When Essay, Research Paper
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What exactly is euthanasia? There are many forms of
this practice, including physician assisted sucide, active
euthanasia, and passive euthanasia. In one citation,
euthanasia is the practice of ending a persons life.
Euthanasia is practiced worldwide be it legitimate or highly
illegal. Along with our understanding and acception of
euthanasia in todays’ society, comes the unanswered
question, do people have the right to choose when to die?
Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, is the
practice of ending life in order to give release from
incurable suffering or disease. The word comes form the
Greek for an easy death. Euthanasia, technically, refers to
helping patients end their own lives and does not apply to
stopping life sustaining treatments such as respirators, or
a do not resuscitate order.(Glossary…)
Euthanasia can be active or passive. Active euthanasia
means that a physician or other persons involved with the
care of a patient, takes a deliberate action to kill.
Administering an overdose of any prescribed drug is
considered active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia means
letting a patient die by way of the lack of treatment, or
suspending treatment that has begun. Examples of passive
euthanasia include taking patients off a respirator or
removing other life-support systems. Stopping the food
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supply, usually occurs in the elderly with intavenous
devices.(International…)
A great deal of the controversy surrounding euthanasia
comes from the decision process. Who decides if a patient
is to die? This issue has not been established legally in
the United States. The matter is left to state law, which
usually allows the physician in charge to suggest the option
of death to a patients relatives, especially if the patient
is brain dead.(Euthanasia…)
In an attempt to make decisions about when their own
lives should end, several terminally ill patients in the
early 1990’s used a controversial suicide device, developed
by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, to end their lives. This device was
created from scrap aluminum, a toy car, and other scraps
scavenged from garage sales and flea markets. The device
consisted of a needle which was inserted into the arm of the
patient begining the intravenous flow of a poisonous
solution. Kevorkian later switched to a more elaborate
machine which consisted of a tightly fitted mask placed over
the face, conncected to a carbon monoxide canister.
Kevorkian has been involved in 27 deaths to date and has
never been convicted of any wrong doing.(The Real…)
In parts of Europe, the decision making process has
become very flexible. Even in cases where the patients are
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not brain dead, patients have been put to death without
their consent, at the request of relatives, or at the
insistence of physicians. Many cases of involuntary
euthanasia involve older people or newborn infants. This is
believed to be caused by the “not worthy of life” concept
practiced in Nazi Germany(1933-45).(Nazism)
In countries where involuntary euthanasia is not legal,
the court systems have proven to be very lenient in dealing
with medical personel who practice it. In the Neatherlands
and Japan, for example, if physicians follow certain
guidlines they may carry out mercy killings on
ill people. Courts have also proven to be somewhat lenient
with friends or relatives who have assisted terminally ill
patients to die.(Flynn 1-2)
Euthanasia may seem like a dignified way of dying, and
in one citation is described as painlessly putting to death
people who have incurable, painful, or distressing dieseases
or disabilities. This definition has proven false however.
When a person is killed with drugs (lethal injection) there
body often has violent convulsions and muscle spasms. This
is by no means a peaceful or dignified way of dying. Also,
if a patient is not killed by the drugs administered to
them, then they are often times suffocated with a plastic
bag by the attending physician.(International Anti…)
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Many doctors are opposed to the legilization of
euthanasia. They believe that it is contrary to the entire
Hippocratic Oath which states, “…I will follow that system
of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I
consider for the benefit of my patients…I will give no
deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such
counsel…” One physician states, “It (euthanasia) would
erode trust between terminally ill patients and their
physicians.” He further goes on to state that, “Instead of
healers, doctors would become dealers in death…As a
doctor, I would not want the state telling me to do away
with somebody.”(Risley 1-2)
Mercy killing is legally considered murder in the
United States, whether it involves injecting someone with a
drug to “hasten death” or depriving the person of nutrients
necessary to keep him or her alive. But most states
including Iowa, now have laws permitting “pulling the plug”
on someone who has signed a document saying he or she
does not want life prolonged by artificial means. This
document is called a do not resuscitate order. The document
states if a patients’ heart stops beating, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation will not be performed to prolong life.(Can
We…)
Oregon has a “Death With Dignity Act” which states, “An
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adult who is capable and a resident of Oregon may initiate a
written request for medication. The person must be declared
terminally ill by an attending physician. The person must
also me declared terminally ill by a consultin physician.
The person must recieve counseling to be sure of mental
compitence. The attending physician must ask the patient to
notify next of kin. The persons’ medical records must be
thoroughly reviewed.” This helps to make sure that
all participants of this program are sound of mind and
terminally ill.(The Oregon…)
Euthanasia is explicitly criminalized in 35 states.
Nine states criminalize assisted sucicide through common
law.(Alabama, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Nevada, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia) Three
states have abolished the common law of crimes and do not
have statutes criminalizing assisted suicide.(North
Carolina, Utah, Wyoming) In Ohio, that state’s supreme court
ruled that assisted suicide is not a crime. Only the state
of Oregon permits physician assisted suicide. If a
physician is convicted of any wrong doing in relation to the
death of a patient which is legally, ethically, or morally
wrong they may have there liscense to practice medicine
revoked.(Assisted suicide…)