Exemplification Essay: Euthanasia Should Be Legalized
explanatory Essay
1122 words
Jack has just been in a serious car accident. He is suffering from brain damage and paralysis. His family does not want him to live the rest of his life this way, but do they have a choice in ending the pain and suffering of their loved one? According to most state governments and countries, the answer is no; however, there is method allowed in some states to stop the pain and suffering for both the patient and his family. This method is called euthanasia. Euthanasia is the deliberate, painless killing of persons who suffer from a physically or emotionally painful or incurable disease or condition. Euthanasia is illegal in most countries and few doctors practice it, but it is a decision that seriously ill or injured people and their families should be allowed to make.
Jack is unable to do anything. He cannot walk, talk, or even kiss his wife and kids goodnight. Imagine the pain that Jack and his family are going through. His family would much rather see him be put to rest than to watch him suffer the rest of his life. Would you be able to live your life this way? Many people would not be able to, and that is why euthanasia is an important choice to have. It would prevent the family from a lifetime of suffering because the family would not have to see the ill person suffer and they would know that they did the right thing by ending the misery.
The major advantage of euthanasia is that it prevents a person from having to endure the rest of their life in pain. There is no appropriate reason that a person who is suffering from an incurable disease or condition should have to spend the rest of his or her life that way. If their family agrees with them, then the patient’s suffering should be put to an end. Many peop...
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...d on a patient who wants the help. Would you want to live the rest of your life the way Jack has to, and would your family want you to? The only way in which this can be prevented is euthanasia. If you would not want to spend the rest of your life suffering, how can we expect anyone else to?
Works Cited
“Let Death Be My Dominion.” The Economist. Oct 16, 1999. 353 (1999): 89-92. Proquest. Online. 19 Nov. 1999.
Daniel, Caroline. “Killing with kindness.” New Statesman. 126 (1997): 16(3). Infotrac. Online. 19 Nov. 1999
Emanuel, Ezekiel J. “Death’s Door.” The New Republic. 220 (1999): 15-16. Proquest. Online. 19 Nov. 1999.
Gillon, Raanan. “When Doctors Might Kill Their Patients.” British Medical Journal. 318 (1999): 1431-1432. Proquest. Online. 19 Nov. 1999.
“Suicide.” Clinical Reference Systems. Jul (1999): 1421. Infotrac. Online. 2 Dec. 1999.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jack's family doesn't want him to live the rest of his life this way, but there is a method allowed in some states to stop the pain and suffering of both the patient and his family.
- Opines that euthanasia is an important choice to have because it prevents the family from a lifetime of suffering because they know that they did the right thing by ending the misery.
- Explains that euthanasia prevents a person from having to endure the rest of their life in pain. if their family agrees with them, the patient's suffering should be put to an end.
- States caroline daniel's article "killing with kindness" that the terminally ill cannot be denied the right of euthanasia.
- Opines that denying someone the right of euthanasia is putting a strain on available resources, as many countries are unable to build decent hospitals, and it is even harder for some countries to attract quality medical personnel.
- Explains that euthanasia is cheaper than trying to take care of a seriously ill patient for an extended period, and it can provide relief on an already low budget.
- Explains that advances in medical technology and increasing pressure on health resources pose a new dilemma for doctors. euthanasia can help prevent people from being "buried alive."
- Opines that euthanasia is a medical practice that should be considered an acceptable option by everyone.
- Cites the economist's "let death be my dominion" and caroline daniels' "killing with kindness."
Related
- analytical
- opinionated
- explanatory
- The Negative Essay Against Euthanasiaanalytical essayEuthanasia, is a difficult complex issue in society today. It has been heavily criticized since it was proposed to be legalized in the early 20th century, when it became a choice for terminally ill patients. Patients would flood doctors doors for this treatment to end suffering. This names the question, why is euthanasia illegal? Why should the government have the right to control one 's life in a way to suffer longer than one has too. Or as Thomas Craft says “How can it be lawful to allow a patient die slowly, though painlessly, over a period of weeks from lack of food, but unlawful to produce his immediate death a lethal injection, thereby saving his family yet by another ordeal to add to the tragedy that has already struck them?”(Craft
In this essay, the author
- Argues that euthanasia is a difficult complex issue in society today. it has been heavily criticized since it was proposed to be legalized in the early 20th century.
