Some similar issues are also raised by physician assisted suicide (PAS). PAS may be asked for by a patient who wishes to die but is unable to commit suicide without help from another. The degree of help needed will depend upon how capable the patient is. Some may ask for a lethal drug which they can then take themself. For others who are more incapacitated, PAS could involve setting up a mechanism whereby the patient merely has to 'press a button' to receive a lethal injection.
I can see both aspects of the argument and can find some right in both sides. I believe murder is wrong, even in times of war, I do understand that Physician-Assisted Suicide can be a humane option when someone has no other alternatives. I do not view Physician-Assisted Suicide as a form of murder. This type of request, when made by a mentally competent patient, takes the aspect of murder out of the equation and categorizes it as euthanasia. When I was 12, my grandmother passed away from Multiple Myeloma.
Euthanasia should remain illegal Euthanasia is a word with such great meaning but is often misunderstood by individuals. Some define this term as “the right to die” whereas others define it as “the right to kill Euthanasia is the act of encouraging a painless death or looking for the help for a good death. The act of euthanasia often occurs because long-term patients would rather drink poison or get shot by somebody than suffering their whole life fighting against a major disease. The term euthanasia is also known as mercy killing since it’s a way of ending one’s life who is not willing to live anymore. [1] This happens usually for compassionate reasons such as to reduce the pain of the ill ones.
The act of taking a person’s life is murder. But would it still be murder if the act was done in order to save the person from certain pain and possibly humiliation? Such an act is known as euthanasia or assisted suicide and is clearly defined as the act of taking a terminally ill patient’s life, or allowing their death in a painless and swift way, ensuring that the said patient does not suffer physically or mentally from their condition. This controversial procedure has sparked many debates in recent times, debates that have yet to reach a conclusion. The main question remains: should we kill in order to relieve pain?
People who argue with Kevorkian for physician-assisted suicide feel that by helping a patient end his or her life peacefully is helpful to family and friends. Joe Masserli points out main arguments for and against assisted suicide in his political assessment of the subject. He argues equally for and against the topic, which points out many things that go unnoticed by those with bold opinions on assisted suicide. Masserli points out the amount of pain that a patient can be spared from, the fundamental freedom of the right to die, the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon, the reduction of healthcare costs, the freeing of doctor and nurse time, the pain and anguish that a patient’s family can be saved from, the
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?
“Many physicians say they would be clouding their roles as healers if they helped patients to die” (Buchanan 36.) Physicians even take the Hippocratic Oath, which states that “a physician promises to help the sick and never to cause harm” (Buchanan 36.) As Daniel E. Lee, a reporter for the Hastings Center, says “Meaning and hope are possible in all of life’s situations, even in the midst of suffering” (17.) If the United States were to nationally legalize assisted suicide, it would be a disaster, not only because the way it would go against our morals, but the way it would negatively effect today’s society. “Janet, Sherry , Marjorie, and Susan were not terminal by accepted medical definition…[they] were not Kevorkian’s patients in any traditional sense.
Nevertheless, the technologies also prolong the dying processes, leading some people to question whether modern medicine is forcing patients to live in unnecessary pain when there is no chance they will be cured. “Passive euthanasia—disconnecting a respirator or removing a feeding tube has become an accepted solution to this dilemma. Active euthanasia perhaps an overdose of pills or a deadly injection of morphine remains controversial “(McDougall,
This Directive is assigned to someone they can put trust into so they would be able to know be the persons voice in making decisions (Advance Directives and Medical Power of Attorney).Voluntary euthanasia takes place when a person makes the choice to end one’s life; non-voluntary euthanasia takes place when a person has not asked or consented to death. One other form of euthanasia is one by oversight that is intentional purpose of death by not giving the proper care needed to prevent death; some examples would be lack of housing or keeping food and water from the person which is needed to survive (Tonti-Fillippini). People that are for euthanasia feel that advances that are found today with medical technology today
There are many different forms of euthanasia and because of these different forms, euthanasia has caused many controversies. There is “passive euthanasia” which simply allows a person to die naturally without life support or sometimes referred to as “pulling the plug”. “Active euthanasia” refers to when a doctor takes certain steps in order to end the person’s life. “Voluntary euthanasia” refers to when a person requests that their life be ended or treatment be stopped and is fully aware of the consequences. The last for of euthanasia is “involuntary” which is done without the persons consent for example when they are in a coma and the doctors know that he/she will not come out of it.