Let Them Die Essay, Research Paper
Euthanasia is one of society’s most widely and hotly debated moral issues. It
has pained and exhausted the courts for entirely too long, questioning the
ethics and morality of the issue. It is a never-ending loop that by no means
considers our right, or the victim’s right, to freedom. It has pierced the
pocket books of American taxpayers extensively and should be put to rest with
only this statement. Let them die!
I believe that euthanasia is only debated and kept on the political agenda to
keep the courts busy, thereby ensuring the security of political pocket books.
The vast majority of the population is in favor of euthanasia. However, their
elected candidates don’t represent their views (Humphry). Thus eliminating
their power of democracy and right to freedom. In this essay I will argue that
euthanasia is not a concern of religious ethics but rather an entitlement of
freedom.
Euthanasia is typically broken into two categories:
1.
Active euthanasia: The act of …administering a lethal drug, or using other
means that cause a persons death” (MacKinnon, 126).
2.
Passive euthanasia: “Stopping (or not starting) some treatment, which allows a
person to die, the persons condition causes his or her death, (MacKinnon, 126).
Active euthanasia is typically the more highly debated of the two acts of
euthanasia and is better known because of the actions of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who
has aided in many successful suicides.
Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, is rarely debated and usually never
enters the mind’s eye because it is typically looked at as letting someone die
naturally. In passive euthanasia one simply refuses treatment with the
knowledge that death is imminent. This offers little debate for several
reasons, primarily because it is seen as a natural way of dying. The exception,
however, is that some religions refuse to accept treatment with the knowledge
that without the treatment they will die. For example in the faith of the
Jehovah’s Witness, a child, who has been in a vicious car accident and is in
need of blood, will die rather that accept treatment. This kind of passive
euthanasia would come under much scrutiny, but be accepted because it is tied to
religious convictions.
In either case, active or passive, the victim will die. There is essentially no
difference between them. From herein both active and passive euthanasia will not
be separated but rather both will be referred to simply as euthanasia. It will
be the primary interest of this paper to focus on and address the concerns of
active euthanasia, as it is the more controversial of the two despite that fact
that both result in death. It is fair to note that the exceptional
circumstance of a comatose patient will not be addressed in this paper, as this
falls into a category all its own and requires an entirely different approach to
the debate.
Those who oppose the practice of euthanasia argue that helping the terminally
ill bring about their own deaths, or allowing them to determine the how and
when, is not only inhumane, but is also an act of “playing God”. This may be
true, assuming that one believes in God. However, a tactical logician may pose
this counter argument.
If it is the case that God is “I AM THAT I AM ” (King James Version, Exodus
3:14), it then follows that God is everything. If God is everything, than he
would not only be disease but also death. If it is the purpose of disease to
bring about death and God is disease and death, then the actions or the will of
God would be reflected by the resulting death that comes about through disease.
If it is the case then that God is a disease, terminal or not, then would God
not be carrying out his will by killing an infected person? And if the infected
person chose to not allow the disease to take its course, then would that person
not be playing God, or interfering with the will of God? Finally, if the person
chose to partake in the action of euthanasia, could this action not be
considered an act of aiding or following the wishes of God’s will? One last
point to ponder is this: If God is everything, then, is God not also the
compassionate urge to euthanize?
Proponents of freedom view euthanasia in a very different way. “[They] believe
that everyone has the right to choose how they live and die” (TVES). Euthanasia
allows the person, who is simply living to die, to maintain dignity by
orchestrating their own end. Thus letting him/her die in peace, rather than
suffering to the end. It eliminates their own, as well as the next of Kin’s,
perception of the dying to be a burden, physically and financially, and/or a
disgrace. “Each person has value and is worthy of respect, has basic rights and
freedoms and the power to control his or her destiny. [The proponents] campaign
to legalise [sic] assisted dying within certain strictly defined circumstances
is fundamentally about choice” (TVES).
Detractors of euthanasia may contest that dying is not disgraceful. Little do
they know. Dying of a terminal illness is a burden, physically and financially,
as well as a disgrace. Victims in the advanced stages of terminal illness will
have limited muscle control and experience excruciating and unrelenting pain.
“Not everyone dies well. At least 5% of terminal pain cannot be fully
controlled, even with the best care. Other distressing symptoms such as
sickness, incontinence or breathlessness cannot always be relieved” (TVES).
