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The Legalization of Euthanasia

Euthanasia is one of the most sensitive and controversial issues being debated in society today. The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means “good” and thanatos means “death” (Robinson). Formally called “mercy killing” (Rachels 6), euthanasia is “the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies” (Robinson). Euthanasia can be traced as far back as to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations; it was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. As time passed, religious views changed, and life was viewed to be more sacred.
The first report of euthanasia was in 1915, “In the early hours of 12 November 1915, at Chicago's German-American Hospital, Anna Bollinger gave birth to her fourth child, a seven-pound baby boy. The baby was blue and badly deformed. After conferring with the father, the doctor awakened Harry J. Haiselden, the hospital's forty-five-year-old chief of staff. Haiselden diagnosed a litany of physical defects. He predicted that without surgery the child would die shortly. In a decision whose shockwaves would ripple from coast to coast, and mark a milestone in the history of euthanasia in America, Haiselden advised against surgery. The Bollingers tearfully agreed and, on 16 November, Haiselden called a news conference to announce that, rather than operate, he would “merely stand by passively” and “let nature complete its bungled job.” The child died on 17 November, amid growing controversy. By declining to operate, Haiselden almost single-handedly managed to accomplish what other defenders of euthanasia before him had not. He not only got more Americans than ever before talking about euthanasia, but also won endorsements from numerous prominent figures. The publicity surrounding his professional conduct, briefly eclipsing news from World War I, inspired other Americans to speak out in favor of letting deformed infants...