Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada Background For years, many people have struggled to get permission to die. For example, in 1992, Sue Rodriguez, a terminal patient of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), questioned the legitimacy of the Criminal Code Section 24 that says: “a person who helps or advises another person to perpetrate suicide even if suicide materializes or not is responsible for a criminal offence and subject to spend time in jail.” Rodriguez claimed that by not allowing her to choose how and when to die, she was denied her right to “life, liberty and security of the person.” Her case went to the Supreme Court but she didn’t win. A short time later she killed herself with the help of an unknown medic. The past year in June, Quebec passed the Act Respecting End of Life Care, by-passing the Criminal Code, by incorporating medically assisted death into provincial health care legislation. It is expected that this new law takes effect by the end of this year.
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal? Dion O. Hales SOC120 Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Prof. Theodore Framan June 22, 2012 Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal? While killing yourself is harder than having someone do it for you is that killing yourself requires firmer resolve, Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal? Because a patient's last will and last testament should be honored, a competent patient's request to terminate life-sustaining treatment, and it is our moral right to prevent a person from suffering if they suffer from a disease we cannot cure. First, Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal?
In Sweden, both active euthanasia that physician-assisted suicide is prohibited. Active euthanasia involves a patient, if possible, to choose between falling asleep and physician-assisted suicide is when a doctor writes out a sufficiently large dose of medicine, the patient can take himself to die. I advocate that all euthanasia should be allowed. I believe that every person has the right to decide over their own lives. We will all die eventually, and when this should be done should be up to each individual to decide.
Assisted Suicide Assisted Suicide Ethics is defined as a “systematic study of and reflection on morality.” Analyzing ethical issues in a systematic way brings us to utilize the six-step process to illustrate the critical thinking process. I read the article ‘Judge Lifts Assisted-suicide Ban’ from the Portland Press Herald (Portland Press, 2012) that discusses an issue in British Columbia legalizing the right to assisted suicides. This is a curious matter in health care, especially as a future nurse who has been taught to advocate for my patients. Countries are continuously fighting the issue of assisted suicide as their population ages. In Canada it has been illegal to “counsel, aid or abet a suicide” (Portland Press, 2012) with a maximum sentencing of 14 years.
The author is very explicit about his or her stand on Euthanasia as the thesis statement of the author has been mentioned in the first paragraph and the last paragraph. It is stated in the text that the practice of mercy killing due to their illness or a disability is an unnatural thing to do and should not be practiced as no one has the authority or the right to decide who to kill. The author also highlights its use in Germany during the World War two in which the government would decide who would be killed due to their inabilities. The Nazis have their own idea of what a perfect human race is and this is one of their methods for their goal. The problem that was discussed was its hypothetical conclusion that history might repeat itself.
The case could then be turned into that of homicide. The Arguments I believe that everyone should have the right to their own death whenever they feel they need or deserve it. If a certain individual feels that they would be miserable for the rest of their life after being paralyzed below the waist, and they request to be euthanized, who are we to deny them? So far, only two states have legalized physician-assisted suicide: Oregon and Washington. Their rules to receive this death is that the patient must provide two verbal requests and one written request to their health care provider.
In contrast, involuntary euthanasia refers to ending one’s life that openly expresses their wish to die and requests other individuals to end their lives. [2] Euthanasia is currently illegal in many countries, including Canada. It has been recently legalized in some cities such as Oregon, Washington, Montana, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Euthanasia should remain illegal because it takes away hope from the patients to get through their diseases, it creates conflicts between religious groups and it could be used for ulterior motives. If euthanasia becomes legal, it would be a treatment option for the terminally sick ones.
The Dangers of Assisted Suicide “Advocates of physician assisted suicide try to convey the impression that in terminally ill patients the wish to die is totally different from suicidal intent in those without terminal illness” (Herbert and Klerman 118.) Physician assisted suicide is when a physician assists their patient in dying upon their request. In some states there are laws giving limitations to who can request such a “procedure,“ but these laws are not enough to prevent the dangers of assisted suicide. Assisted suicide should be illegal in all fifty states because it is immoral, dangerous to society, and can lead to the deaths of millions of depressed people. “Critics of physician assisted suicide believe that doctors like Jack Kevorkian are doing nothing less than playing God“ (Gay 47.)
Euthanasia and assisted suicide is illegal under the English Law. Depending on the circumstances it is seen as either manslaughter or murder and has a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment. In some countries such as Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands, certain types of Euthanasia is legal. There are two main types of euthanasia. • Active euthanasia – A doctor or a nurse gives an ill patient medicine that will kill them.
Cammeron Johnson Dr. Carrie PHIL 200 11/02/2013 Pros and Cons of Euthanasia Euthanasia on humans is a very emotional subject for people that are for it and those that are against it. There is a large range of arguments on both sides that take place, some of the ones for euthanasia include no more suffering, freedom to make the decision when to die, and having honor in the way one dies. When one looks at some of the opposition against euthanasia we can see that people feel it is killing, an easy way out, or a quick fix. To even begin a debate one must understand what euthanasia is and the forms it comes in, it can include the following: passive, voluntary, non-voluntary, and active. When one withholds the treatment needed for one to survive this is passive euthanasia.