away, replaced by breath of healthy air. However, if the pain is no longer endurable, the person will succumb to it and

13

nes a Good Death?

NO MORE UNCERTAINTY For those who face that phase of uncertainty, hanging for their life or waiting for the death to claim, they might find a good shortcut. A shortcut is there to help decide the fastest way to skip the uncertainty. If life doesn’t cooperate and only sit there without doing anything, the best way to do it is to invite death in a gentle way. A quote from The Twilight Zone: Nothing in the Dark, is enough to sum up what other form death might be. Instead of slow, painful, torturing, death will take you away in your sleep, before you know it.

For those who are facing this uncertainty, death will take away the pain and pick them up at instant, reducing the pain. A simple action as

pulling the plug helps one to reduce the aching physical pain. It is not a suicide. It’s an act of helping people have a better way out. Life can be a bit harder to deal with in this, while death can just sit there and wait to pick up the next person. Pulling the plug, injecting a deathly medicine to give one a shortcut to death, are no suicide. They are simply ways to help people get over the unendurable pain they are experiencing, which is an act of sincerely, an act of helping.

Besides, spending more money for more medicines to keep one alive is not effective.

14

ARGUMENTS BASED ON RIGHTS People have an explicit right to die

PRACTICAL ARGUMENTS It is possible to regulate euthanasia Death is a private matter and if there is no harm to others, the state and other people have no right to interfere (a libertarian argument)

A separate right to die is not necessary, because our other human rights imply the right to die Death is a private matter and if there is no harm to others, the state and other people have no right to interfere (a libertarian argument)

Allowing people to die may free up scarce health resources (this is a possible argument, but no authority has seriously proposed it) Euthanasia happens anyway (a utilitarian or consequentialist argument)

PHILOSOPHIC ARGUMENTS Euthanasia satisfies the criterion that moral rules must be universalisable Euthanasia happens anyway (a utilitarian or consequentialist argument)

15

After all...

is death a bad thing?

16

54

percent of medical practitioners that support Euthanasia

4

places openly and legally authorize active assistance in dying (Oregon, Switzerland, Belgium,

86

Netherlands)

percent of public support euthanasia for the terminally ill / on life support

55

percent of terminally ill patients die in pain

17

8

years, Dr. Jack Kevorkian served in prison for Physician Assisted Suicide

28

percent of Americans supported Euthanasia

47

percent of Democrats support Euthanasia

100,000

people of largest group (Right-to-Die) have paid supported Japanese of rights to assisted suicide

18

How long has it been?

5th Century B.C. -1st Century B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans Tend to Support Euthanasia

1st Century A.D. (Late Middle Ages

1828

During Middle Ages Christians and Jews Tend to Oppose Euthanasia

First US Statute Outlawing Assisted Suicide Enacted in New York

17th-18th Century Renaissance and Reformation Writers Challenge Church Opposition to Euthanasia

19

The history of Euthanasia dates back to before Christ. Such practices have encountered controversy but at the same time, philosophers and some groups of people believe in the benefits euthanasia brings.

1946

May 20, 2013

Committee of 1776 Physicians for Legalizing Voluntary

Vermont Becomes Fourth State the Allow Physician-Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia Founded

1915

1990

Dr. Haiselden Allows Deformed Baby to Die Rather Than Give It Possibly Lifesaving Surgery

Jack Kevorkian Participates in His First Assisted Suicide Surgery

I believe there are people who are healthy and mentally competent enough to decide on suicide.

People who are not depressed. Everyone has a right to suicide, because a person has a right to determine what will or will not be done to their body.

-

Jack Kevorkian, MD, who has aided over 130 people in ending their lives

Phase 3

Rest in peace?

“The real question of life after death isn’t whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.”

- Ludwig Wittgenstein

24

25

Where do we go?

T

he next thing you ask is, where do we go from here? Sure that euthanasia has often accused as an act of murder rather than an act of helping. Activities of euthanasia has been strictly limited only to specific geographical areas across the globe. However, keep your faith to people out there who are still doing this sincere practice as a way to help people get over their pain without having to wait any longer.

Euthanasia is a device that helps people

deal with uncertainty and in situations where life sometimes refuses to cooperate. As long as we have good intentions, euthanasia will not be a crime nor sin. The goal is to give the best for those who are in pain, to give them faster access to eternal life.

So where do we go? What do we do?

When will we die? How will it feel like? It is inevitable to say that death itself remains a mystery to ordinary people like us. The ultimate answer lies when we exhale our very last breath.

Where we say hello... is also where we say goodbye...

28

Bibliography

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“Assisted Suicide - Information on Right-to-die and Euthanasia Laws and History.” Assisted Suicide - Information on Right-to-die and Euthanasia Laws and History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2013. <http://www.assistedsuicide.org/>.

“Top 10 Pros and Cons - Euthanasia - ProCon.org.”

ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 18 May 2012. Web. 02 Aug. 2013. <http://euthanasia.procon.org/view. resource.php?resourceID=000126>.

“Exit International (Assisted Suicide/ Voluntary Euthanasia).” Voluntary Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Information by Exit International. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2013. <http://www.exitinternational.net/>.

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