Euthanasia Essay
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submitted by Ryan Ames
Euthanasia, as defined in Microsoft Encarta 95', is "the act of painlessly ending the
life of a person for reasons of mercy." This paper will examine the history of euthanasia
and the issues surrounding assisted suicide. There are as many reasons for supporting
assisted suicide as there are reasons to not support it. However one looks at this topic,
we will all be confronted with this in one way or another. Medical technology has allowed
life to be sustained longer than anyone would have imagined. According to a former
church moderator, Walter Farquaharson, the issue of euthanasia "is not an issue any one of
us can remove ourselves from. It touches all of us. And if it hasn't, it will (McAteer
J13).
Euthanasia, or also known as assisted suicide, was an accepted practice in earlier
civilizations. It was considered legally and morally to be a permissible way to die.
However, it has been a hot topic for the last several years. At first it was just another
topic, but later became a political issue that would affect courts and elections by dividing
those who support euthanasia and those who consider it a form of murder. It also has
been a topic that has divided the Christian community. A movement began in the 1970's
when Americans started to demand "death with dignity" (Worsnop 1). In the event of a
terminal illness or injury, people were refusing life-sustaining treatment to preserve life,
especially life without quality. Public opinion overall supports some form of assisted
suicide. Because of this support, most states have some form of legislation that allows for
"living wills" and "power of attorney for health care" to be planned for in advance of a
person's need to consider this (Bulletin 95-2).
Euthanasia is illegal in all states except Oregon. In many states, there are appeals
and court action because some courts declared the laws unconstitutional. Wisconsin
Statutes, Section 940.12 states, "Whoever with intent that another take his or her own life
assists such person to commit suicide is guilty of a Class D felony" (Bulletin 95-2).
Wisconsin does not recognize a doctor, or other individual, to end a life. It is considered
an act of murder and is punishable by law. The penalty is imprisonment up to five years
and a fine of up to $10,000, or both. However, there are two companion bills that were
introduced in Wisconsin in 1995. Assembly Bill 174 and Senate Bill 90 permit some
individuals to make written requests to ask for medication from a physician to end their
own life. The patient must have a terminal illness and not be expected to live longer than
six months. The physician must be the one who is making the primary health care
decisions for that patient, but another physician and a psychiatrist must also be consulted.
There are many steps and safeguards in place that must be done before this can happen.
There is also time allowed for the individual to change his/her mind (Bulletin 95-2).
Most opponents of euthanasia are from the Christian community. For example,
the Roman Catholic Church considers it murder and illegal. The church feels that life
should be preserved and that taking one's own life is considered suicide and punishable by
God. It does, however, allow a seriously ill person the right to refuse extraordinary
medical procedures to preserve life (McAteer J13). Other opponents feel that it can get
out of control and become an abuse of power. Just who can decide who can live and die
is an issue that reminds some people of ...
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