A postive life is described as being able to keep memories alive as well as have the feeling of being needed. Alieviated suffering pertains to physical well-being, psychological well-being and personal stratigies to relieve pain. Managing life when ill refers to the facility to be in charge of the situation and to be reflective. If we consider the quality of life enjoyed be Wolf's father at the end of his struggle with cancer a strong case can be made that he had every reason to request that the process of his death be accelerated. Though he was able to function in each of these areas in some capacity, the capacity was severly limited by his illness. At the end he did not even possess the ablity to swallow perscribed lethal medication, and was beyond this method of assissted suicide.

Besides quality of life ther are other factors that must be considered when examining assisted suicide and euthanasia. These include an individuals right to die, the slippery slope to legalized murder, a physians Hippocratic Oath prohibiting killing, government involvement in end of life decisions, and religious concerns among other issues (Webster, 2009). These matters all can and have been be hottly debated from both sides. The question becomes to what extent does society have the right or obligation to interfer with an individuals choice to die with dignity?

Conclusion

I can sympathize with if his wishes to Susan Wolf's position regarding...

I can understand her reluctance to let go. However, I think it is significant that her father said that he regretted his decision not to remove his feeding tube early on in the ordeal while he still had some function. In many ways it was cruel let him continue to suffer. Of course this is easy for me to say being emotionally detached from the situation. Wolf herself admits that having to face this tragedy first hand caused her to question her views. In the end I think that an individual has the right to seek assited suicide in cases where their illness is terminal, they are of sound mind, and the quality of life has deminished to the point that the joy of living is no longer present. I believe an individual has the right to die with dignity.
References

Johansson, C.M., Axelsson, B., & Danielson, E. (2005, October). Living with incurable cancer at the end of life -- patient's perceptions on quality of life. Cancer Nursing, Vol. 29, No. 5, 391-399.

Webster, B. (2009 July 14). Assisted suicide/voluntary euthanasia. International debate education center. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=55

Wolf, S.M. (2008 September - October). Confronting physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia: my father's death. Hasting center report. In FindArticles. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2103/is_5_38/ai_n30913055/