The Controversial Issue Of Euthanasia

For most people the topic of death can be very disheartening or painful to talk about not only in regards to their own death, but in regards to that of a loved one, family member, or even a friend, so generally they try to steer clear of that particular subject. However if euthanasia is brought up into the conversation views change and people want to make their voices and opinions heard, especially when it is in regards to their religious beliefs about the matter, sometimes it just sparks a flame deep down inside of an individual that they did not even realize they had. Euthanasia is, “the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.”(www.merriam-webster.com). The majority of most religions are against euthanasia because they feel as though it goes against their beliefs, Roman Catholics, Judaism, Islam, Buddhist and Protestant just to name a few. There are plenty of reasons why these religious groups feel so strongly about euthanasia each has their own view on the matter, but they come together to an understanding about this topic. The major reasons why they feel as if euthanasia violates a religious standpoint is that collectively these groups feel that only God has the power to take life away, it devalues human life, it is seen as murder or even suicide and religious scripture has taught against a person or another person ending someone’s life.

Euthanasia has been one of the most controversial and debatable topics in recent years. Even though the debate about euthanasia seems to be very complex and problematic, it is important to analyze very deeply some problems and questions related to this issue in order to indicate adequate solutions in terms of possible legislation. First step is to identify the proper definition of euthanasia as an act of causing a person's death to end unbearable pain and suffering. In addition, there are many forms of euthanasia; categorizing those forms and highlighting the development of understanding this concept over time, is necessary to understand, that involuntary euthanasia is unacceptable as it violets the basic human rights.

Today, there is a large debate over the situation and consequences of euthanasia. Euthanasia is the act of ending a human’s life by lethal injection or the stoppage of medication, or medical treatment. It has been denied by most of today’s population and is illegal in the fifty states of the United States. Usually, those who undergo this treatment have a disease or an “unbearable” pain somewhere in the body or the mind. Since there are ways, other than ending life, to stop pain caused by illness or depression, euthanasia is immoral, a disgrace to humanity, according to the Hippocratic Oath, and should be illegal throughout the United States.

[The criminal code of Canada states] “everyone who councils, aids, or abets someone to commit suicide whether or not suicide ensures , is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.” 1 It is this law which violates the human right to life as well as creates a widely spread controversy over whether or not euthanasia should become legalized in Canada. 2 Legalizing euthanasia would create many benefits for those who suffer from a terminal illness, giving them freedom and control over their own lives. Euthanasia should be legalized in Canada; this is because the euthanasia law is not consistently applied, it would create medical advances for Canada which would bring the country up to speed with other countries around the world, and legalizing euthanasia would benefit those who wish to die by preventing inhumane suicidal crimes from occurring. 3

She was helped to commit suicide by a physician in violation of Canadian law in the presence of a Member of Parliament. Euthanasia allows patients to die with dignity because continuing to live can inflict more problems, on both the patient having to cope with the pain and indignity of a prolonged death, and the family because it is distressing having to witness the gradual decline of a loved one. The fact that passive voluntary euthanasia is allowed in Canada should be taken into consideration in making the decision to legalize active voluntary euthanasia more acceptable. It is difficult to find the difference between letting them die and killing patients because they all have the same intention, which is to bring about death. No one disputes the idea that physicians, caregivers, nurses, and other health care providers have a responsibility to do everything possible to relieve the suffering of dying patients. Euthanasia allows for the greater good of a number of people because the patient's suffering is removed, the family can prepare and grieve properly, medical staff can avoid more grief and stress, and the cost of patient's terminal care can be removed.

