...Legalization of Euthanasia in the United States Euthanasia is a method that produces rapid unconsciousness and subsequent death without evidence of pain or distress. “It is only legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana making it illegal in forty seven states” (Marker 26-29). It is a controversial topic that is discussed among many Americans. It has many people of different genders, races, and religions in uproar, due to the wide range of opinions one may hold towards the topic. Some feel that it is their own right to choose to die or survive, and others feel that the practice of euthanasia is a type of suicide and also murder. With the legalization of euthanasia, it would significantly cut the cost of economic burdens on the families and society; secondly it brings closure to unnecessary increasing suffering; and it’s the patients right if face with life threatening injuries and terminal illness. Euthanasia would significantly cut the cost of health care. America has serious health care problems and end of life care is incredibly expensive due to the frequency of hospitalizations, the increased need for specialists’ attention, etc. Those with terminal illnesses have even more expensive health care needs. Obviously, those in the final stages of a terminal illness are no longer in any position to contribute economically to society. From a family standpoint the lives’ of the patient may be meaningful, however from an economic standpoint they are all cost and no benefit. Along...
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...5th grade persuasive If you would ask children if they think there should be school on Saturdays, without hesitation they would say, “No way!” What child would want to go to school on Saturday? What teacher would want to go to school on Saturday? If anyone is thinking about having school on a Saturday, they better think again. When would children have their friends over to the house? Sometimes the parents might not have to work on Saturday, but the kids would have school. Now no one can sleep late or have quality time. Parents and children need time to bond. I’ve heard that the biggest influence on kids these days is the parents. Well, it’s not going to be that way for long if the children aren’t even seeing their parents. I think that before you make a decision you should think about what I am telling you. What about out of class projects and reports? They couldn’t be out of class projects if the children are always in class. I see another problem with Saturday school. Another day of homework. Homework already kills a lot of my time. I don’t want another day of it. I think people voting for Saturday school should put themselves in the children’s shoes. Just imaging yourself jumping out of bed on a Saturday morning and you say, “Aaah. It’s Saturday. What fun things should I do today?” Now imagine yourself saying the same thing and then you remember, “Oh, yeah. I have to go to school. Ugh.” Which one would you enjoy more? And think about the fact...
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...explosive, debilitating head pain has dominated Edel Wignell’s life. Earlier this year, the Melbourne woman reached out to ABC News to share her positive view on euthanasia. "The pain doesn't go away. So I'd rather be dead. I've had a wonderful life, it's not as though I'm depressed," Ms Wignell said. "I'm 78, nearly 79, I think it's time." She wishes for a doctor to legally assist her death; however the government refuses her pleas. Every instinct tells us to push on, to continue trying, to keep on living. So life would always be the only choice right? Envision that you have awoken in a hospital bed. You are terminally ill, the agonizing pain will never leave, and you cannot stand to rot away in this unhomely environment, what are your options? None, you would be forced to endure it, for decades even. For too long have ill people and their families suffered, it is time for you, the leaders of our country, to make euthanasia legal....
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...Euthanasia Euthanasia is an assisted suicide, also known as mercy killing. In other words, it is the act of killing someone who has a painful incurable disease. Actually, euthanasia is a very controversial issue. Some people claim that it is a solution for patients who are terminally ill. However, I totally disagree with this kind of solution. 3.1 Autonomy People's autonomy or self-determination is an important concept in the debate on legalizing euthanasia. Proponents argue that the ban on euthanasia imposes too great a limit on the individual's scope for controlling the end of his or her life and what shape death will take. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that self-determination would be false autonomy with respect to euthanasia, or...
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...Zurain Merchant Mrs. Panvini 11/2/2015 Euthanasia is known as assisted suicide which is the killing of a person by letting them die to prevent pain or suffering. The legalization of Euthanasia is heavily debated today. There are strong arguments for both sides of the argument. Euthanasia is “wrongfully killing” and it should not be allowed in the New York State. If euthanasia is legalized in New York State, many negative affects might follow and our states commitment to improve the ill and sick can weaken. Euthanasia should not be legalized in New York State since ensuring that someone’s pain is managed is a better option than to kill them. “The better response to patients in pain is not to kill them, but to ensure that their pain is...
