Argumentative Essay Titled 'Right To Die'
The Right to Die Lisa Miessau HCA 322 Robert Schroeder August 11, 2013
The Right to Die Certain people who have terminal illnesses suffer greatly and have almost no quality of life. It consists of constant suffering and agony. The term euthanasia is also known In the Greek as the “good death”. Euthanasia is generally defined as the act of killing an incurably ill person out of concern and compassion for that person 's suffering …show more content…
In a country known for its freedom and liberty , as well as a country that punishes people who harm or even allows the suffering of an animal when there is a means to stop its pain guilty of inhumane treatment, the right to end the suffering of a competent terminally ill person is excruciating pain is illegal.
How do we show more compassion to animals than to humans?
The right to kill a healthy unborn baby because a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body and yet if that same woman was dying and in excruciating pain her body is no longer hers to do as she wishes. Though I believe that abortion is murder i feel like euthanasia is more of a compassionate action and not
murder.
The Right to Die
There are two very popular forms of euthanasia passive and active and though some may say there is a difference the end result is still the same. I have to say that my view on euthanasia has been altered as I have gotten older and have seen those I love suffer. I used to feel that it was the same as abortion and that it was just a form of murder, but I don’t feel that way anymore. The intent of the heart in euthanasia is love and compassion not so in murder.
Active euthanasia is defined according to medicinenet.com as the active acceleration of a "good" death by use of drugs etc, whether by oneself or with the aid of a doctor. This is also done at the request of the patient who is suffering.
Passive euthanasia is a little different the end result is the same. The term "passive euthanasia" used by the Supreme Court in its verdict on Aruna Shanbaug 's case is defined as the withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten a terminally ill-patient 's death.(NDTV ,2011) passive euthanasia is to quicken the death of a terminally ill patient by taking away some form of life saving support and letting nature take its course. Examples of passive euthanasia are to turn off a respirator, discontinue food and water and/or halting medication.
One famous doctor who is known for preforming active euthanasia is Doctor Jack Kevorkian. Some called him an angel of mercy and some a murderer. He argued unrelentingly that consenting patients should be allowed to alleviate their suffering with the help of a physician, and dismissed his critics as being in thrall to superstition or religious dogma.(White,2011) There are both pros and cons to the debate. The big fear is that the special population, the disabled, the elderly, the poor the minorities and even women, will be unfairly targeted due to their lack of education, income or even their physical inabilities. One group against it is known as” Not Dead Yet”. This group opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia as a deadly form of discrimination against old, ill and disabled people. These people feel that mercy killing would target them because society sees their life as having little of no quality. There is 4 kinds of euthanasia that can be described all of which are not the same. 1. Assisted suicide I kill myself but someone else gives me the tool. 2. Voluntary euthanasia: Someone else kills me with my consent.
3. Non-voluntary euthanasia: Someone kills me when I am unable to give my consent. (i.e. a person in a persistent vegetative state)
4. Involuntary euthanasia: Someone kills me without asking me; therefore without my consent.
On the one hand I support euthanasia, in the case of the terminally ill in severe pain. However just like abortion I feel that it would end up being abused and that is where I have my dilemma in deciding where I stand. I don’t feel that doctors should decide if someone of sound mind should live or die that is the patients choice and even if they are suffering it is there choice whether they want to endure or not. I feel that the first to should be legal and a person freedom and liberty of their own body, whoever I do not agree with it in the other two cases except under certain cases. I feel that if the person was suffering and even if they were unable to give their permission if they are not in their right mind and in constant pain they need an advocate to help them and in those cases I feel that a next of kin or guardian should make that decision for them. The only problem I have with that is the Terri Schiavo, I feel that the passive form of euthanasia that they used was in humane in starving her and refusing her water in that case I feel a lethal dose of medication would have been much kinder and less cruel in her case they seemed to torture her and the whole idea of euthanasia is to show compassion and stop suffering not increase it.
Euthanasia law should have "strict safeguards" to prevent "abuse of the law". Only those of sound mind who are well aware of their condition and all alternatives to euthanasia should be allowed to make this choice, at least in the form of active euthanasia. With active there are some rights that have to be considered. The right of a patient in a vegetative state, if they have had their wishes known beforehand then, stopping support is their right as a human. Those that have someone else make that decision for them as was the case of Terri Schiavo is somewhat of a different thing all together.
