Essay on Euthanasia

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Euthanasia

Mark T. Maxwell

Abstract

This paper will define Euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is often

confused with and associated with assisted suicide, definitions of the two are

required. Two perspectives shall be presented in this paper. The first

perspective will favor euthanasia or the "right to die," the second perspective

will favor antieuthanasia, or the "right to live". Each perspective shall

endeavor to clarify the legal, moral and ethical ramifications or aspects of

euthanasia.

Thesis Statement

Euthanasia, also mercy killing, is the practice of ending a life so as to

release an individual from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering.

Euthanasia is a merciful means to and end of long-term suffering. Euthanasia is

a relatively new dilemma for the United States and has gained a bad reputation

from negative media hype surrounding assisted suicides. Euthanasia has a

purpose and should be evaluated as humanely filling a void created by our

sometimes inhumane modern society.

Antithesis Statement

Euthanasia is nothing less than cold-blooded killing. Euthanasia cheapens life,

even more so than the very divisive issue of abortion. Euthanasia is morally

and ethically wrong and should be banned in these United States. Modern

medicine has evolved by leaps and bounds recently, euthanasia resets these

medical advances back by years and reduces today's Medical Doctors to

administrators of death.

Euthanasia defined

The term Euthanasia is used generally to refer to an easy or painless

death. Voluntary euthanasia involves a request by the dying patient or that

person's legal representative. Passive or negative euthanasia involves not

doing something to prevent death–that is, allowing someone to die; active or

positive euthanasia involves taking deliberate action to cause a death.

Euthanasia is often mistaken or associated with for assisted suicide, a

distant cousin of euthanasia, in which a person wishes to commit suicide but

feels unable to perform the act alone because of a physical disability or lack

of knowledge about the most effective means. An individual who assists a

suicide victim in accomplishing that goal may or may not be held responsible for

the death, depending on local laws. There is a distinct difference between

euthanasia and assisted suicide. This paper targets euthanasia; pros and cons,

not assisted suicide.

Thesis Argument That Euthanasia Should Be Accepted

Without doubt, modern dying has become fearsome. Doctors now possess

the technologies and the skills to forestall natural death almost indefinitely.

All too often, the terminally ill suffer needless pain and are kept alive

without real hope, as families hold a harrowing deathwatch.

In ancient Greece and Rome it was permissible in some situations to help

others die. For example, the Greek writer Plutarch mentioned that in Sparta,

infanticide was practiced on children who lacked "health and vigor." Both

Socrates and Plato sanctioned forms of euthanasia in certain cases. Voluntary

euthanasia for the elderly was an approved custom in several ancient societies .

Euthanasia has been accepted both legally and morally in various forms

in many societies . "There is no more profoundly personal decision, nor one

which is closer to the heart of personal liberty, than the choice which a

terminally ill person makes to end his or her suffering ...," U.S. District

Judge Barbara Rothstein wrote (R-1). Organizations supporting the legalization

of voluntary euthanasia were established in Great Britain in 1935 and in the

United States in 1938. They have gained some public support, but so far they

have been unable to achieve their goal in either nation. In the last few

decades, Western laws against passive and voluntary euthanasia have slowly been

eased (1).

The proeuthanasia, or "right to die," movement has received considerable

encouragement by the passage of laws in 40 states by 1990, which allow legally

competent individuals to make "living wills." These wills empower and instruct

doctors to withhold life-support systems if the individuals become terminally

ill .

Euthanasia continues to occur in all societies, including those in which

it is held to be immoral and illegal. A medically assisted end to a meaningless

and worthless "void" of an existence is both accepted and condoned by the

medical profession. In a Colorado survey, 60% of physicians stated that they

have cared for patients for whom they believe active euthanasia would be

justifiable, and 59% expressed a willingness to use lethal drugs in such cases

if legal. In a study of 676 San Francisco physicians, 70% believed that

patients with an incurable terminal illness should have the option of active

euthanasia, and 45% would carry out such a request, if legal (35% were opposed).

Nearly 90% of physicians in another study agreed that "sometimes it is

appropriate to give pain medication to relieve suffering, even if it may hasten

a patient's death."(R-2)

Antithesis Argument That Euthanasia Is Unacceptable

With the rise of organized religion, euthanasia became morally and

ethically abhorrent. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all hold human life

sacred and condemn euthanasia in any form . The American Medical Association

continues to condemn assisted suicide .

Western laws have generally considered the act of helping someone to die

a form of homicide subject to legal sanctions. Even a passive withholding of

help to prevent death has frequently been severely punished .

And the Roman Catholic Church's newly released catechism says:

``Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder.'' (R-1).

The Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association recommends

that the American Medical Association reject euthanasia and physician-assisted

suicide as being incompatible with the nature and purposes of the healing arts

(R-2).

"When does the right to die become the obligation to die?" asks the Rev. Richard

McCormick, professor of Christian ethics at Notre Dame University who spoke

recently against assisted suicide at Fort Lauderdale's Holy Cross Hospital.

"Imagine an 85-year-old grandmother" with the option of ordering a suicide dose

from a doctor: "‘Do they want me to ask for it now?' Physician-assisted suicide

saves money. ... This is a flight from the challenge of social compassion." (R-

1).

The issue of euthanasia is not a recent one. The Oath of Hippocrates is

said to have originated in approximately the fifth century B.C. and, even then,

it incorporated a specific pledge against physician-assisted suicide when it

said, "I will give no deadly medicine to anyone, even if asked."

What of the innocent bystanders? The family, friends or even foes of

someone that elects to exercise their "right to die"? It is suggested that a

person suffering from an incurable or terminal illness is not complete command

of their mental faculties and thereby incapable of such an extraordinary

decision. Surely a degraded mental capacity rules out realistic thinking with

regard to survivors. How many "innocent bystanders" also pay the price of

euthanasia?

Synthesis For Euthanasia

Euthanasia occurs in all societies, including those in which it is held

to be immoral and illegal . Euthanasia occurs under the guise of secrecy in

societies that...