Mitch Albom, in his book Tuesdays with Morrie, discusses the terminal illness of
his former professor Morrie Stein. Morrie was stricken with Lou Gehrig’s
disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and was terminally ill because of it.
Morrie would inevitably die a painful, expensive and disgraceful death.
Albom describes his visits and the cumbersome chore of having to move Morrie,
physically, during the later stages of his disease. In the book he also
discusses the inevitable disgrace of having to hold a bottle while Morrie
urinated and also how Morrie dreaded the day when somebody other than himself
would have to “wipe [his] ass” (Albom).
Could any of these detractors of euthanasia imagine doing this? Could you
imagine doing this? Let me describe what I imagine it would be like. Let’s
say that my friend Harry was terminal in the same way that Morrie was. One
month prior to his death I visit Harry. It has been 6 years since we last saw
each other; however, we kept in close contact via email and telephone. I show
up at Harry’s house to be greeted by his thinning wife. Her hair is graying;
she looks distraught, tired and weak. She shows me into the room where Harry is
pretty much confined. My first impression of Harry is this. He is sitting
slumped in a chair drooling. A distinct odor has permeated the room. Harry’s
wife says under her breath, “Damn!” She goes to where Harry is slouching and
lifts the blanket that is covering him. Underneath the blanket Harry was
wearing an adult diaper and a T-shirt. His diaper was soiled; apparently Harry
was not receiving enough fiber to keep his stool hardened. It was loose and
wet, oozing and spilling out of the sides of the diaper onto the chair. His
wife began cleaning. It seemed as if this were a wearisome task for her, one
that she does quite often. I could only stand and watch as Harry’s wife cleaned
up his mess and wipe his ass. What a disgrace! Not only was Harry disgraced;
his wife and I both shared in his shame. He has been striped of his freedom.
The freedom to control his muscles and his stool, and his freedom to choose
death.
“In October 1997, out of nearly 3,000 people who took part in a Sun newspaper
telephone poll, an amazing 97 percent said terminally ill people should have the
right to die with dignity” (TVES). National opinion polls show average support
of 70 percent in the USA, 74 percent in Canada and 80 percent in Britain”
(Humphry). The clear-cut majority of these democratic populations are in favor
of legalizing euthanasia. So why in Canada and most of the United States does
euthanasia remain unlawful? If we live in presumably the freest of free nations
in the world, then why can one not exercise his/her freedom by taking his/her
own life? Especially if he/she is in an overwhelming amount of pain. The only
logical explanation is that the government needs something to squabble about in
the court systems to ensure their next paycheck.
If it has been established that the person is going to assuredly die, and that
the death will be humiliating, painful, and drawn out, not to mention time
consuming and expensive, then in the most free of all of the free nations he/she
should be allowed to die. Let them die! This is not an ethical concern of God;
it is a question of freedom.
Works Cited
Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie. New York: Doubleday, 1997.
Humphry, Derek. Final Exit. 28 May 2001. Euthanasia Research Guidance
Organization. 01 Nov. 2001. www.finalexit/faqframe.html#3
King James Version. The Bible Library: Ellis Enterprises, Inc. 1990.
MacKinnon, Barbara. Euthanasia, Ethics Theory and Contemporary Issues, second
edition. Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1998.
TVES. The Voluntary Euthanasia Society. 02 Nov. 2001.
ves.uk/cgi-bin/bizdb-search.cgi?template=homepage.html&dbname=veshome&f10=homepage&action=searchdbdisplay
Другие работы по теме:
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia which comes
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia which comes from the Greek meaning of easy death is one of our societies highly debatable issues and the main reason for this argument is against active euthanasia, which is when a terminally ill patient is administered with a lethal drug or using other means to cause there death.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Is euthanasia the
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Is euthanasia the mercy killing of someone who is in extreme pain in order to end suffering, an immoral or amoral act? Simply put, it is an immoral act even though it is intended to help another person. It is assisting in killing another human being, and ending their existence.