In Oregon they passed a law known as the “Death with Dignity Act" has given physicians the right to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminally ill patients; there are however guidelines that have to be met before the patient is given this prescription. The patient must be 18 years of age, they have to be a resident of Oregon, they must be able to make and communicate health care decisions and Diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months.
.Euthanasia is for a terminal condition, which is defined by most health care systems as 6 months before death. The purpose of euthanasia is to abolish physical pain. Euthanasia is for the person who can give informed consent. Euthanasia is about self-determination. (Wolbring G. 1998)
This in no way endangers those who are merely led. And even after these terminally ill patients met the first part of the requirements there are many more before the lethal dose will be prescribed to them. This is not just an easy flippant act that the state has passed without giving thought to the outcome. There are four states that have opened the door to euthanasia in certain cases. Oregon, Vermont and Washington have legalized physician-assisted suicide via legislation, and Montana has legal physician-assisted suicide via court ruling. The other 46 states still consider Assisted Suicide Illegal.
I am from Tennessee and it is illegal in my state. And it is considered a class D felon. The sentence for Class D felony offenses is determined by the court but will not less than two years or be more than 7 years.
Euthanasia is not mean to be a crime against humanity but an act of compassion to end a person’s suffering, remember if you had a pet who had been hurt to the point of being in severe pain and you know that he can’t be healed the one thing you hurry to do is either have hum euthanized or put out of his misery as quickly as possible and to not do so is considered an act of cruelty how are we more compassionate of animals than humans.
References
Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Independent Living Institute (ILI) » Library » Why Disability Rights Movements Do Not Support Euthanasia: Safeguards Broken Beyond Repair, 1998, retrieved from http://www.independentliving.org/docs5/Wolbringeuthanasia.html
Jeremy White ,Dr. Kevorkian, assisted suicide; The Legal and Moral Debate, June 2011, International Business Times , retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/dr-kevorkian-assisted-suicide-legal-moral-debate-288269
NDTV, What is passive euthanasia? Press Trust of India,March 7, 2011
Retrieved from http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-passive-euthanasia-89964
ProCon.org. (2012). Euthanasia ProCon.org. (http://euthanasia.procon.org/)
The Right to Die Certain people who have terminal illnesses suffer greatly and have almost no quality of life. It consists of constant suffering and agony. The term euthanasia is also known In the Greek as the “good death”. Euthanasia is generally defined as the act of killing an incurably ill person out of concern and compassion for that person 's suffering …show more content…
In a country known for its freedom and liberty , as well as a country that punishes people who harm or even allows the suffering of an animal when there is a means to stop its pain guilty of inhumane treatment, the right to end the suffering of a competent terminally ill person is excruciating pain is illegal.
How do we show more compassion to animals than to humans?
The right to kill a healthy unborn baby because a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body and yet if that same woman was dying and in excruciating pain her body is no longer hers to do as she wishes. Though I believe that abortion is murder i feel like euthanasia is more of a compassionate action and not
murder.
The Right to Die
There are two very popular forms of euthanasia passive and active and though some may say there is a difference the end result is still the same. I have to say that my view on euthanasia has been altered as I have gotten older and have seen those I love suffer. I used to feel that it was the same as abortion and that it was just a form of murder, but I don’t feel that way anymore. The intent of the heart in euthanasia is love and compassion not so in murder.
Active euthanasia is defined according to medicinenet.com as the active acceleration of a "good" death by use of drugs etc, whether by oneself or with the aid of a doctor. This is also done at the request of the patient who is suffering.
Passive euthanasia is a little different the end result is the same. The term "passive euthanasia" used by the Supreme Court in its verdict on Aruna Shanbaug 's case is defined as the withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten a terminally ill-patient 's death.(NDTV ,2011) passive euthanasia is to quicken the death of a terminally ill patient by taking away some form of life saving support and letting nature take its course. Examples of passive euthanasia are to turn off a respirator, discontinue food and water and/or halting medication.
