The Right to Die
Sometimes in life, things don’t turn out how one may have planned. Accidents happen, people grow old, and people get sick. These different events are not always comfortable, and sometimes even cause one to want to end his or her life. In extreme cases, when a person’s quality of life is beyond toleration or they feel as though there is no point to living, the issue of euthanasia often arises. Euthanasia is technically defined as “the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering”. In america people have the right to end their life.
The topic of euthanasia is one that is highly disputed among people over the world.” Euthanasia means killing someone who is very sick to prevent more suffering” (Weaver 1). An example of this is “Terri Schiavo suffered severe brain damage following cardiac arrest in 1990. She entered what doctors call permanent vegetative state. In other words, a person seems to be awake but is not conscious. Ms.Schiavo’s husband and her parents fought about whether she should be kept alive by a feeding tube. The public and press argued over the issue as well. The case was so hotly debated that even then-President George W. Bush got involves. He signed a law aimed at keeping Ms. Schiavo alive. In 2005, Micheal Schiavo won the right to speak for his wife. Her feeding tube was removed. Terri Schiavo died 13 days later”(Weaver 1). Basically this is saying Ms. Schiavo died in order to
One of the highly controversial topics in today’s society is the idea that euthanasia has many effects on the world’s stance on whether someone should be allowed to die on their own terms. Euthanasia can end the suffering of those who need it, but may have long term effects on people outside of the patient. People do not have a right to euthanasia because it is viewed as unethical, may have negative emotional effects, and is currently illegal in the world.
In the “Catholic Teaching on Euthanasia and Care of the Dying” doctument it states that as a new medical student have finished they’re course of learning in the department of medicine and caring for patients, they must take the Hippocratic Oath. In this oath it incorpurates that as the medical students graduate into becoming a staffed doctors or nurse that will do anything to save a patient’s life before exuding any other options on to them. A particular pharse that has stood out in the translated oath is “firstly do no harm” meaning that as a doctor you do everything in you power to save lives and never intencially end them. ”Doctors are trained to promote life… the deliberate act of killing a patient is unethical”. In another document
Death is one of the few inevitable events in life; it’s something everybody must face in their lifetime. Many fear it but for some, it’s an opportunity to embrace freedom and tranquility from their suffering. For the terminally-ill, they want to liberate themselves from their illness but modern medicine, sometimes, can only reduce their pain to a certain degree and others want to have the right to die. Doctors trying to salvage their patients’ lives could possibly cause more harm than giving them what the patients’ wants, Death. As medical professionals, they abide to do no harm to their patients, to only reduce their pain and cope with their suffering but it’s damaging them even more. The last option for many terminally-ill patient is to die and allow medical professionals to help them, which is considered Euthanasia. The practice of Euthanasia should be legalized and provided in the United States as a last resort for the terminally-ill.
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.
Sometimes in life, things don’t turn out how one may have planned. Accidents happen, people grow old, and people get sick. These different events are not always comfortable, and sometimes even cause someone to want to end their life. In extreme cases, when a person can no longer tolerate what’s going on in their everyday life or they feel as though there is no point to living, they often begin to suffer with euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined as “the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering” (Merriam 1).
Euthanasia, the medical term for assisted suicide or mercy killing, is an issue still being debated almost a hundred years after a proposal to legalize it in Ohio. The medical community was in turmoil even before its legal proposition, unable to decide amongst themselves how to deal with the issue. The same arguments still rage today, though the public is more aware of the issue thanks to high-profile court cases, like the trial of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Some claim that the terminally ill have a “right to die”, but no human life should end by unnatural means.
