The Right to Die
The Right to Die
A difficult problem that is facing society is the legalization of euthanasia, another word for mercy killing. Euthanasia is a method of causing death painlessly to end suffering. People who are in a coma because of accidents and elderly people who are terminally ill because of incurable diseases are being kept alive by artificial means. They do not have a chance to recover, but American laws do not allow doctors to end their lives. Although many people feel that doctors must do everything possible to keep their patients alive, euthanasia should be legal for three reasons.
first and most important reason to support euthanasia is that some patients have no chance of recovery and do not want to be kept alive on machines. They can never lead normal lives and must be kept alive by life-support machines such as respirators to help them breathe arid feeding tubes to provide them with nutrition. They are clearly more dead than alive and will never be able to live a normal life any more. For example, after Samuel, an infant, had swallowed a balloon, he stopped breathing. The balloon was removed, but lack of oxygen had caused brain damage and left him in an irreversible coma. Samuel was unable to breathe without the aid of a respirator, and there was no hope for his recovery.
Another reason to support mercy killing is that medical costs are very high. Today the cost of a hospital room can be as much as $ 1, 450 per day for basic care, which does not include the cost of specialized care for the use of special equipment. The high cost of medical care can cause financial problems for the family. For example, Chiles Adkins' 82-year-old wife lived in a nursing home in a coma for four years. Since there was no chance for her recovery, Mr Adkins' requested that the medical staff withhold treatment. However, his pleas were ignored. Soon after she died, Mr. Adkins was billed $ 250, 000 for his wife's medical care. The courts ordered him to pay the bill,
A difficult problem that is facing society is the legalization of euthanasia, another word for mercy killing. Euthanasia is a method of causing death painlessly to end suffering. People who are in a coma because of accidents and elderly people who are terminally ill because of incurable diseases are being kept alive by artificial means. They do not have a chance to recover, but American laws do not allow doctors to end their lives. Although many people feel that doctors must do everything possible to keep their patients alive, euthanasia should be legal for three reasons.
first and most important reason to support euthanasia is that some patients have no chance of recovery and do not want to be kept alive on machines. They can never lead normal lives and must be kept alive by life-support machines such as respirators to help them breathe arid feeding tubes to provide them with nutrition. They are clearly more dead than alive and will never be able to live a normal life any more. For example, after Samuel, an infant, had swallowed a balloon, he stopped breathing. The balloon was removed, but lack of oxygen had caused brain damage and left him in an irreversible coma. Samuel was unable to breathe without the aid of a respirator, and there was no hope for his recovery.
Another reason to support mercy killing is that medical costs are very high. Today the cost of a hospital room can be as much as $ 1, 450 per day for basic care, which does not include the cost of specialized care for the use of special equipment. The high cost of medical care can cause financial problems for the family. For example, Chiles Adkins' 82-year-old wife lived in a nursing home in a coma for four years. Since there was no chance for her recovery, Mr Adkins' requested that the medical staff withhold treatment. However, his pleas were ignored. Soon after she died, Mr. Adkins was billed $ 250, 000 for his wife's medical care. The courts ordered him to pay the bill,