When we think of death, we are afraid. Death is not always an event to be feared, however media and newspapers highlight the most gruesome and captivating deaths. On television shows such as 20/20, there’s the common anecdote of the husband who murdered his wife because he found her having an affair with his best friend. These are the stories that bring paranoia. We don’t hear stories on the news about the eighty year old man who passed away quietly in his sleep or of the woman who pulled the plug. There is no right way to deal with death. Americans avoid thinking about death to an excessive point. The most intimidating factor of dying is the uncertainty of what happens after someone dies. Because of this, Americans try to deny death. Death is certain, but Americans live their lives trying to defy age and try to remain “young” for as long as they can. People do not truly believe this will work, they are just hoping if I can deceive my eyes, maybe I can trick my brain. This is an unhealthy way to cope with death. Death is terrible and inevitable yes, but there are other methods, like Henry David Thoreau's, that are more healthy and natural. Fear of Death is natural in human nature. In Bacon’s “Of Death”, he states “Men fear death, as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.” Bacon observes that the tales and stories of death fuel fear to an unnatural level. Just like childrens’ tales of mythical monsters and night terrors, nothing truly exists to really support the belief that death is a horrible experience. Adults are amused with a child’s fear of the dark or the boogie man, but it is in a sense, no different from the fear of death. Bacon notes death is a natural occurrence, therefore it should not be feared. He elaborates on this belief by saying, “It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.” Death of all living organisms is an inevitable reality, but people have invented extremely ingenious ways to deny this fact. For instance, plastic surgery is common and practiced all around America. From facelifts to liposuction, these changes to the body only deceive others, not the inevitably aging body. Bacon would have found these physical alterations outrageous. The idea of looking your actual age frightens Americans beyond belief. Most want to look at least five years younger than their actual age. While each person who undergoes laser treatment or plastic surgery has different motives, a common purpose can be drawn: age reduction. The more you age, the closer you come to death. Americans need to come to terms with the fact that just because your exterior temporarily stops or even reverses in age, your interior will continue to age. This obsession with outward appearance is just a distraction another way to ignore death. Canadian philosopher John D. Morgan observes, “Our North American death system,... is the result of our limited exposure, which is a result of our high life expectancy,... but in many ways, our life is no different that of the peasant in the 14th century. The peasant missed a fully human life because he or she was inundated with death. We do not live fully because we reject death.” Morgan is stating that North Americans are wasting their time skipping around death. He is suggesting that this alone prevents Americans from living a full life because they are too distracted from fear or denial.Death is as natural as being born and people would live a more honest life is they accepted this idea. Killing for mercy has been debated for years. Is it an act of courtesy or murder? The patients who request to be cut off from their life support are apart of the few who have come to accept death. These few go against the national feeling of denial. May states in “Rising to the