Blue Mountain College Physician Assisted Suicide Discussion Question Title: Physician Assisted Suicide Criterion The content structure is clear, logical,

Blue Mountain College Physician Assisted Suicide Discussion Question Title: Physician Assisted Suicide

Criterion

The content structure is clear, logical, comprehensive, and easy to follow.

Rules of grammar usage, correct spelling and punctuation are mandatory.

Citations of original works within the paper must follow APA guidelines.

Include the title page, reference page in addition to this 2-page assignment.

Focus only on policy answering the three questions that follow.

Does the policy contribute to equity and justice?

There are strong reasons why a policy or an alternative policy moves the society toward a condition of equity. The term “equity” here refers to justice, fairness, impartiality, and right. If a policy moves towards equity, it provides for a fairer distribution of privileges and opportunities before the law. Generally, one can tell if a policy is just and equitable if it fails to attract legal challenges based on the “due process” or “equal protection” principles of the law.

Is the policy compatible with social work values?

The entire issue of compatibility with societal values is complicated by the tension between these values on the one hand and professional values on the other. This problem is particularly acute in social work. The social worker often finds it difficult to choose between professional values and broader social values, since they are often at variance. Very often, the policy alternatives developed by social workers will be more compatible with professional values, or with the values of the social strata of their clients, than with societal values.

Since it is clear that social workers operate from a number of value positions, it is not a simple matter to solve this problem. Our best suggestion here is to look to the position taken by the national association of Social Workers as presented in their frequent position papers. Even though all social workers may not agree, the professional association does represent the best attempt to bring people to some agreement on highly charged issues.

Is the policy compatible with other important values in society?

This is a question critical to the success of any policy. We recognized today that the decision-making process is inherently one of choosing between values, but we also recognize that the decision is itself shot through with values from beginning to end. There is no value-free activity indulged in by human beings, not even the scientific pursuits.

To be more specific: Precisely which societal values are we talking about? Which have higher priority, and which have lessor priority? Do values change and if so, how can we know which stage of change is to be considered in examining a policy alternative?