Euthanasia
The word "euthanasia" was first used in a medical context by Francis Bacon in the 17th century, referring to an easy, painless, happy death, during a time in which it was a "physician's responsibility to alleviate the 'physical sufferings' of the body." Euthanasia is defined as allowing or assisting a patient/person to end their life in the least painful manner, it is also known as assisted suicide and relatively means the same thing. There are three different forms of euthanasia, Passive euthanasia, which allowing the patient to die a natural death by intentionally disconnecting life support systems, (i.e. respiratory equipment, or discontinuing life sustaining medical procedures,), Active euthanasia is intentionally ending
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Suicide is often an option considered by those with a terminal illness who are severely depressed. Hearing their condition is fatal can trigger old depressive conditions and even generate new ones.For these patients suicide can seem the only way out, however new studies show treatment for the depression can prove invaluable and even improve the mental and emotional health of a person with a terminal illness. Otherwise known as 'unacceptable suffering', this involves pain and suffering that is persistent, unbearable and hopeless.In a study of end of life issues regarding terminal patients most stated receiving adequate pain and symptom management was a major concern. They claimed that an undermining of care in this area could lead to thoughts of suicide. (10) However these definitions, when used in a legal framework, present problems of definition as they are subjective. This terminology can also refer to non-medical conditions which if used as a standard for medical practice can lead to a danger of fallibility.Patients with terminal illnesses are reluctant to be seen as a 'burden' on their loved ones. With today's rising health costs and the busy lifestyles, many lead just to stay afloat financially, those people with a terminal illness can feel they will be draining their family's resources. This can lead to feelings of guilt for staying alive until their condition works itself through to its ultimate conclusion..Burden on
be fed orally because of blistering in the mouth and throat. Any movement of the
One of the Ten Commandments put forward by God to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. The killing of another human being is morally wrong and unacceptable. No one has the right to take away another persons life, whether it be through hatred and disgust, or compassion and love. Murder is murder. So why should those select few who work in the clinics of Switzerland, whose occupation is to assist in a person’s suicide, become immune from this law against murder. It is them who provide the patient with, and administer, the method of how they are going to die. To me, that sounds like murder.
Today, medical interventions have made it possible to save or prolong lives, but should the process of dying be left to nature? (Brogden, 2001). Phrases such as, “killing is always considered murder,” and “while life is present, so is hope” are not enough to contract with the present medical knowledge in the Canadian health care system, which is proficient of giving injured patients a chance to live, which in the past would not have been possible (Brogden, 2001). According to Brogden, a number of economic and ethical questions arise concerning the increasing elderly population. This is the reason why the Canadian society ought to endeavor to come to a decision on what is right and ethical when it comes to facing death.
When someone is inevitably dying and in inexplicable pain is it really a crime to grant their wishes and end their suffering? As of right now euthanasia is illegal in many countries and is a very controversial topic. Is it compassion for the patient helping them in ending their life or murder? The doctor is not giving death as an option, it is the patients choice and even where it is legal there are many rules. Euthanasia should not be considered a crime because the patient is not being murdered; they are having their suffering end in a painless, humane way out of compassion for the patient and their family.
As patients come closer to the end of their lives, certain organs stop performing as well as they use to. People are unable to do simple tasks like putting on clothes, going to the restroom without assistance, eat on our own, and sometimes even breathe without the help of a machine. Needing to depend on someone for everything suddenly brings feelings of helplessness much like an infant feels. It is easy to see why some patients with terminal illnesses would seek any type of relief from this hardship, even if that relief is suicide. Euthanasia or assisted suicide is where a physician would give a patient an aid in dying. “Assisted suicide is a controversial medical and ethical issue based on the question of whether, in certain situations,
Imagine that you have stage 4 lung cancer. The doctors say you only have 2 months to live. Every morning you have to get chemo and surgery to try and fight the cancer, and you cough up blood and you're just in pain. Wouldn't you like to know that you have a painless way out if your life becomes unbearable? That's what Euthanasia is. It’s a painless death that a doctor can prescribe for you if you’re terminally ill. So far it’s only legal in Washington, DC, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Vermont. Thats only 5 out of 50 states. If you’re terminally ill and In immense pain that means if you don’t live there, you’re going to have to move to one of those states to go peacefully. Euthanasia should be legal in all 50 states so people can be at peace knowing they have an exit slip. Plus, in greek it literally means, good death.
