For many reasons, doctors, patients, citizens, and governments throughout the world have kept euthanasia from being widely legalized. Some of the reasons are: doctors should not directly cause death, euthanasia is a slippery slope, and that euthanasia devalues life. Because of these reasons, Americans should not allow euthanasia to continue to spread throughout the states. The word “euthanasia” comes from the Greek and means “good death” (Nargus). “Euthanasia” refers to the ending of a life.
28 Jan. 2014. Humphry, Derek, and Richard Gula. "Legalizing Euthanasia: Medical Perspectives on Death and Dying." SCU.edu. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2014.
Euthanasia is a permanent solution to a long term problem. Offering euthanasia to patients who are near death is a controversial topic with a plethora of opinions. Supporters of euthanasia say that it is justified as long as the patient gives permission. Euthanasia is not justifiable due to the ethical and legal issues, the disoriented state of mind of euthanized patients, and religious beliefs that condemn euthanasia. A British physician, Lord Platt of Cambridge, said that a majority of doctors are hesitant to administer the actual euthanization.
Because life and death were giving to us by God, euthanasia goes against his wishes. If they practice in the act of euthanasia because of their beliefs they would be committing a sin and end up going to hell. (Yip,2009,p.1) Now those doctors can prolong life for people who are terminally ill, suffering or just elderly, by using certain machines, euthanasia has become a big debate. With many groups for euthanasia, such as pro-euthanasia and the right-to-die, are debating that euthanasia be legalized. With all these different view towards euthanasia, should North American consider changing its law to legalize it?
U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. "Right to Die. "Right to Die Right to Die Comments.US LEGAL, n.d.
People are entitled to request that their life be terminated through medical methods in situations which destroy any hope for quality of life. Many people are against an assisted suicide system. While religion plays a major role in the opposition of euthanasia (many religions, including Christianity and Judaism, are not only against assisted suicide but suicide altogether), the heart of their opposition is the fact that an elderly or poor patient may be coerced into choosing euthanasia by cost-conscious family members or their doctors (Klaidman 62). They feel that an exploitation of a euthanasia system is inevitable. However, these abuses and exploitations can be prevented through a strict regu... ... middle of paper ... ... 1-2).
"Euthanasia and Common Sense: A Reply to Garcia J " Journal of Medicine & Philosophy, 19 May 2011: 321-327 Web. 10 Nov 2014. Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter, and Franklin G Miller “What makes killing wrong?”. Group BMJ 19 Jan. 2012: 3-7. Web.
According to the author, “Indeed, physician-assisted suicide implies not a resistance to but an extension of medical power over life and death” (Salem). There are various reasons as to why medical assisted suicide could be viewed as wrong, but it should be the patient’s choice on how they want to relinquish life. In order to understand euthanasia the person must know the true meaning, “The literal translation of euthanasia from Greek is good death” (Haigh). Doesn’t everyone want to die in a respectable and pain free death? Therefore, they are four countries and three states of The United States of America that have legalized physician assisted suicide (Vogel).
There 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.