Euthanasia Should Be Abolished Essay Research Paper
Euthanasia is the painless, intentional death of a person who is suffering. Euthanasia is wrong because it alters our natural way of survival, and upsets religous beliefs. By using euthanasia, ?miraculous? recoveries have been prevented. People think that the easy way out of their problems is by conducting euthanasia.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Assisted SuicideA great
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Assisted Suicide A great deal of debate surrounds the practice of assisted suicide. Lately, laws against voluntary euthanasia have been eased, although serious moral and legal questions still exist. Most opposition of assisted suicide comes from religious groups, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Argument Essay Research Paper Quantity vs QualityMany
Argument Essay, Research Paper Quantity vs. Quality Many people see death is a bad thing. People don t like it and they don t want to hear about it. For many seriously ill and vegetative patients, death is a good thing for them. Death will end their suffering from pains and they can also die with dignity. Euthanasia traditionally means a good death.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Jason Adams
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Jason Adams Adams1 October 15, 1998 Mrs. Faulk English Per.4Euthanasia Euthanasia should be legal, because if it is their life, therefore, they have the right to be able to end their suffering. Euthanasia was formerly called Mercy killing . Euthanasia means intentionally making someone decease rather then allowing that person to die naturally.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper In today
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper In today’s society, if you ask five people who Jack Kevorkian is then three or more would know who he is. The issue of euthanasia has been on the media’s forefront for several years. There are several pros and cons to this issue. Some of these pros are as follows: it would help to end pain and suffering, it allows a person to die with dignity, and it also helps the grieving process because the person knows when they are gonna die.
Euthanasia 2 Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaPublic opinion
Euthanasia 2 Essay, Research Paper EuthanasiaPublic opinion for euthanasia and doctor assisted suicide hasalways been mixed. A poll that was taken by the Gallup Organizationin Canada during July 1995 proves that people are starting to see theadvantages of euthanasia. The first question that was asked was: When a person has an incurable disease that isimmediately life threatening and causes that personto experience great suffering, do you, or do you notthink that competent doctors should be allowed bylaw to end the patient s life through mercy killing, ifthe patient has made a formal request in writing? It is proven in this first question that the general public believesthat cases of great pain and suffering deserve the right to chooseeuthanasia as an option to stop the pain.
Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide Essay Research Paper
EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE In today’s society, euthanasia and assisted suicide is a major discussion. People, who are terminally ill or are depressed, are sometimes looking for a way out. They feel that their only hope is to kill themselves. Other people in the world feel that euthanasia and assisted suicide are morally wrong.
Euthanasia In Australia Essay Research Paper What
Euthanasia In Australia Essay, Research Paper What is it and how is it performed?Euthanasia is the practice of ending a life so as to release an individual from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering. The term is sometimes used generally to refer to an easy or painless death. Voluntary euthanasia involves a request by the dying patient or that person’s legal representative.
Legalizing Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Legalizing euthanasia
Legalizing Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Legalizing euthanasia in the United States gives rights to the people. Rights to those who endure the irrefutable agony of pain and suffering, rights to those who want to be cured of their pain, and rights to those that struggle to end their suffering. Euthanasia is the answer to end their suffering.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaEuthanasia is just
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Euthanasia is just another word for ?mercy killing? as some people put it but it also means good death. I look at it as more of a good death if it is performed with the right procedures and if a person has a legitimate reason to be put to death but many people would not agree with me that it should be legal.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia killing life
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia- killing life painlessly to end suffering, mercy killing. This pratice was traced back as far as the Greek and Roman times. As time passed religion increased and life was viewed as sacred. All forms of Euthanasia was/is now considered wrong. In the year of 1935 a group of doctors formed the first Voluntary Euthanasia Society in London.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Retired professor and
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Retired professor and psychoanalyst Ernest Van den Haag, by defending the right to commit suicide, made an appeal to J.S. Mill?s principle. Van den Haag said that people should have the right to choose as they please, as long as no one else is hurt (Hallock 13). According to the constitution, people have the right to decide death, not the government (Dority 8).
Mercy Killing Essay Research Paper To start
Mercy Killing Essay, Research Paper To start my essay on mercy killing, I must say, there are too many situations to just have one opinion on the matter. Mercy killing, or the correct term Euthanasia , is currently illegal in Canada. Though activists keep trying to legalize it, it will be a long time before anything happens.
Euthenasia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia
Euthenasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Euthanasia has become an issue of increasing attention. Euthanasia should be legalized so, if we ever have a loved one that is suffering and death is certain, that we have the choice to ease their pain if they want. Those who are against euthanasia argue that the doctors must always be on the side of preserving life.
Euthansia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia has been
Euthansia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia has been a popular topic nowadays, but not many peo0le may know about this subject in depth. In my opinion, Dr. Philip?s idea is good as it can help the elderly people to get more information about different methods of euthanasia. As euthanasia is a new issue that came up recently, most elderly people may not know much about it.