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...Despite so, there are still groups of people who are apprehensive about legalizing euthanasia as they are worried that it may have negative implications. The article gives a detailed description of the requirements that must be met before a person is allowed to go through with assisted suicide. It also uses data to prove that safety measures put in place are being followed and there is barely any abuse of the law in places that legalize assisted suicide. Although voluntary euthanasia is still considered as murder, many doctors in Europe give patients or their family the choice of proceeding with treatment or undergoing passive euthanasia. The article also talks about the possible reasons why people opt for assisted suicide, including loss of independence, dignity, and more. The use of statistics shows that substantial research has been done by the author to prove his point, confirming it is a good source to support the legalization of assisted suicide. As “The Economist” is a reputable magazine, this source is credible and is unlikely to publish articles without prior research. Cassity, S. A. (2009). To Die or Not To Die: The History and Future of Assisted Suicide Laws in the U.S. Utah Law Review, 2009 (2), 515-523. The journal looks into the history of laws related to assisted suicide and its possible future in the United States. It makes a clear distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia by explaining the methods used in each type to end the life of another. It also...
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...Euthanasia is a unique practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal disease/illness or an incurable condition by means of the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment or lethal injection. The history of this penomena dates back for centuries, but it wasn’t until 1906 when the first bill to legalize euthanasia in America was introduced in the Ohio legislature. For several years, legislatures have been turning down bills aimed at the legalization of euthanasia in the United States. In 1937, the Nebraska legislature voted down a bill legalizing voluntary active euthanasia in the U.S. Only two years later, the New York legislature rejected a bill that was also aimed at the legalization of euthanasia in the United States. “In 1991 the Washington State Initiative Bill legalizing voluntary euthanasia was narrowly defeated.” (6) In 1994, Oregon passed a law to allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs, but an injunction prevented it from taking effect. As of today, euthanasia is illegal in almost every country. In fact, it is only legal in the state of Oregon and the Netherlands. These are the only two places in the world where laws specifically permit euthanasia or assisted suicide. Oregon permits assisted suicide while the Netherlands permits both euthanasia and assisted suicide. In 1995, Australia’s northern territory approved a euthanasia bill which went into effect in 1996, but it was overturned by the Australian Parliament in 1997. “Also, in 1997...
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...over the controversial topic of medical euthanasia.“Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a person, usually in an attempt to end the person’s suffering” (Ondrey, James H., ed 7). Euthanasia, known as the right-to-die movement, derives from the Greek meaning of “good death”. Euthanasia is executed by a physician, while physician assisted suicide allows the patient to proceed the act of death (Ondrey 7-8). Legalization of euthanizing patients has been an ongoing discussion dating back to the beginning of the 20th century (Yount 25). Opposing views find total fault in this medical concept, while supporters see every possible benefit (Ondrey, James H., ed 8). Medical euthanasia, also known...
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...Ruben Salcedo Professor Palmer English 112 10/5/15 Legalization of Euthanasia Euthanasia is a topic that has been debated by many over the years. Although Euthanasia is presently illegal in the United States, physician assisted death, or PAD is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. To understand Euthanasia, one must understand the way it differs from PAD. The key distinction between the two is that euthanasia requires either a physician or third party to administer the drugs, while in physician assisted death, the drug is administered directly by the individual. The debate over euthanasia dates back to the Greeks and Romans, but it reached the United States in 1870 when Samuel Williams proposed using morphine and anesthetics to intentionally end an individual's life. Debates continued for another 35 years when Ohio attempted to pass a bill which would legalize euthanasia in 1906. While the bill was never passed, it was the first of its kind, and laid the foundation for bills to come (Humphrys). There are many arguments as to why Euthanasia should remain illegal in the United States. Many individuals argue that it fits the definition of murder, and “For present purposes, murder can be defined as the intentional unjustified, unexcused and legally unmitigated killing of another human being. Active euthanasia fits this definition on the basis that it is the, or a cause of, death” (Lanham 2)...
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...Davy Reteno Linda Johnson Burgess English 135: Advanced composition Life or Death: the practice of Euthanasia Euthanasia is a very complex and difficult issue to comprehend, partially because of how it is described by religion, the government, and just your ethical motives behind euthanasia. Although people are open minded to using euthanasia when they are terminally ill or suffer of such problems were death would be better than life, the great majority of people, including politicians, priests, and doctors have many moral objections to the topic. Euthanasia is as a matter of fact, humanly wrong, and goes against civilizations most sacred laws. Thus, what is Euthanasia? Legalizing euthanasia is an important step towards person’s freedom? Euthanasia is also known as mercy killing. What euthanasia simply gives is a better ending to those patients who seem to not have any deserving end. There are various ways of practicing it, and many definitions around it have born. A pro-euthanasia group defines assisted suicide as when someone provides the means (drugs or other agents) by which a person can take his or her own life. There also exists what is called as physician-assisted suicide, in which a doctor prescribes lethal drugs in order to free the patient from there unbearable life. Medical professional codes have long prohibited physician involvement in assisting a patient's suicide. However, despite ethical and legal prohibitions, calls for the liberalization...
