Imagine being terminally ill patient. Doctors already mentioned that there is no chance of survival. Goodbyes have already said, and you have come to terms with death. Now you are patiently waiting for the illness to kill you. That sounds like a terrible way to die. Many people can agree that they want to die peacefully. Now, what if there was a way for a terminally ill patient to choose how and when to end their lives? Recently, there has a been a controversial topic about whether a patient has a right to exercise death with dignity. What cause this problem to become a growing issue is a woman named, Brittany Maynard. Maynard was diagnosed with brain cancer in early 2014. In April, her test revealed that her life expectancy decreased from ten years to six years. As time goes on, she realizes that she did not want the illness to determine her life. On November 1, 2014, she was able to schedule a physician-assisted suicide. This will enable her to have a dignified death and end her suffering for both her and her family.
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However, the laws in California prevents her from doing so. Thus, Maynard moved to Oregon where, unlike California, it was legal to do assisted suicide if it is considered as a "medical treatment if the assistance is provided by a physician" (Patient's Rights Council). Because of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, Maynard was able to end her life on her terms. With Maynard's story, a problem has a ride of whether terminally ill individuals have the right to end their lives should be legalized or not. "In the last 20 years, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont have legalized physician-assisted suicide, and at least a half dozen others have considered the issue" (Liu "To End Our Days."). A Non-profit organization called Compassion & Choices is promoting to expand the choice for terminally ill Americans at the end of life. They believe that to change paths; there must be individual's support. To gain Americans support, Compassion & Choices builds their credibility with quotes from reverends and their members and employ the three rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, and logos). With these methods, they can create an effective advertisement for their cause. On Compassion & Choice's first image, a woman named Jessica Glass is meditating and next to her is a quote of why she wants to die on her terms. The quote gives a logos appeal to the audience. To be specific, it uses nature to appeal and if-then sequence of thought. If Jessica Glass's cancer reaches to the point where she is unable to be herself, then she would try to end her life medically. Not many people realize that dying in their terms is optional. It can even be unnatural to some; however, the way Glass said her reasoning and how she looks in the image made it seem natural to the audience. This is where the appeal of nature comes into play. "Because there is no one way to define these terms, a writer cannot assume his or her reader thinks of "nature" is the same way he or she does. Second, we cannot assume that "unnatural" is the same as wrong or evil" (Lane 15). Colors also play an important part in the image. Notice how there is a fair amount of green. Green can symbolize growth, harmony, peace, and endurance. This color can create an earthy vibe for the audience. Also, Glass is mediating which makes audience assume that she has a calm personality. Both, color and Glass, alone can give off a vibe that Glass wants to die peacefully rather than suffering. Therefore, Compassion & Choice image can be an appeal to the audience with pathos. Pathos "is a rhetorical device that can be used in an argument to draw the audience in and to help it connect with the argument" (Lee 19). Nevertheless, there is also an ethical appeal. Jennifer Glass is the advocate for Compassion & Choice. This advisement lets the audience know that she is not some random person that Compassion & Choice hired. Instead, they know that she is devoted, member. She is considered, by ethos, as an intrinsic authority. "Intrinsic authority is the authority that comes from the
However, the laws in California prevents her from doing so. Thus, Maynard moved to Oregon where, unlike California, it was legal to do assisted suicide if it is considered as a "medical treatment if the assistance is provided by a physician" (Patient's Rights Council). Because of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, Maynard was able to end her life on her terms. With Maynard's story, a problem has a ride of whether terminally ill individuals have the right to end their lives should be legalized or not. "In the last 20 years, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont have legalized physician-assisted suicide, and at least a half dozen others have considered the issue" (Liu "To End Our Days."). A Non-profit organization called Compassion & Choices is promoting to expand the choice for terminally ill Americans at the end of life. They believe that to change paths; there must be individual's support. To gain Americans support, Compassion & Choices builds their credibility with quotes from reverends and their members and employ the three rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, and logos). With these methods, they can create an effective advertisement for their cause. On Compassion & Choice's first image, a woman named Jessica Glass is meditating and next to her is a quote of why she wants to die on her terms. The quote gives a logos appeal to the audience. To be specific, it uses nature to appeal and if-then sequence of thought. If Jessica Glass's cancer reaches to the point where she is unable to be herself, then she would try to end her life medically. Not many people realize that dying in their terms is optional. It can even be unnatural to some; however, the way Glass said her reasoning and how she looks in the image made it seem natural to the audience. This is where the appeal of nature comes into play. "Because there is no one way to define these terms, a writer cannot assume his or her reader thinks of "nature" is the same way he or she does. Second, we cannot assume that "unnatural" is the same as wrong or evil" (Lane 15). Colors also play an important part in the image. Notice how there is a fair amount of green. Green can symbolize growth, harmony, peace, and endurance. This color can create an earthy vibe for the audience. Also, Glass is mediating which makes audience assume that she has a calm personality. Both, color and Glass, alone can give off a vibe that Glass wants to die peacefully rather than suffering. Therefore, Compassion & Choice image can be an appeal to the audience with pathos. Pathos "is a rhetorical device that can be used in an argument to draw the audience in and to help it connect with the argument" (Lee 19). Nevertheless, there is also an ethical appeal. Jennifer Glass is the advocate for Compassion & Choice. This advisement lets the audience know that she is not some random person that Compassion & Choice hired. Instead, they know that she is devoted, member. She is considered, by ethos, as an intrinsic authority. "Intrinsic authority is the authority that comes from the