An Argument for Euthanasia Essay

An Argument for Euthanasia
Somewhere in Arizona, Joan X.; who has terminal cancer, lies in her own bed, in her own bedroom, in the house she and her husband bought 45 years ago and thinks to her self, “I’ve lived a long and great life, why should I be a burden to my children?” Somewhere in Texas, Charlie Y. looks down at his teenage daughter, lying in a hospital bed in a vegetative state and he asks his wife “Is there any chance she will come out of this coma?” Somewhere in New York, the children of Mike Z. gather in the intensive care waiting room, crying and holding on to each other, asking each other once more, “Did we do the right thing; did Dad really not want to be resuscitated?” All across America these questions are asked thousands of times daily.   The people asking these questions are the families of the terminally ill, or of those individuals that have no reasonable chance of recovery.   Faced with making a decision on how to answer these questions, many people are left feeling frustrated, torn, and guilty. Federal laws and most states laws make these decisions even harder, since there are few laws supporting euthanasia, right to die, or assisted suicide. Individuals in these difficult situations should have the right to choose when and how they die and the right to die with dignity and respect.
When faced with a terminal illness, most people will turn to a religious leader for comfort and advice. They will probably have several questions and also express their worries about their families. They are often told by the religious leader that God is with them, that all will be as God wishes, God is watching over them and/or other similar advice. The religious leader will explain about the afterlife, according to the leaders religious beliefs.   The leader is reassuring, comforting and understanding in answering these particular questions. But if the question of euthanasia is broached, the leader will try and change the asker’s mind. Most religions believe...