Euthanasia in Canada has been a big issue, both morally and politically in Canada over the past couple years. Different groups argue that euthanasia is a basic human right, whereas opposing groups argue contradictory to that, saying it is not. There have been quite a few legal battles over the right of euthanasia due to this difference in views in Canada -Rodriguez V. BC & Latimer Case-. All cases in Canada however have been shot down by the Justice system in very close votes; the Rodriguez case is a great example in which it missed by 1 vote in a 5-4

According to s. 241 (b) of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, it is a crime in Canada to assist a person to end his own life. People who are grievously and irremediably ill can not seek physician-assisted suicide in dying and may be condemned to a life of intolerable suffering. This bill makes the patients lose the right of independent choice and brings more pain to their families. It is no doubt that the legalization of physician-assisted death and euthanasia is beneficial to both society and family.

The controversy of euthanasia and assisted suicide are moral issues, legal issues, and economical issues. People who are pro euthanasia believe that people should be able to die sooner rather than later to maintain their dignity. There are many aspects when determining when someone’s illness and suffering are prolonged. Pro euthanasians also believe that they should legally be able to determine time of death. Courts have varied opinions on the criteria for allowing euthanasia and assisted suicide, which can be relaxed with time. Medical professionals are also put in a circumstance to make a decision that is unwanted. Society argues that allowing people to determine time of death can affect someone’s financial obligation among other things.

Assisted suicide is the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the fully aware patient who dies. Assisted suicide should be legalized in Canada, and the world at large. The topic of Assisted Suicide has more recently become a controversial topic being debated around the world. According to the new health guide website last updated this month, Assisted Suicide is legal in only 11 countries. A survey taken by dying with dignity.com was answered by 80% of citisens all over Canada, 77% of which were in favor of legalizing Euthinasia. Although this survey proves that Euthanasia is something that a majority of canadians are in favor of legalizing, the decision should not be made based on a survey reflecting anyones opinion besides the patient themselves. The general public, the doctors nor the government should possess the right to decide whether one should live out their life in suffering, or to have a choice in assisted suicide. We should not tell the terminally ill no, instead we should give them a choice.

Euthanasia has become a controversial subject. It is a Greek word, that means easy death, broken down into origins EU means "good" and Thanatos means death. Therefore, this word also means good death. Euthanasia's definition is the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies. This implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. (Euthanasia)

Euthanasia has been a difficult controversy all over the world throughout time. Generations of people have been arguing the ethics and morality of this practice. I propose to unearth new discoveries, share issues surrounding the topic, and to explain to the reader why they should care.

Euthanasia is and will always be a topic of controversy due to the fact that euthanasia is

The controversy of a doctor assisting their patient who is already dying, end their life sooner to save them from continuous unnecessary pain and agony has been the topic of controversy for years. The practice of euthanasia is in my opinion a mercy and should not be banned because in reality it doesn’t physically hurt anyone. You could say it hurts the patient but then again that patient is already in tremendous pain or in an incapacitated state of no recovery, as in paralyzed or brain damage etc., so in reality it would actually help them by assisting ending their pain by assisted suicide. A doctors job is also always help their patients and the practice of assisted suicide in many ways is actually helping the person. However there has and probably always will be people who do not agree with the idea of a dying person end their life for sooner than nature had intended. This demographic would suggest that by dying by your own hand or assisted by a physician for medical reasons is still considered plain suicide. And for the religious people it is a sin by their beliefs. The people could also argue that it is not a person’s right to make that decision.

The ethical issue is Euthanasia, there are many groups that support or oppose this issue. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. The different viewpoints are based around whether it is humane to assist someone in dying and whether it should be illegal for someone to assist the death of someone who has a terminal illness and are suffering incurable pain. Groups that oppose the issue generally believe that it is inhumane to end someone 's life early, these groups generally believe these people should be given care and as much comfort as possible until their last days. Groups that support the issue generally believe that if someone has lost their mental state or are suffering unbearable pain that cannot be cured, that they should be allowed the option of euthanasia because it is inhumane to make someone suffer unbearable pain if they do not need to. An ethical issue brings systems of morality and principles into conflict, ethical issues are more subjective and opinionated and generally cannot be solved with facts, laws and truth. Euthanasia is an ethical issue because there are two equally unacceptable options. It is considered wrong

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?