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...end-of-life health care. Physician-assisted suicide is prominent among the issues that define our professional norms and codes of ethics. The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) does not support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. The routine practice of physician-assisted suicide raises serious ethical and other concerns. Legalization would undermine the patient-physician relationship and the trust necessary to sustain it; alter the medical profession's role in society; and endanger the value our society places on life, especially on the lives of disabled, incompetent, and vulnerable individuals. The word ‘euthanasia’ is derived from the Greek work for ‘good death’ and originally referred to intentional mercy killing. Applied to our society, euthanasia is the merciful ending of life to release a person from unendurable pain and suffering, a terminal disease, or an undignified death. The act of euthanasia can be active or passive as well as voluntary or involuntary. An example of active euthanasia is when a doctor gives a patient a lethal dose of medicine. Passive euthanasia is when measures to prevent death are not taken, like declining life support. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person asks directly to...
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...Euthanasia What would happen if you required a life support system in order to do the very basics in an average human’s life? What if your child was faced with a case of Pallister-Killian syndrome? This specific diseases leaves the child unable to perform any task on it’s own, leaving the parents responsible to perform all of the child’s basic needs. Even more so, the child’s life expectancy is no more than 20 years causing more pain for the parents in the long run. In cases like these, many people would argue that euthanasia should be legalized, however there are plenty of arguments why euthanasia should remain criminalized. For example, our medical advances have made sure that we are able to maximize patient’s lives, it devalues human life, and there is a "slippery slope" effect that could occur causing people to question “when do we draw the line?” Several years ago, it was unimaginable to think we could find ways to treat diseases deemed terminal or causing a diminished quality of life such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and many more. However, times have changed and the future is looking brighter than many thought was possible when it comes to research for cures to these diseases. The advancement in medical technology has enable doctors to better assess patients and administer them the drugs require for their survival. If someone were to follow through with the euthanasia procedure due to the diminished quality of life caused by an illness, it is more then...
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...identify the issues that have arisen. The fact that people travel from countries where assisted suicide is illegal to places like Switzerland where it is legal is problematic. Additionally, the “slippery slope” argument against assisted suicide has become clearly evident in Switzerland. It is evident that the legalization of assisted suicide does not come without some serious concerns. In Switzerland, assisted suicide has been permitted since 1942. Assisted suicide is acceptable as long as medical protocols are strictly followed (Todd). Euthanasia is not legal in Switzerland. Euthanasia is defined as “intentionally causing the death of a person, the motive being...
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...month, the nine justices of the Supreme Court heard impassioned pleas for overturning Canada’s absolute prohibition against assisted suicide, with proponents arguing laws that consider the act equivalent to murder are a violation of personal autonomy and infringe the Charter of Rights and Freedom that provides for “life, liberty and security of the person” (Connor, 2014). The hearing sparked fresh debates across the country. Opponents argue that legalizing physician-assisted suicide would lead society down a dangerous "Slippery Slope" that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable. In addition, opponents argue that legalizing physician-assisted suicide gives too much power to doctors and it may reduce the availability of palliative care. The aim of this paper is to make a comprehensive argument in favor of physician-assisted suicide. Physician-Assisted suicide & Euthanasia Physician-assisted suicide occurs for any situation where doctors use drugs or other methods to aid their patients in an effort to die sooner. This is usually done in response to some kind of terminal illness that leaves the person with greatly diminished capacity and extreme suffering. There are some non-terminal cases where people may want doctor-assisted suicide if they have a condition that causes a lot of suffering but doesn’t necessarily lead to death. There has been a lot of...
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...Is there a fine line between killing someone intentionally, or not doing anything and letting victims die? What’s the real moral code? The legalization of euthanasia is a very controversial topic. It’s a topic that opinionated between many different religions and moral beliefs’ throughout the world on it. Personally, I do believe in the method of passive euthanasia, but I am against active euthanasia. The different between active and passive euthanasia is a very thin line. Active euthanasia is a method that medical personnel use to do kill someone on purpose that basis the patient to die (BBC, 2014). Passive euthanasia happens when patients die due to the fact that medical personnel don't do anything required to keep their patient alive or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive any longer(BBC, 2014)....
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