Euthanasia People Should Have The Right To
Choose Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia: People Should Have the Right to Choose There are many sides to the dilemma of whether or not euthanasia should be carried out. There is the question of morality, the question of active
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaEuthanasia has brought
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Euthanasia has brought great attention to the public eye since Dr. Jack Kevorkian was discovered for contributing to these horrible inhumane acts. At the present time, the state of Oregon has the world’s only law specifically permitting a doctor to prescribe lethal drugs for the purpose of ending a patient’s life (iaetf/faq.htm).
The Controversy Over Euthanasia Essay Research Paper
The controversy over euthanasia is based on the same ethical and social platform from which the debates for abortion and capitol punishment stem. These social dilemmas all revolve around the sanctity of life and how far government can go in making choices involving individual rights. Although the debate over euthanasia is just heating up in the American judicial system, the practice of assisted suicide has been around for centuries, Modern advances in medicine and technology have helped doctors in prolonging life.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaEuthanasia may be
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Euthanasia may be defined as taking your own/someone’s life because it is inevitable that he/she/you will die because of some painful terminal illness. Some may see it as murder/suicide and others may see it as a way out, the best thing to do. Like abortion, it is very hard for me to take an “it is right/wrong” philosophical position, because situations vary from person to person.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaVoluntary euthanasia is
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Voluntary euthanasia is a very contentious issue in today?s society. This is where a terminally ill patient?s life is ended at their request. The law allows doctors to withdraw treatment or administer high doses of pain-relieving drugs even though they expect this will result in death.
Eutahnasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaEuthanasia is an
Eutahnasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Euthanasia is an issue that has been debated on many occasions. Both ethical and political questions have been raised. It is the one issue that can touch anyone, even politicians. Euthanasia is an issue that is controversial from all sides and is such a deeply felt issue across society.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia may be
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia may be defined as the action of killing an individual for reasons consideredmerciful. Euthanasia can be asserted many different ways. A family member, a friend, or aphysician could do the killing. The individual may die from the result of omitting life-savingdevices, such as respirators, from omitting life-saving medicines, or from being prescribed drugsthat would induce their death.
Euthenasia Essay Research Paper EuthanasiaImmoral or Human
Euthenasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia Immoral or Human Right? Recent debates over active euthanasia, “killing” a terminally ill patient, in Holland, has risen the question whether euthanasia is immoral or a simple human right. Doctors seem to have no doubt. They made an oath.
Euthansia Article Analysis And Opinion Essay Research
Paper Euthanasia is the help with a death and is also known as ?mercy killing?. There are two types of Euthanasia: Active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. There is also active voluntary euthanasia and active involuntary euthanasia. Euthanasia is illegal in all states but Oregon, who passed a bill making it legal in 1994 under certain circumstances.
Euthanasia Today Essay Research Paper Euthanasia has
Euthanasia Today Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia has been, and always will be, a controversial moral and ethical subject. While the majority of both Americans and Canadians seem to support euthanasia as indicated by the latest polls, it is still illegal in both countries. I think it is important to first distinguish between passive euthanasia and active euthanasia.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia should not
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia should not be made legally acceptable in the present society because there are important aspects that need to be considered and handled concerning who?s to decide, extent to which a physician can practice medicine, and religious opposition to this practice.
Euthanasia Essay Research Paper EUTHANASIAEuthanasiaRenaldo La FoucadeEducation
Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper EUTHANASIA Euthanasia Renaldo La Foucade Education of America University Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia is a topic that provokes as much controversy as capital punishment, primarily because it is irreversible. The question of euthanasia being right or wrong is one that most would prefer left alone.
Euthanasia Pro Con Catholic View Essay Research Paper Some
Euthanasia Pro+Con+Catholic View Essay, Research Paper Some have suggested that we legalize physician-assisted suicide in California. They argue that we should find death before it finds us, and that the right to die is the right-to-choose. They are supporting such an initiative because they fear that they will have to endure horrible pain and live out a life encompassed by absolute suffering.
Brief Look At Euthanasia Essay Research Paper 2
Brief Look At Euthanasia- Essay, Research Paper Brief Look at Euthanasia- Euthanasia is one of the most acute and uncomfortable contemporary problems in medical ethics. Is Euthanasia Ethical? The