I would like to begin by defining the issue of the article by Patrick Nowell-Smith. The issue of his article is legalizing euthanasia and giving people a right to decide when and how to die.
Jake was still in the coma. He had been in the coma for 21 months now. His mother said “Just let him go. I can’t bear it anymore.” However, his father had a different point of view, saying “No. Let’s just keep on trying. Please. In this country, we do not kill our own.”
Humans, like all animals, attempt to evade death. Though death is usually seen as an unwanted end, some see it as an alternative to suffering. Most people cringe at the thought of suicide, but is euthanasia the same thing? Do human beings have the right to choose death?
The Pro-Life Alliance defines Euthanasia as: “Any action or omission intended to end the life of a patient on the grounds that his or her life is not worth living.” (ProCon.org). So the question stands, should an individual who is terminally ill, is in unbearable pain, can no longer function independently, who feels their life is so intolerable that it is no longer worth living, and who is of sound mind, be permitted the right to end their own life? Canada is said to be a free country, however hundreds of people are denied the right to end their suffering annually and die with dignity and self-respect on their own terms. Euthanasia should be legalized to relieve the suffering of those who are
Euthanasia is a controversial issue. Many different opinions have been formed. From doctors and nurses to family members dealing with loved ones in the hospital, all of them have different ideas for the way they wish to die. However, there are many different issues affecting the legislation and beliefs of legalizing euthanasia. Taking the following aspects into mind, many may get a different understanding as to why legalization of euthanasia is necessary. Some of these include: misunderstanding of what euthanasia really is, doctors and nurses code of ethics, legal cases and laws, religious and personal beliefs, and economics in end-of-life care.
Euthanasia is defined as, "The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease." Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their different sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I contend that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument.
Euthanasia is the practice of ending an individual's life in order to relieve them from an incurable disease or unbearable suffering. The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek word for "good death" and originally referred to as “intentional killing” ( Patelarou, Vardavas, Fioraki, Alegakis, Dafermou, & Ntzilepi, 2009). Euthanasia is a controversial topic which has raised a great deal of debate globally. Although euthanasia has received great exposure in the professional media, there are some sticky points that lack clarity and need to be addressed. Euthanasia is a divisive topic, and different interpretations of its meaning, depend on whether the person supports it or not. While a few societies have accepted euthanasia, there are
Looking at the criteria to be able to be presented euthanasia, only the terminally ill are able to complete this action. One inspects the positives and negatives of this. People argue that other illnesses, yet are not terminally ill, are still experiencing the amount of pain and low quality of life of someone who is terminally ill is experiencing. Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are examples of the illness that can ruin all meaning of life, but are not diagnosed terminally ill. People with these problems state that their illnesses are just as horrible and miserable as those of a terminally ill patient. Therefore, some people disagree that it is not fair to give this option only to the terminally ill. On the other hand, if anyone said to have a problem is allowed to choose assisted suicide, this will lead to a slippery slope (Goodman 1). People will begin to think it is okay to end a life just for the sake of someone not living the regular life they are used to living. Suicide should never be an option for a way out of this precious life (ProCon 1). The only reason for assisted suicide is to end the pain and suffering that is unbearable for these terminally ill patients. They experience pain in which no one else has to deal with, which is why the criteria for assisted suicide should stay as strict as it is to prevent others from taking this path considering they want a way out. Human life is to precious to take it for a non-terminal illness.
America’s founding fathers declared that every person had certain inalienable rights they are born with and cannot be separated from. They listed citizens’ rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today's government must decide if a right to life equates to a right to death.