Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Euthanasia, more commonly known as ‘mercy killing’, is a contentious

issue that is debated more and more these days.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines euthanasia as `a gentle and easy

death: bringing about of this, especially in the case of an incurable

and painful disease`. Euthanasia would usually be the injection of a

lethal dose of medication administered by a doctor. In this essay I

intend to explore the various arguments surrounding euthanasia and I

will put forward my reasons for claiming that euthanasia is morally

unacceptable.

One of the more common arguments in support of euthanasia is that it

stops the pain of the terminally ill sufferer once and for all, so

called ‘mercy killing’. Some people argue that if a patient were in a

lot of pain and distress it would be better to give them an `easy` and

humane death. While this may be acceptable for a sick and dying dog, I

ask you, is it really an acceptable way to treat a human?

On the other hand there are often others, especially in the Hospice

movement who maintain that if given the right treatment sufferers do

not need to endure pain. They also argue that with the proper care and

attention terminally ill patients can be helped to `die with dignity`.

In this country there are over 150 hospices that care for people with

conditions such as cancer and AIDS. Teams of nurses, highly skilled in

pain relief, staff these hospices. They help the patient both

physically and psychologically; hospices can even cure people who were

originally thought to be incurable. In fact up to two-thirds of

patients leave hospices alive.

Those who advocate the use of Eut...

... middle of paper ...

...f the

patient, however, in my opinion euthanasia should not be permitted

under any circumstances. Hospices provide treatment that can prevent

terminally ill patients from suffering pain so that their final hours

can be comfortable and, as I have found out, even cure patients that

were considered ‘hopeless cases’. I also firmly believe that if the

relatives had to make the decision about euthanasia it would cause a

lot of arguments and guilt among families afterwards. I have also

considered the possibility of a lethal injection being given to a

person `diagnosed` with PVS and have concluded that legalising

euthanasia would be in fact legalising murder under certain conditions

rather than in all cases `a gentle and easy death`. In conclusion, it

is my view that euthanasia is morally wrong and should not be

legalised.