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?
I will do this while analyzing a specific act proposed to the California legislature which may be considered a model voluntary euthanasia practice. But first let me define voluntary euthanasia. AB 654 will aid us in our definition of voluntary euthanasia. The bill was introduced to the California legislature by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine and Assembly woman Patty Berg in order to allow “physician-assisted” suicide. Physician-assisted suicide as defined under the bill is the right to request lethal drugs by the “terminally-ill” who have only six-months to live.
Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997) Petitioners: State of Washington and the State Attorney General Respondent: Harold Glucksberg, MD et al who practices medicine in the state of Washington and treats terminally ill patients Facts: The state of Washington passed a law that made it a crime to assist in a suicide that takes place within the state. The crime is listed as “promoting a suicide attempt” and is classified as a felony offense. In order for a person to be convicted of this crime it has to be proven that the defendant knowingly caused or aided another person in an attempt to commit suicide. In January 1994 Dr. Glucksberg along with four other doctors, three terminally ill patients who died before the case reached the Supreme Court and Compassion in Dying, a nonprofit group that aids terminally patients who wish to commit suicide filed a suit in the US District Court against the state of Washington and the State Attorney General on the grounds that the law is unconstitutional. The Respondents argument was that people have a liberty interest which is protected by the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause and it should extend to terminally ill patients who are mentally competent and wish to take part in doctor assisted suicide.
If a person is suffering in unbearable pain and cannot enjoy life then euthanasia would be the best option to help that person die a dignified and peaceful death, rather than a period of lost dignity and prolonged suffering. Current laws state that active euthanasia is illegal in most of the country. Patients can refuse medical treatment and receive pain management, even if the patient’s choices hasten their death. Futile or burdensome treatments, such as life support machines, may be withdrawn under specific circumstances. Under federal and some state laws medical facilities need consent from patients or, in the event of incompetency of the patient, informed consent of the legal surrogate.
Other people died due to machine which supplied carbon monoxide to face mask. The first machine was used to Janet Adkins in 1989, who suffered from Alzheimer`s disease. Jack Kevorkian assisted patients with instructions how to use devices, without personal intervention. His practice was strictly opposed by the American Medical Association (Hosseini, 2012). There were raising numbers of suicides in Michigan at the beginning of 90s.
Second, I will look at various arguments surrounding voluntary euthanasia, assessing the consequences of the outcome from each argument. I will then conclude, summing up the valid arguments that have been discussed. The term euthanasia comes from the Greek word ‘eu’ meaning good and ‘thanatos’ meaning death(Calder, 2012). Euthanasia can be defined as ‘the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment’ (Dictionary, 2009). There are three main types of euthanasia.
Outline and comment upon arguments for and against legalising euthanasia. Euthanasia, a term that once meant ‘good death’ in the times of the Ancient Greeks, is now seen as a taboo subject which many struggle to speak about. Euthanasia was once a simple term for a ‘good death’ but now refers to a death that is deliberately brought about for humane reasons (Rachels, 1993). With advancements in medical and moral fields, euthanasia is now about so much more. It can be broken down into multiple categories which help to give clarity to what exact action is being conducted.
Eventually some people and their families might be forced to put financial concerns above the needs of a loved one. Doctors or insurance companies could try to convince some people to opt for assisted suicide rather than the more expensive treatment. This would be an injustice to all humankind. A history professor at San Francisco State University argued that assisted suicide would lead to inequities and would not be limited to those with a terminal illness. “Given the way the U.S. healthcare system is getting increasingly unjust and even savage, I don't think this system could be trusted to implement such a system equitably, or confine it to people who are immediately terminally ill"(Mohler).
Assisted Suicide: A Person's Right Assisted Suicide has been around for thousands of years dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome (Weikart). Assisted suicide refers to when a terminally ill patient is killed as a way out of the physical and mental pain of their disease. The only place in the United States where physician assisted suicide is legal is In Oregon, where the death with dignity act was passed in 1997 (Stokely). Euthanasia became popular during the 1990's when Dr. Kevorkian would illegally killed terminally ill patients from his home (Stokely). Because each person has basic human rights that cannot be taken away, he or she should be able to make a very private decision about the circumstances and time of his or her own death.
This issue is looked through many perspectives and arguments. Assisted Suicide 3 A case for assisted suicide is a powerful one, people that oppose any measures Permitting assisted suicide argue that society has a moral duty to protect and to preserve All life, to allow anyone to assist others in destroying their lives violates a fundamental Duty we have to respect human life. One case of assisted suicide that I will talk more about later was