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Euthenasia Essay, Research Paper

The term ?Euthanasia? comes from

the Greek word for ?easy death?. It is the one of the most public policy issues

being debated about today. Formally called ?mercy killing?, euthanasia is the

act of purposely making or helping someone die, instead of allowing nature to

take it?s course. Basically euthanasia means killing in the name of compassion.

Euthanasia, can be either ?voluntary?, ?passive?, or ?positive?, Voluntary

involves a request by the dying patient or their legal representative. Passive

involves, doing nothing to prevent death – allowing someone to die. Positive

involves taking deliberate action to cause a death. Euthanasia, at the moment

is illegal throughout the world apart from in the State of Oregon, where there

is a law specifically allowing doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for the

purpose of euthanasia. In the Netherlands it is practised widely, although, in

fact, it remains illegal. I believe that everyone has the right to choose how

they live and die. Everyone deserves respect, freedom and the power to control

their own destiny. Not everybody will have an easy death. Some terminal pain

cannot be controlled, even with the best of care and the strongest of drugs.

Other distressing symptoms, which come with diseases, such as sickness, no mobility,

incontinence, breathlessness and fever cannot always be relieved. Pain is not

always the issue – quality of life is too. Most people want to die with

dignity, but some people may spend the last moments of their life, in a way

which to them, is undignified. Having the right to control over their own life

and death helps people keep human dignity in the face of their suffering. People should not be left

lingering in pain. They should not have to suffer when death is inevitable.

People do have the right to commit suicide, although it is a tragic and

individual act. However euthanasia is not suicide. It is not a private act, you

have the support of family and friends. Euthanasia is about letting a person

assist another?s death to save them from long painful deaths. Many people argue, however, that

a person who is terminally ill may make a miraculous recovery – it has happened

in the past. Most terminally ill people whose pain and sufferings are relieved

by excellent care, given by hospices, hospitals and GPs do not require to make

decisions about euthanasia. It is only needed for those whose pain is not

relived with any form of care or whose bodily disintegration is beyond bearing.

Medical advances in recent years have made it possible to keep terminally ill

people alive for beyond a length of time, without any hope of recovery or

improvement. For this reason the ?living ill? has come into use in the USA as

part of the right-to-die principle. Most states now legally allow the making of

such wills that instruct, GPs etc., to suspend treatment or refuse life-support

measures in hopeless cases. A pro-longed? life is intolerable for people with a

condition which leaves the brain alert but eventually shuts down all bodily

functions and skills of communicating. How can people be expected to live like

this? For people like this and also people in PVS, (persistent vegetative

state) I believe that their legal representatives or close family should have

the choice and the trust to let them live a prolonged life or to end their life

and let them die with dignity. If people could make the decision themselves

then I believe that the option of euthanasia should be open to them. On the other hand, people believe

that no one has the right to play God. Christians believe that we are made in

the image of God and therefore human life is God?s gift to us and is uniquely

precious – we are not the owners of life, but it?s minders?, we belong to God

because he made us. Many religions follow this belief, so do not believe in

suicide and assisted dying. The opposition to euthanasia does

not mean that people insist on medical treatment at all costs. Good medical

practise is the alternative to euthanasia. Sometimes a distinction is made

between active euthanasia (e.g. Giving a lethal injection) and positive

euthanasia (withdrawing treatment). However it is misleading to describe

withholding or discontinuing treatment as ?euthanasia? unless it is done with

the intention of killing the patient. Sometimes a treatment may be properly

withdrawn even with the patient?s consent, for example, when it is ineffective,

merely prolonging the dying process in a terminally ill patient. When a sick or elderly patient

asks for euthanasia, it can sometimes be caused by psychological? and emotional pressures. How can we be sure

it is what they really one and not just because they feel a burden to their

families? A lot of people believe that if

voluntary euthanasia was legalised, society would soon allow involuntary

euthanasia. This is based on the idea that if we change the law to allow a

person to help someone die, we would not be able to control it. If there was to

be a law like this, there would have to be strict rules, which involved the

patient having knowledge of the whole process, making sure they are not forced

into it and also that they are mentally able to make the decision. So, should we allow people the

choice of when they die? The debate about euthanasia props up all the time,

even when it is not publicised, it

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