Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper

Donna White is a former supporter of euthanasia. She had developed coronary artery disease and often thought about suicide, especially when her pain was incredibly intense. Fortunately for her, help found her before she became another statistic. A care facility heard about her plot to commit suicide and found help for her. They provided therapy for her suicidal tendencies and depression, as well as providing her with medication to keep her free of pain. She no longer agrees with ideals associated with euthanasia. Thousands of people globally have ended their lives using euthanasia, but what if they could have found the help that they needed?

Euthanasia is ending one s life if one has a terminal disease. It is done by a lethal injection. Euthanasia or assisted suicide began in ancient Rome and Greece. It was believed that in certain situations it was acceptable to allow or to help a person die. Certain religions are against euthanasia. The Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions all cling to the fact that life is sacred and should not be taken away.

There are two differing types of euthanasia, passive and active. Passive euthanasia is where a doctor or another person does nothing to prevent a death, therefore allowing a person to die. Passive euthanasia is not always wrong. It is allowing a person s body to take a natural course. Active euthanasia is when a doctor takes direct action to cause death (Grolier, 98). Active euthanasia is extremely wrong as it is unnatural and extremely unethical. Jonathan Gould, author of “Your Death Warrant?”, put the suffering of pain into perspective. Pain and suffering are inescapable at times in life Generally pain can be considered natural and wholesome although unpleasant . There are many choices that should be considered before poisoning the body through euthanasia. In fact, medically killing of sick persons would create far more distress, suffering and pain than it would relieve (Gould and Craigmyle, 71).

The number one rule of medicine is that doctors shall not kill”. This rule has been a priority since the teachings of Hippocrates (Shapiro and Bowermaster, 94). Those who support euthanasia fight for the right to die with dignity . They argue that a lethal injection is natural. However, injecting a foreign chemical into the body for the sole purpose of causing bodily harm is not natural. Euthanasia is in fact intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing the person to die naturally (Online, 98). It is often found that those who argue for the right to die with dignity are not the ones who are terminally ill or a part of the older generation. This fact was proven in a Harvard study that stated, 79 percent of those aged 18 34 believe a physician should be allowed to give lethal injections to the terminally ill only 53 percent of the older generation agreed (Shapiro and Bowermaster, 94). From this, the question must be asked, exactly what is it that those who are pro-euthanasia arguing for? For their future, or for the death of those who can no longer serve a purpose in the community?

Every once in a while, the older generation is pressured into choosing euthanasia as the end of their life. Often times the older members of families that they are a burden, and sometimes they are not or sound mind when they are given the choice of euthanasia. One such instance of this is the case of Kate Cheyney. She was diagnosed with cancer, and once the extreme discomfort set in, her daughter began to press the subject of euthanasia. Mrs.Cheyney was given a psychiatric evaluation to ensure that she was able to handle the decision. Her psychiatrist could see that her short-term memory was fading and dementia was setting in, but despite this, he wrote that she was psychologically well enough to handle the situation. Mrs.Cheyney died by physician assisted suicide. It was not the clean-cut death of dignity that she underwent. It took over an hour of pain for her death to be complete (Barnett, 99). This example reveals one small, but important fact. Though Mrs.Cheyney requested physician-assisted suicide, her daughter, who felt as if her mother was a heavy burden, pressured her into it.

A recent study showed that out of the people seeking euthanasia, 75 percent cited fear of being a burden , while only 35 percent gave experiencing severe pain as a reason (Shapiro, 96). Joseph Shapiro of U.S. News and World Report, found that five out of six of the reasons patients say they want to die are due to conditions that medical practitioners can treat .

Those who support euthanasia argue that the psychiatric evaluations given to patients who are suspected not to be of sound mind, solve the problem of whether or not they are able to choose the right to die . They also argue that relatives of those who are preparing to be euthanized are very supportive. However, not all psychiatric evaluations are complete or true, and not all patients are even given evaluations. The fact is that family members are often supportive only if euthanasia is chosen. The authors of the web-site Euthanasia.com found that emotional and psychological pressures could become overpowering for depressed people. If euthanasia were considered as good as a decision to receive care, many people would feel guilty for not choosing death. Financial considerations, added to the concern about being a burden , could combine as a powerful force that would lead a person to choose euthanasia . Therefore, it can be seen that family members and doctors often have strong persuasive powers over the person s final decision.

The most important truth about euthanasia is that it is a form of murder and ultimately, homicide. It should be against not only Federal law, but also the law of the heart, as it is unethical. This issue touches medicine at its very moral core. If this moral centre collapses and physicians become killers, or are even licensed to kill, the profession will never again be worthy of trust and respect. Physicians who can kill and commit a homicidal crime, become loose in their morals, and accordingly lose their trust as caretaker and healer. Committing this type of murder devalues human life. These doctors act as gods instead of humans, judging whether life or death will prevail. The doctor s job is to heal, to try to save the lives of those who are presented before them. Doctors cannot be gods. Much of the time, they may not even understand that what a patient really needs in his or her last days is the love and support of those around them.

From the information gathered it can be seen that euthanasia is unethical and should not be permitted. It is the poisoning of a body and is performed by a doctor. This doctor, a person committed to curing the body of diseases and making it healthy, is committing murder. Euthanasia is like a fever that has swept across the globe. Society today is sick with the right to die flu, and it s time for doctors to begin writing prescriptions. They need to start with reorganising their morals and placing their patient s health and healing at the top of their list. Only then may we begin to realise that life is much more important than the emphasis that has been placed on death.