- Explains that there are two types of euthanasia procedures: active and passive, and voluntary and non-voluntary.
- Opines that euthanasia should be used in situations where the patient is dying of incurable and painful diseases such as cancer, creutzfeldt-jakob disease, aids, and many other fatal diseases.
- Explains that unpaid medical bills are the number one reason why families declare personal bankruptcy.
- Opines that euthanasia is justified because of overcrowded hospitals, which puts patients' lives at risk.
- Argues that euthanasia isn't murder, but a quick, painless death is better than suffering. people who are against it also argue that depression is fully treatable.
- Argues that groups that are often against euthanasia advocate how science is always evolving and how they have found ways to combat incurable diseases.
- Argues that the hippocratic oath is outdated and does not represent the advancements of modern medicine.
- Opines that euthanasia has been around since the ancient greeks and will always become a viable option for patients suffering from terminal disease.
1324 wordsRead More - Euthanasiaanalytical essayThe applied ethical issue of euthanasia, or mercy killing, concerns whether it is morally permissible for a third party, such as a physician, to end the life of a terminally ill patient who is in intense pain. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek words eu (‘well’) and thanatos (‘death’). It means a painless and gentle death. But in modern usage, it has come to imply that someone’s life is ended for compassionate reasons by some passive or active steps taken by another person. The euthanasia controversy is part of a larger issue concerning the right to die. Staunch defenders of personal liberty argue that all of us are morally entitled to end our lives when we see fit. Thus, according to these people, euthanasia is in principle morally permissible. Two additional concepts are relevant to the discussion of euthanasia. First, voluntary euthanasia refers to mercy killing that takes place with the explicit and voluntary consent of the patient, either verbally or in a written document such as a living will. Second, non-voluntary euthanasia refers to the mercy killing of a patient who is unconscious, comatose, or otherwise unable to explicitly make his intentions known. (Downing 1969) In these cases it is often family members who make the request. It is important not to confuse non-voluntary mercy killing with involuntary mercy killing. The latter would be done against the wishes of the patient and would clearly count as murder.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the euthanasia controversy is part of a larger issue concerning the right to die.
- Explains that there are several arguments in favor of the moral permissibility of euthanasia, including mercy, respect for autonomy, and kant's categorical imperative.
- Explains that many doctors believe that euthanasia is wrong, and that palliative care should be given when people have an incurable illness.
- Analyzes how euthanasia has a long history of philosophical discussion. ancient greek thinkers favored it, even though they opposed suicide.
- Argues that euthanasia is not a question of ending someone's life but the important question is how their life ends. pro-lifers, people who are against it, place the emphasis on killing.
- Opines that euthanasia is a controversial subject and that it should be left to the sufferer's conscience to decide whether they want to end their lives.
1577 wordsRead More - Ethical Essay: The Pros And Cons Of Euthanasiaanalytical essayIt is stated directly in the Hippocratic Oath, a promise made by every physician, “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel” (Lasagna 1). Euthanasia is the practice in which physicians administer a lethal dose of drugs, commonly pentobarbital or sodium thiopental, to a patient. Patients either request this procedure, due to a terminal illness, or their family may request it if the patient is in a coma or is in a paralyzed state. Euthanasia dates back thousands of years, but recently, its ethics have been heavily debated. Since the year 2000, many patients with severe medical conditions and activist groups have fought for the right to not only refuse treatment, but to end one’s own life in order to bring
In this essay, the author
- Explains that euthanasia is the practice of physicians administering a lethal dose of drugs, commonly pentobarbital or sodium thiopental, to patients.
