Argumentative Essay: Euthanasia Is A Kindness?

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Euthanasia is a Kindness “’Euthanasia’ means, according to the dictionary, ‘a gentle and easy death’, but it is now used to refer to the killing of those who are incurably ill and in great pain or distress, for the sake of those killed, and in order to spare them further suffering or distress.” (Singer 1). The option of euthanasia provides a way for certain individuals to escape from a life of constant pain and suffering. In many cases this option relates to severely disabled children and individuals in comas who cannot independently function, depend on life support systems, or are already clinically dead. In the articles “Taking Lives” by Peter Singer and “Unspeakable Conversations” by Harriet McBryde Johnson, the authors discuss two completely …show more content…

“Parents may, with good reason, regret that a disabled child was ever born.” (Singer 2). As dark as that sounds, sometimes the parents of the child may regret allowing the child to live due to the difficulties and discomfort the child deals with every single day. “Birth abnormalities vary, of course. Some are trivial and have little effect on the child or its parents; but others turn the normally joyful event of birth into a threat to the happiness of the parents, and any other children they may have.” (Singer 2). “The personal assistant, whom I’m traveling with pushes me in my disabled chair around the airport in search of a place to use the bedpan” (Johnson 7), Ms. Johnson needs assistance for her everyday life. Whether it’s financially or physically, not all parents and families can provide the intensive care these individuals may need for their everyday life. When a child with a disability is born, it is not just the child affected, it is the whole family. The child will need extra caring; the child may not be able to live on its own and will constantly need assistance for whatever they need to sustain their life. This is not the only occurrence when the option of euthanasia may be considered. Similarly, it is considered with individuals in comatose

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