The world revolves around the perception that a healthy life is guaranteed until it is abruptly interfered with a life tragedy or sickness. When terminally ill, an individual encounters a disease that cannot be cured and is reasonably expected to die. This particular term is used with a variation of illnesses, affecting a multitude of the nation's population. From cancerous tumors to prolonged comas, lives are tragically affected. Living with painful, endless symptoms can lead to patients suffering for an immeasurable time. A common request among these patients are to be assisted in suicide, or euthanasia. There are many reasons towards the intentions of dying, but it continues to bring controversy throughout the world. When fitted to reasonable
Today, voluntary euthanasia is getting closer to being legalized in more than just one state in the United States. “‘Voluntary’ euthanasia means that the act of putting the person to death is the end result of the person’s own free will” (Bender 19). “ Voluntary euthanasia is an area worthy of our serious consideration, since it would allow patients who have exhausted all other reasonable options to choose death rather than continue suffering” (Bender 19). The question of whether or not voluntary euthanasia should be legalized is a major debate that has been around for years. Because the issue of whether people should have the right to choose how they want to live or die is so complex. With the advances in technology today we have made
Euthanasia has been a moral issue since around the 5th century B.C. in Ancient Greece. However, it has only recently become a much more controversial and widespread issue. Euthanasia is defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Today, many people disagree with euthanasia; however, even some who disagree with it still support an alternate form, called physician-assisted suicide or dying. Physician-assisted death is the voluntary administration of lethal drugs varying from pills, to injections, to breathing in toxic gas, all of which is painless. So, what’s the problem? Do we, or do we not have the right to die?
Sooner or later, each of us will experience that dagger in our heart called grief. Dealing with grief is a challenge like no other. How can you pick up the pieces, heal the wounds, and move on without feeling like you 're betraying the memory of your loved one? As a nurse, I have sat with families who have just received that dreaded news that no one ever wants to hear, families who aren’t prepared for the avalanche of emotions that sweep over them when the final moment comes, even if they knew death was imminent. Despite the gamut of emotions we feel, grieving for a loved one helps us cope and heal. The intense, heart-breaking anguish indicates that a deep connection has been severed. Without a doubt, grieving is painful. But it is also
Life can be a long, treacherous journey filled with many blessings, disappointments, surprises, and failures. However, the only thing guaranteed in our unpredictable lives is that one day each of us will meet our death. According to the Mariam Webster’s Dictionary, euthanasia is ‘the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering.’ Understandably, one suffering from a terminal illness such as AIDS, cancer, or Alzheimer’s, may think it best to put an end to their agony as soon as possible. Although it can be argued that there may be good intentions in carrying out this “mercy killing”, they do not change the fact that euthanasia is murder and should remain illegal in the United States of America.
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.
This is why Euthanasia is important and summarizing the research that I found on Euthanasia. Euthanasia is important because there is a lot of arguments about Euthanasia. Some people support it and some people do not support Euthanasia (Euthanasia and assisted suicide- Arguments). Euthanasia allows people to be free from physical pain. It is the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings (Euthanasia Revisited). The religious argument states God chooses when human life ends. Euthanasia also causes mental suffering because they are in physical pain or they are experiencing with terminal illness. It is a debatable issue. There are many different opinions on Euthanasia.
Euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of an individual for the purposes of relieving pain and suffering. Over the years, there has been a big debate about its merits and demerits, and the debate is not about to end anytime soon. However, no matter what side of the debate one supports, it is important to consider a few facts. One, the prolonged stay in hospital is bound to raise medical costs. Two, some medical complications bring suffering and pain to the patient without any possibility of getting back to one 's normal activities of daily living. However, ending the life of a person intentionally may be treated as a serious crime in some jurisdictions. Given these facts, it is evident that making a decision about euthanasia is bound to be a challenging task. Although not everyone might agree, euthanasia is a necessary procedure that relieves the pain and suffering of the patient and rids the family and the government of expensive medical costs that would not necessary improve the life of the patient.
In cases where an individual's quality of life is irreparably diminished by terminal illness, one may seek to end their life with the help of a doctor. This has been a solution for patient suffering in neighboring countries, but there are ethical and legal issues that make it an impractical solution for American healthcare. Considering the results of negative potential of euthanasia practices exposes its flaws, and sheds light on better alternatives. Therefore active euthanasia, not to be confused with physician assisted suicide, should not be legalized in the United States.