- Analyzes how euthanasia brings issues into the practice of medicine by undefining what was once clear in the balance of right and wrong in medical ethics.
- Explains that allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives helps preserve the medical system and save medical resources.
- Analyzes the benefits of euthanasia, such as saving medical resources and preventing economic hardship, but it places a lot of power in the patient’s healthcare provider.
- Argues that euthanasia gives patients a way to escape from the downfalls of terminal illness, but it seems unconstitutional to allow it.
- Opines that euthanasia isn't a right to citizens in the united states. it's seen as not moral or ethical to allow it to be legalized in its boundaries.
- Argues that legalizing assisted suicide is not a necessity because there are already many ways for "people to end their own lives." the united states should pursue "moral excellence," defined by wekesser, rather than curing their diseases by euthanizing them.
- Argues that euthanasia is unconstitutional because it exhibits control over what one is and is not allowed to do regarding their own body and direct life.
- Opines that euthanasia should be studied more in depth to preserve what is the best option for the world now.
2311 wordsRead More - Euthanasia: Should Be Illegal in All 50 Statesopinionated essayToday, there is a large debate over the situation and consequences of euthanasia. Euthanasia is the act of ending a human’s life by lethal injection or the stoppage of medication, or medical treatment. It has been denied by most of today’s population and is illegal in the fifty states of the United States. Usually, those who undergo this treatment have a disease or an “unbearable” pain somewhere in the body or the mind. Since there are ways, other than ending life, to stop pain caused by illness or depression, euthanasia is immoral, a disgrace to humanity, according to the Hippocratic Oath, and should be illegal throughout the United States.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that euthanasia is the act of ending a human’s life by lethal injection or the stoppage of medication, or medical treatment. it is illegal in the fifty states of the united states.
- Opines that patients should realize that there are other ways to stop pain caused by illness or depression. palliative care is a medical specialty based solely on pain and is advanced in today's technology.
- Describes how the schindler family's daughter, terry schiavo, was a victim of euthanasia. she was diagnosed with hypoxic encephalopathy, and tubes were used to feed and keep her alive.
- Opines that euthanasia is a disgrace to humanity, since an individual person or group shouldn't decide how, when, and if another person should die.
- Analyzes the hippocratic oath, which directs ethics for practicing medicine and was written in the 4th century b.c.
- Argues that euthanasia is accepted in society, and that humans should be treated the same. animals are not social and do not have emotions, so the previous statement is invalid.
- Explains that euthanasia and murder are not the same and should never be mistaken as each other. a doctor who participates in the study is a murderer.
- Argues that a human should not be pushed into continual misery when he or she feels that life is pointless, humiliating, and the sense of self hood has been destroyed.
- Opines that people who consider euthanasia consider themselves a burden to their families and the people around them.
- Opines that euthanasia is the only option for people who are terminally ill. people die every minute of the day, but they don't have a choice.
- Explains that euthanasia and self-willed suicide are crimes against humanity. the vatican's congregation for the doctrine of the faith says no one can give someone permission to kill an innocent person.
- Concludes that euthanasia is immortal and should stay illegal throughout the us. it is the act of killing someone, which is murder, and can result in fights and leave a scar on the family bond.
1563 wordsRead More - Euthanasia Persuasive Essayexplanatory essayEuthanasia is the act of ending a person’s life through lethal injection or through the removement of treatment. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word meaning “good death.” When a death ends peacefully, it is recognized as a good death. In modern society, euthanasia has come to mean a death free of any pain and anxiety brought on through the use of medication; this can also be called mercy killing, deliberately ending someone’s life in order to end an individual’s suffering. Anything that would ease human suffering is good. Euthanasia eases human suffering. Therefore, euthanasia is good. Because active euthanasia is considered as suicide or murder, it is a very controversial issue and therefore, illegal in most places. Although there are always
In this essay, the author
- Explains that euthanasia is the act of ending a person’s life through lethal injection or through the removal of treatment.