One famous doctor who is known for preforming active euthanasia is Doctor Jack Kevorkian. Some called him an angel of mercy and some a murderer. He argued unrelentingly that consenting patients should be allowed to alleviate their suffering with the help of a physician, and dismissed his critics as being in thrall to superstition or religious dogma.(White,2011) There are both pros and cons to the debate. The big fear is that the special population, the disabled, the elderly, the poor the minorities and even women, will be unfairly targeted due to their lack of education, income or even their physical inabilities. One group against it is known as” Not Dead Yet”. This group opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia as a deadly form of discrimination against old, ill and disabled people. These people feel that mercy killing would target them because society sees their life as having little of no quality. There is 4 kinds of euthanasia that can be described all of which are not the same. 1. Assisted suicide I kill myself but someone else gives me the tool. 2. Voluntary euthanasia: Someone else kills me with my consent.
3. Non-voluntary euthanasia: Someone kills me when I am unable to give my consent. (i.e. a person in a persistent vegetative state)
4. Involuntary euthanasia: Someone kills me without asking me; therefore without my consent.
On the one hand I support euthanasia, in the case of the terminally ill in severe pain. However just like abortion I feel that it would end up being abused and that is where I have my dilemma in deciding where I stand. I don’t feel that doctors should decide if someone of sound mind should live or die that is the patients choice and even if they are suffering it is there choice whether they want to endure or not. I feel that the first to should be legal and a person freedom and liberty of their own body, whoever I do not agree with it in the other two cases except under certain cases. I feel that if the person was suffering and even if they were unable to give their permission if they are not in their right mind and in constant pain they need an advocate to help them and in those cases I feel that a next of kin or guardian should make that decision for them. The only problem I have with that is the Terri Schiavo, I feel that the passive form of euthanasia that they used was in humane in starving her and refusing her water in that case I feel a lethal dose of medication would have been much kinder and less cruel in her case they seemed to torture her and the whole idea of euthanasia is to show compassion and stop suffering not increase it.
Euthanasia law should have "strict safeguards" to prevent "abuse of the law". Only those of sound mind who are well aware of their condition and all alternatives to euthanasia should be allowed to make this choice, at least in the form of active euthanasia. With active there are some rights that have to be considered. The right of a patient in a vegetative state, if they have had their wishes known beforehand then, stopping support is their right as a human. Those that have someone else make that decision for them as was the case of Terri Schiavo is somewhat of a different thing all together.
In Oregon they passed a law known as the “Death with Dignity Act" has given physicians the right to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminally ill patients; there are however guidelines that have to be met before the patient is given this prescription. The patient must be 18 years of age, they have to be a resident of Oregon, they must be able to make and communicate health care decisions and Diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months.
.Euthanasia is for a terminal condition, which is defined by most health care systems as 6 months before death. The purpose of euthanasia is to abolish physical pain. Euthanasia is for the person who can give informed consent. Euthanasia is about self-determination. (Wolbring G. 1998)
This in no way endangers those who are merely led. And even after these terminally ill patients met the first part of the requirements there are many more before the lethal dose will be prescribed to them. This is not just an easy flippant act that the state has passed without giving thought to the outcome. There are four states that have opened the door to euthanasia in certain cases. Oregon, Vermont and Washington have legalized physician-assisted suicide via legislation, and Montana has legal physician-assisted suicide via court ruling. The other 46 states still consider Assisted Suicide Illegal.
I am from Tennessee and it is illegal in my state. And it is considered a class D felon. The sentence for Class D felony offenses is determined by the court but will not less than two years or be more than 7 years.
Euthanasia is not mean to be a crime against humanity but an act of compassion to end a person’s suffering, remember if you had a pet who had been hurt to the point of being in severe pain and you know that he can’t be healed the one thing you hurry to do is either have hum euthanized or put out of his misery as quickly as possible and to not do so is considered an act of cruelty how are we more compassionate of animals than humans.
References
Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Independent Living Institute (ILI) » Library » Why Disability Rights Movements Do Not Support Euthanasia: Safeguards Broken Beyond Repair, 1998, retrieved from http://www.independentliving.org/docs5/Wolbringeuthanasia.html
Jeremy White ,Dr. Kevorkian, assisted suicide; The Legal and Moral Debate, June 2011, International Business Times , retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/dr-kevorkian-assisted-suicide-legal-moral-debate-288269
NDTV, What is passive euthanasia? Press Trust of India,March 7, 2011
Retrieved from http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-passive-euthanasia-89964
ProCon.org. (2012). Euthanasia ProCon.org. (http://euthanasia.procon.org/)