Euthanasia 4 Essay, Research Paper

Euthanasia

You are on your way home from work and suddenly a car swerves out of control and slams into the side of your car, leaving you paralyzed. So now what? There are only two things that are certain in this life, Everyone is born and everyone will die. I am going to discuss the latter. Death could strike anyone at any time. You need to be aware of your options so that if and when you are left to deal with the choices of death you can have your mind made up ahead of time. There have been many cases where patients have been diagnosed as terminally ill and have lived, I am sure that you have heard of these cases occurring or may have experienced them in your personal associations. Perhaps the most famous case is that of Karen Ann Quinlian. Karen, 22 years old, fell into a coma after using the bad combination of alcohol and tranquilizers. Her parents went before the courts and convinced them to take Karen off life support. Although Karen never regained consciousness, she lived nine years after being taken off life support. This case is significant because in 1975 this was the first case ever that allowed the removal of life support, thus opening the doors for the controversy of euthanasia. It is also an argument against euthanasia because of the fact that she was diagnosed and was said to die immediately if taken off life support. She did not. Doctor assisted euthanasia are unethical, illegal, and results in unnecessary death of patients.

There are two types of euthanasia, passive and active. The first type of euthanasia, known as passive euthanasia, doesn’t involve killing a patient, it is the type that lets the patient die in a natural, yet peaceful, manner. This allows the patient to refuse services, such as life support, so they don’t have to be vegetables. Active euthanasia, the other form of euthanasia, is where the physician assists directly in the patients suicide or death, as in giving too much of a painkiller such as morphine. This is the type of euthanasia that I would like to persuade you against legalizing in the U.S. The physicians we all seek medical help and advice forms are there for those reasons, not to harm or kill the trusting patients, as a doctor who performs active euthanasia usually does. Premeditated murder is illegal; Euthanasia is premeditated murder. The death process has been premeditating as to a how and when the person is to be killed. Therefore, euthanasia is as illegal as is premeditated murder.

Today in the United States alone, one in four nurses openly admits performing in some form of euthanasia. “Money–not compassion–is the driving force behind euthanasia. If legalized the Wall Street Investors would be dancing in the streets.” –Wesley Smithe– In my personal opinion it is very sad when a society has become so greedy that it would place a price on life, or death as the case may be. When any society chooses to place a price on life, they choose to start pricing a person’s worth in this world. Who should be the one to say how much another person is worth? I know that many people who have had problems similar to my own, and I know many people who have had problems worse than the ones I’ve had to face. Many people would choose suicide as a way to run away from their problems and if euthanasia were to become legal, then the number one cause of death would shortly become suicide.

The first case of active euthanasia was that of Adolf Hitler. In 1930 the Nazis gained control of German Politics. Adolf Hitler wanted to create a society above all the other societies of the world, in what he called, “The Perfect Race.” He then proceeded with the extermination of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and people with mental or physical impairments that could not help the Reich. Whereas today, parents want their children who have disabilities to be killed by euthanasia so that they don’t have to grow up in this “cruel world.” If that is the case then we should have let Adolf Hitler keep his control in Germany in the 1930s. Time hasn’t changed, society has. I think that Pieter Admirral was right when he said we don’t give enough attention to those with advanced illnesses or impairments such as aids or handicaps. Instead of euthanating them we should try to learn from these people.

In the 1990s, people are saying “You can do it, don’t give up,” and “Live your dreams to the fullest.” By making euthanasia legal people will give hope up all too early on ever reaching their goals or dreams, they would rather give up on life when it becomes very difficult to live in which with a little effort, their dreams could be made a reality.

Doctor Jack Kevorklan and his suicide machine are perhaps the most famous in the euthanasia movement, Is the euthanasia movement growing? Yes, the Scots showed that 81 % believe in euthanasia, and the movement is growing quickly internationally. With the Right to Die societies growing it is not hard to see why.

Isn’t suicide illegal? Suicide isn’t illegal, but aiding or assisting someone in suicide is, no matter how laudable the motives. To aid someone in suicide is like murder in most countries, and punishment is just like that of murdering someone. In a case like this who is to know if it was euthanasia or a murder using euthanasia as a cover up for the crime.

Is there a society that can help somebody die that wants to die? VESS is a club that encourages euthanasia, but will not go beyond the law to do it. It believes that euthanasia needs to be legalized and will only use euthanasia in a reasonable cause.

What about malformed babies, mentally handicapped, or the incurable insane?

Should they have the right to use euthanasia? If legalized, would euthanasia be totally voluntary? The malformed babies and the mentally retarded cannot make that voluntary decision, and therefore are not allowed to use euthanasia. This causes unequal opportunities.

In an address to National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on October 27′, 1992, Dr. Kevorkian stated that “Every disease that shortens life no matter how much is terminal.” Who are his potential clients? This is you and I or anyone else out there. Doctors like Jack Kevorklan are letting money alter their concepts of their good judgment. Doctors are helping anybody who wants to die to do so as long as the doctor is paid well enough for the services. “The intentional termination of the life of one human being by another -mercy killing- is contrary to that for which the medical profession stands and is contrary to the policy of the American Medical Association.” Medical ethics should include “Doctors are here to heal, not kill.”

How much is euthanasia killing? Only 3% per year deaths in the Netherlands are directly caused by doctors. These statistics cannot be trusted. Euthanasia is recorded less accurately, less efficiently, and less often than it is actually occurring. Only 3% in the U.S. would amount to 64,860 killings by doctors, Even though this is only 3% it is still a drastic amount of people killed by doctor assisted suicide. This amounts to more deaths by euthanasia than in drug or alcohol related motor accidents combined,

As you can see, active euthanasia is not the solution to dying. It is unethical and illegal. The slippery slope results in unnecessary and needless deaths. The Netherlands experiment is irrelevant, and just because that is how it happens in the Netherlands doesn’t necessarily mean that is how it is going to happen in the U.S. I believe the reasons against euthanasia far outweigh those for it. The possibility of needlessly losing a loved one is a terrible trade off for euthanasia. Never consider active euthanasia as a possibility.