- Explains the different types of euthanasia: passive, active, physician assisted, voluntary, and involuntary.
- Explains that the euthanasia debate has a long history, and states tried to create laws to allow physician assisted suicide, but each time it was defeated.
- States that the netherlands legalized euthanasia in 2001 for terminally ill patients ages 12 and up, and luxembourg legallyized both in 2008.
- Explains that the quality of palliative care is determined by the doctor, not the legalization of euthanasia.
- Opines that improving palliative care will not get rid of euthanasia requests, but instead, prolong the requests.
- Explains that the slippery slope argument has been ongoing in the euthanasia debate.
- Explains that patients request euthanasia because they are terminally ill, and if there is no cure to stop their suffering, a patient might request it.
- Explains that euthanasia has many benefits, but it is being abused; many people who don't want to live anymore or have psychological disorders are requesting for it.
1380 wordsRead More - Right to Dieanalytical essayThe word “Euthanasia” originates from the Greek language and translated it means good “death”. Today, it is the act of ending another person’s life at their request, to minimize their suffering. There is much debate on whether this practice should be legal and the moral implications behind this choice. If you have the right to live, should you also have the right to choose how you die? Support for euthanasia has been dated back to the Ancient Greek and Roman cultures in 16th century. Today, only 42 percent of Americans support euthanasia and 22 percent are unsure (Ertelt, 2010). Back in the 1970’s, a movement known as the “Right to Die” Movement began to move towards legalizing euthanasia (Yount, 12). Currently legal assisted suicide is only allowed in four states across the United States and is against the law otherwise. Legal physician-assisted suicide, or euthanasia, should be a right for terminally ill patients as it provides the freedom of choice, is a humane way to allow the terminally ill to die without immense pain and suffering, and will lessen the financial burden for families and the healthcare system.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that legal assisted suicide is against the law in the state of new york. legalized euthanasia would lower the cost of end-of-life care.
- Argues that euthanasia is a right for terminally ill patients as it provides the freedom of choice to decide their course of treatment and the ability to choose when to end their life.
- Argues that legalizing assisted suicide would lead to legalized murder and abuse of the system.
- Cites ertelt, s., hartocollis, a. and pasternak. the third rail of u.s. health care policy.
1265 wordsRead More - The Euthanasia Debateanalytical essayThere are many different point of views on Euthanasia and whether or not it should be legalized. Many believe that since it is our bodies and our lives, we have the right to choose when we no longer want to live. On the other hand, there are great amounts of people who believe that euthanasia is considered murder and is not ethical. “One thing on which we all agree is that there is a true national crisis that surrounds the way Americans are dying” (Dr. Ira Byock.) The purpose of this paper is not to support either side, rather this paper will discuss what euthanasia really is, the past of euthanasia, and both the positive and negative sides of euthanasia.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the purpose of this paper is not to support either side, but to discuss what euthanasia really is.
- Explains that euthanasia is the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering.
- Argues that euthanasia is a rejection of the importance and value of human life.
- Argues that euthanasia is a libertarian movement for human freedom and the right of choice, or an aggressive drive to exterminate the weak, old, and different.
- Explains baklinski, thaddeus, "lifesitenews mobile | shock study: organs harvested from euthanized patients make better transplants."
- Explains euthanasia suicide mercy-killing right-to-die physician assisted suicid living wills research.
- Explains sgreccia, bishop, "euthanasia and children: the economic factor | zenit - the world seen from rome."
- Argues that euthanasia is the last resort for patients who are in critical pain, terminally ill, and no longer wants to suffer.
908 wordsRead More - Argumentative Essay Pro And Euthanasiaanalytical essayEuthanasia, the practice of deliberately ending a life in order to relieve excruciating pain and suffering, has been a controversial topic for as long as the history of medicine, dating back to the 17th century (“Historical Timeline”). However, as technology continues to advance and become an important aspect of today’s society, many other factors come into consideration involving the controversial debate of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia could potentially be the best possible solution for many terminally ill patients, but others are strongly against it. There are many aspects to consider on both sides of this controversy. Two terminal patients can have very similar situations, but decide to go in opposite directions
In this essay, the author
- Explains that euthanasia has been a controversial topic since the 17th century. however, technology continues to advance and become an important aspect of today's society.
