Persuasive Essay On Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a controversial topic regarding whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be further legalized. Euthanasia is the act of a medical doctor injecting a poison into a patient 's body in order to kill them. Some argue that euthanasia should be legalized to put people out of pain and misery. However, others argue that some people with terminal illnesses would do anything to live longer and believe that it is a selfish and cowardly act. Euthanasia is disputable because of the various ethical issues, including, but not limited to: murder and suicide illegality, the Hippocratic Oath, and medical alternatives. As someone who has had many traumatic experiences and who wants to become a doctor, I am very passionate about the well-being of my future patients and the responsibility to do no harm to them. For these lawful, logical, and personal reasons, euthanasia should not be legalized.

In recent times, there has been much debate about whether or not Euthanasia should be permitted. Voluntary Euthanasia is when terminally ill people wish to have their lives ended with the assistance of medical procedures before nature takes its course. This is because they may be suffering and in great pain, or cannot live a reasonable or comfortable life. Voluntary Euthanasia should be introduced, provided that there are safeguards to stop the system from being misused.

There is also debate as to whether or not non-participating states should make legislation to legalize this life ending option. Those who are against legalization of physician assisted death often present with the arguments that legalization will lead to abuse of the practice and consequently harsh treatments of our nation’s sickest patients. They also argue that it is an unethical practice in which mortals are “playing God” and determining where the line between life and death is. This group also establishes that physician assisted death is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath in which doctors vow to “do no harm” to their patients. Additionally, they maintain the argument that all human lives have value from the time of conception until natural death and allowing physician assisted death would be a premature limitation of an individual’s life. The opposition, however, says that physician assisted death is a dignified treatment for hopeless patients whose only alternative treatment is prolonged suffering until death. Additionally, they argue that allowing doctors to participate in physician assisted death upholds the Hippocratic Oath because forcing a patient to endure undue suffering against their will is in fact doing harm. Also, a major argument states

It is inhuman to continually allow a person to suffer when there is no chance of them improving. Even animals are put out of their misery when injured or sick beyond repair as to not prolong the suffering, humans should be allowed that same option. Long term pain can severely affect a person, sometimes causing the patient to be mad and hateful without meaning to . Giving a person a choice to end their life while they still hold on to the personality they have always had is not for the government but for the patient. A dying person should not be tortured in the process unless they choose to be. Terminating one's life to escape from excruciating pain is an excellent reason to legalize Euthanasia.

Furthermore, the right to die, according to the book, Euthanasia, by Linda Jackson, is considered a basic human right. Medical professionals have claimed to have had their patients not wish to undergo the heaviness of sedation. Today, relationships between doctors and their patients have appeared to be more equal, instead of just relying on the doctor, when it comes to making decisions about the patient’s health (Jackson 30). Given these points, allowing euthanasia to terminally ill patients would give them the chance to choose to end their distress, which therefore allows the right to die and the right to decide which type of treatment the patient would receive.

Euthanasia is not the only option to eliminate pain and suffering. Callahan writes that “moreover, as time has gone on the ability of physicians to relieve patients of just about all pain and suffering through good palliative care has shown that most suffering can be relieved without the ultimate solution of killing the patient” (360). Living with terminal illnesses can be quite difficult but with time and effort, suffering can be eliminated. Investing in therapy or other beneficial care will help patients get over their suffering. It will take time to get used to it but you will be alive to experience great opportunities that euthanized patients will

Public discussion of the treatment of dying patients often confuses two separate issues. First is the right of a terminally ill person to be allowed to die without being subjected to invasive medical procedures. Second is the

There continues to be a lack of consensus in regards to the legalization and implication of euthanasia. The Euthanasia Society of America was founded in 1938 to help educate people on why this process should be legalized (Wells 1284). Through the society, ordinary citizens could learn about all the advantages and disadvantages. The society tries to educate the ill on all of the options that they have in regards to the end of life treatment. Also when medicine can no longer help someone the person should have the right to end their life and alleviate their pain (Diaconescu 474). It should be up to the patient to decide if they are ready to die or if they want to put up a fight to survive. However, if the patient is in a coma or brain dead, family members and doctors should look at the advanced directives that the patient has given. In some cases, patients do not want to be kept alive if a machine is breathing for them (Meisel and Cerminara 2859). The patient should be able to have a choice in the quality of life that they want to live. Another argument is that people believe that church and state should be separate in hospitals as well. Patients do not want doctors being influenced by their religious beliefs when practicing medicine (Sharp, Carr, and Macdonald 275). The legalization of euthanasia shows to have many benefits for the families and patients that are suffering. Also with

2) Benatar, D. wrote in his article “A legal right to die: responding to slippery slope and abuse arguments. Current Oncology, 18(5), 206–207.” that being forced to live a life that is intolerable when there are doctors who can help in death is a violation of a person’s freedom to live and die as they believe fit.

We will all go through a cycle of life, from the beginning to the end of life. Death is feared by loved ones and even by the ones that are experiencing end of life. But should we have to suffer? Maybe you have witnessed a love one going through the death process, or maybe not? If you have ever watched a love one experiencing death it can be extremely painful, and even in some cases pain medications do not help, nor justify why we should have to suffer while dying. I have witnesses a lot of death in my career, while being a part of a hospice team for the last 15 years and have witnessed all the suffering that terminally ill patients have to go through. The terminally ill should have the right to die painlessly. We all have a choice in the “right to life”, but euthanasia gives the “right to die” with dignity. Euthanasia is legal in many countries around the word but only legal in 6 states in the United States.

Euthanasia, also known as physician assisted suicide, has been a topic of controversial and passionate debate. Euthanasia is referred to mercy killing, better defined as “the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition” according to Dictionary.com. This is a subject that leaves a person with mixed emotions and strong beliefs. It also raises legal issues which deal with issues of morals and ethics. Euthanasia should be legalized because it gives terminally ill people the opportunity to avoid excruciating/unendurable pain. These terminally ill patients should have the right to end their suffering with a quick, but yet compassionate death. Furthermore, by legalizing euthanasia it makes

In discussions of terminal illness, one controversial issue has been the legalization of euthanasia. On one hand, people contend that they should have the right to choose to die painlessly. On the other hand, skeptics argue that patients with a terminal illness should let nature run its course. Others even maintain that it devalues life. My own view is that people should have the right to choose assisted suicide.

In some shelters, they are so crowded that puppies and kittens are euthanized. It is awful that some animals are killed before they get to really live. Up to 600 puppies and 1.4 million cats are euthanized each year. Cats have a worse stereotype so they are adopted less.

“Dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death.”

The debate over the use of euthanasia is ever growing. This is due to the fact of constant increases in medical advances. Medical advances are growing the number of medicines one can be given before palliative care is an option. The main concern of the debate is whether trying new treatments and medicines are necessary before palliative care is given. Two articles will be analyzed using the Aristotelian method. Both articles are valid, but the New York Times article written by Haider Javed Warraich offers a complete perspective using all three persuasive appeals compared to the article written by Terry Pratchett for The Guardian, which the majority is written on emotion.