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Ethics of Euthanasia

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Ethics of Euthanasia
Courtney Thorne
Professor Chesire
English 1100, Section 48
7 December 2012

Euthanasia One of the most hotly debated topics going on through the government is the one concerning the ethics of euthanasia also known as assisted suicide. Euthanasia comes from the Greek language meaning ‘Good death’. Euthanasia is suicide, but with the help of a doctor. The government and people argue about whether it should be legalized or not, this is because it can be seen as unethical and it taking the ills life. I think assisted suicide should be legal because we have the right and moral obligation to euthanize our beloved pets when they are suffering and in pain... why are we not morally obligated to provide the same options for ourselves and our loved ones who have no quality of life? Euthanasia fascinates me because not much people of my age are aware of what it is exactly and how much that it could actually help out in the society if it was to be legalized. Euthanasia should be legalized we have ‘the peoples rights’, it cost more to keep someone on life support and it is a way out of unnecessary suffering for the ill. I was interested in researching this topic because I don’t think this topic gets as much attention as I think it should. I am all for assisted suicide and believe people should not be denied their wishes when they want to end their pain when they are terminally ill. However, I was open to learning more about the opposite stance and what the reasons for opposition were. Which I understand that some people are not for euthanasia, but with you reading my essay I hope to persuade you to take in some of my ideas that I will explain to you throughout my paper. I wondered how someone could just deny the peoples right of wanting to pass when they are terminally ill. There are two main kinds of euthanasia; one is voluntary euthanasia which refers to the action taken by the physician and the patient, who both agree to end the patient 's life with an informed



Cited: International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Frequently Asked Questions," www.internationaltaskforce.org, Jan. 2010 "Frequently Asked Questions," www.internationaltaskforce.org (accessed May 27, 2010) "Statement on Euthanasia," on www.usccb.org, Sep. 12, 1991 “ Terry Youk,” http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=009779 , April 28th. 2010 Stephanie Clayton. "This House Believes that assisted suicide should be legalized." idebate.org. 16 Feb 2012. idebate.org, Web. 26 Oct 2012. http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/philosophy/house-believes-assisted-suicide-should-be-legalized

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