- Describes how david williams was diagnosed with a spinal tumor at the age of 35 and was given six weeks to live, which commenced the idea of assisted suicide. his cancer went into remission for eleven years, enabling him to raise his children.
- Opines that if assisted suicide were allowed, a lot of people would press the button too early. they understand what people are going through, but you can't make decisions when you're in terrible pain.
- Describes brittany maynard's decision to pursue assisted suicide after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
- Analyzes how family plays a major role in maynard's story. she opted for euthanasia because she did not want her family to witness her long, painful death. williams used his family as motivation to fight.
- Analyzes how self-determination and a sense of self are important components of the decision-making process in both williams and maynard's stories.
- Compares maynard's argument for legalizing euthanasia with that of homicide.
1617 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay Euthanasiaopinionated essayRight to Die The right of someone to take their own life has been a topic of debate since the time of Romans. In this paper euthanasia will be discussed including the history, current legislation, reasons for, reasons against, and the authors opinion on the topic. With an aging population, increasing lifespan, and an increasing rate of cancers euthanasia will become a larger topic of discussion in the years to come. Euthanasia was common practice in ancient Greece and Rome, the Hippocratic school of thought came around and pledged never to do bodily harm.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that euthanasia will become a larger topic of discussion with an aging population, increasing lifespan, and an increasing rate of cancers.
- Explains that euthanasia was common practice in ancient greece and rome, the hippocratic school of thought pledged never to do bodily harm.
- Explains that the nazi death camps of world war ii and the role physicians played in the camps silenced supporters of euthanasia. patients have the right to refuse medical care even care that would sustain life.
- States that there are currently 6 states with euthanasia legislation, including california, montana, oregon, texas, washington, and vermont.
- Concludes that there are legitimate reasons for and against the use of physician-assisted suicide but under the right circumstances it should be legal.
1272 wordsRead More - The Right To Dieopinionated essayWe live an ever-changing society that should not view Euthanasia as an unethical action, but as a way of help for suffering patients. Everyday their are thousands of hard working individuals that are diagnosed with a terminal illness and are now faced with decisions that must both be in the best interest for them and their families. This is neither an easy choice nor one that should be made without serious thought, but it should not be denied or penalized by society or government. It is a choice that must be made only by the patient in question with the input and understanding of their families. Many members of our society have worked very hard throughout their lives and if it is their desire to elect Euthanasia to spare them of the pain and the financial burden that a fatal illness would leave behind, then so be it.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the right to die should be considered as an option for terminally ill patients and not considered unethical.
- Explains that the financial burden caused by medical treatments is a contributing factor for many patients hardship. medicare's annual $327 billion budget goes to care for patients in their final year of life.
- Opines that terminal illnesses are most commonly associated with cancer, hiv and/or organ disorders. the decision should be made by the patient, as they are the ones dealing with the effects of these illnesses.
- Explains that society views suicide as an unreasonable and inconsiderate action since there are many alternate avenues of help that a person could resort to. euthanasia is only medication that prolongs the death by numbing the pain.
- Explains that 44 million americans have no health insurance and 38 million have inadequate insurance. the cost associated with maintaining a terminally ill patient can be crippling when considering the treatments only prolong the term of suffering.
- Explains that many insurance companies have created limits to how much will be paid for certain medical services that are needed by terminally ill patients, which makes the out of pocket cost nearly impossible for some of these individuals.
- Explains that both washington and oregon have similar requirements when it comes to the "death with dignity act". patients are required to self-administer lethal medication to finalize the euthanasia process.
- Opines that euthanasia should not be viewed as unethical, but as a way of help for suffering patients. this is neither an easy choice nor one that should be made without serious thought.
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