A SOCIAL MOVEMENT ON A PERSON”S RIGHT TO CHOOSE HOW AND WHEN THEY DIE
It is accepted globally that everyone has a right to life. This therefore means that each individual owns their own life. Based on the common rules of ownership, when a person owns something they have ultimate power over it. This means that each individual should be given the right to decide what to do with their life and most important of all when to end this life. So then why is the government through the constitution denying us this important aspect of our right to life? The answer is rather simple- they, the government, want to have control over every single aspect of our lives.
Picture that person suffering from a chronic illness, why are they deprived of the right to decide when they die. This would be the ultimate realization of their right to life because they have a choice whether to wait for the disease to kill them or they can do it themselves. By having the option to choose the latter, this sick person can hence save on money to be used on hospital bills. This will also give the individual the chance to evade the pain and suffering when the ailment becomes critical. This clearly shows it, that the government has not given its citizens the full privileges of their right to life.
I intend to advance this movement to national and later international platform. However, I admit that to do this I will need a lot of resources. For financial resources this movement will have a membership fee for all its members (Welsh & Chesters, 2010, p. 58). This will be collected on a monthly basis. Also the movement will organize peaceful demonstrations so as to catch the attention of the media. The movement will also have a website where there will be weekly press releases on the principles of the movement. This will be helpful in getting new members (Edles & Scott, 2007, p. 39). The movement will also be member of social networks. These are a good platform to acquire new members and also to advance the group’s ideology.
The government may provide its citizens with good health-care policies, and even improve the economy. But none of these is comparable to the actual right to choose when and how to die. Some of the things provided by the government end up creating social classes and most times we are blinded by these divisions. But the actual thing is that when that illness comes or when you lose that leg and hand making you very unproductive- all those riches won’t stop the pain.
I end this by pointing out that this is a movement towards a worthy goal. Every citizen has the right to choose when they live or die, and the government should not deny them this right by hiding behind various clauses in the constitution that call for it to protect its citizens.
REFERENCES
Edles, D. & Scott, A. (2007). Sociological theory in the contemporary era. London: Pine Forge
Press
Welsh, I. & Chesters, G. (2010). Social Movements: The Key Concepts. New York: Routledge
