Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia has been a debated topic dating back since ancient times. Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly killing a patient suffering from a terminal or severely painful disease and is also known as assisted suicide. The only difference between assisted suicide and other forms of euthanasia is which person performs the final procedure that kills the patient. Both sides strongly argue if the practice should be allowed or not and both sides do have strong arguments that support them. Currently in the United States, euthanasia is fully legal in the states of California, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington and is legal under court ruling in Montana. Overall with the rapid growth of medical technology, euthanasia shouldn’t be the last resort,

Rita Marker, a well known euthanasia opposer and the director of the International Task Force of Euthanasia says that in the Netherlands, euthanasia is considered a medical treatment as long as there are physician that meet the requirements and also with the patient's consent (Marker, "Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide Today" 60). This statement shows that in other countries such as the Netherlands that euthanasia is not only legal but is more commonly practiced than other countries such as the United States and also even called a medical treatment by the physicians and medical staff there. Marker also says that Children in the Netherlands may request euthanasia, if they are between the ages of twelve and sixteen and have their parent’s permission and also are not required to have a age certain age limit or have a terminal illness to qualify for euthanasia (Marker, "Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide Today" 60). In that discovery made by Marker, it shows that qualifying for any type of euthanasia or assisted suicide doesn't have many requirements and almost anyone no matter the age or illness can go through with it easily. Wesley J. Smith an American author and lawyer finds more radical practices in Holland, a coastal region located in the western part

Doctors in countries like Netherlands or states like Oregon where euthanasia is allowed must go through a lot because it is legal there. Merja Kuuppelomäki a Finnish health facility administrator talks about what the doctors go through when they are required to help a patient go through with euthanasia. Doctors say “everyone is so focused on the patient when it comes to euthanasia but no one thinks about the physician that has to perform it and what they go through and they may experience guilt by going through with the process and also from other doctors who are apart of their staff (Kuuppelomäki 20).Doctors also have concern for the mental well being of what other doctors have when they are to go through with active euthanasia (Kuuppelomäki 20). Kuuppelomäki conveys that not only the patients but doctors must also face many mental obstacles such as guilt or abuse because they in the bigger picture are going through a lot too because instead of them being on the deathbed their the ones intentionally killing the