Blog Post 4: Good or Bad?

Should anyone be forced to stay alive? Euthanasia is a controversial issue that has been considered an illegal medical practice in almost every state within our country. Proponents of Euthanasia believe that it should be an accepted medical procedure, while opponents believe it to be a crime of killing another human being. Euthanasia is defined as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). A person’s life is ended either by lethal injection, overdose, or withdraw from life-support or medications. The most common type of euthanasia, or assisted-suicide, is known as the Physician-assisted death where a doctor provides a prescription to accelerate the death process. This type of Euthanasia is legal in both Washington and Oregon where over five-hundred people, overall, have taken their lives in such a manner. In both of these states, Euthanasia must be voluntary meaning the patient must request euthanasia for it to be done to them. Euthanasia is not carried out without the person’s request or consent (New York Times).

The video below will help you to understand Euthanasia in more depth:



It seems realistic to legalize Euthanasia, or assisted-suicide, as a medical procedure for someone who is in intolerable pain and is terminally ill. No family wants to see their loved ones in a vegetated state with no hope of recovery, or to see them alive but in a tremendous amount of pain. It is not only unbearable for the victim, but is also difficult for the family to witness their loved ones dealing with this inconceivable pain.

If someone is in intolerable pain, has a terminal illness and has no hope of recovering from an illness, then assisted-suicide ought to be considered as an option. Individuals who have not had this life experience may not understand the amount of pain it brings to the family. My father went through this. He had been very sick and had multiple types of cancer over the years, and one day had a major stroke. You could tell by the way he lied on that hospital bed, with a blank stare in his eyes, not being able to communicate with anyone, and in terrible amounts of pain, that he could not take it anymore. He suffered for a couple of months until the day came when he passed away. If he were given the option of euthanasia he may have requested it. No one should ever have to go through such intolerable pain any time in their lifetime.

Other people feel that Euthanasia is a killing of an innocent person and should be banned from the United States. According to the BBC, Euthanasia weakens the respect for a person’s life and allows individuals to believe and accept that some lives are worth less than others (Ethics guide, BBC). While these are good points made against Euthanasia, it is critical to remember that the patient must give permission to end their life if they are terminally ill. It is not considered to be an accepted medical practice in Washington or Oregon unless the individual asks for a prescription to end their own life. These individuals who make these decisions are mentally competent and are aware of the decision that they have made. Another argument against Euthanasia is if someone is terminally ill then why not let them ride out the rest of their life by enjoying it with family members. Why kill someone if they know they are going to pass soon anyways? Although these are arguments against Euthanasia, why would you ever want to let someone you love suffer?

Euthanasia is a difficult topic to discuss. It opens up many controversial issues regarding assisted-suicide and whether or not it is considered to be murder, or love. Some individuals believe Euthanasia is used for evil, while others believe it is a way to show their love by ending the pain that one may be enduring. We are all entitled to our own opinion, but ask yourself what would you do if you were faced with this challenge?

REFERENCES

Euthanasia Definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia

New York Times Article regarding Washington and Oregon: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/us/05suicide.html?_r=1&ref=euthanasia

BBC Ethics Guide: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/against/against_1.shtml