Legalization of Euthanasia

Introduction

Euthanasia is the practice of killing a person who is suffering from an incurable disease. Some advocates of euthanasia point out that patients' suffering can be unbelievable and intolerable, and that euthanasia is a possible solution to end these hopeless situations. For instance, a survey published in the JAMA indicated 64% of Americans thought physicians should be allowed by law to respond to a request for aid in dying by a competent, terminally ill patient in pain. (Verhagen P.959) Others state that people have the right of autonomy, which should allow them to have their own decision about their lives. However, as many countries hesitate, legalization of euthanasia has significant potential risks, so it should not be legalized. Three possible dangers are patient abuse, deceleration of medical development, and threat to the doctor-patient relationship. (Maas P.17)

Opposition argument

The argument against euthanasia is the conceivable danger of abuse. For example, if euthanasia is legalized vulnerable patients could feel obligation to accept it in order to reduce the burden on their families [and] their caretakers. In such a desperate situation, it is possible that even when patients do not want to die, caregivers might not want to look after them anymore. Thus, the pressure from caregivers might force patients to give up their life. It is a human right to live, and nobody should force anyone to die against his/her will under any circumstances. (Rosenhaft P.13) Moreover, pressure from doctors and medical expenses can also cause potential abuse of patients. For physicians, letting a patient die is much easier than continuing the treatment for recalcitrant pain and suffering. Therefore, legislation of euthanasia could reduce the pressure for physicians to fight against the deadly disease and might contribute to the abandonment of difficult patients. Besides, the cost for the medical treatment could also force elimination of patients, especially the elderly and the poor who have difficulty paying expensive medical costs. (Pool P.12)

Discussion

Euthanasia is a topic that is routinely argued, mostly from a devout facet, but one's belief should not take away one's “right to die”. Euthanasia should be legalized not because devout affiliations accept, but because physicians should have the proficiency to ease the terminally ill from agony and pain and to avert obscene health care charges for the terminally ill and their families. (Roy P.309)

Before one can realize why euthanasia should be legalized one has to realize what euthanasia is and the numerous forms. The phrase “euthanasia” began from the Greek dialect where emu entails “good” and tangos entails “death.” That is, the period euthanasia most routinely suggests that the individual who desires to consign suicide should start the act. But euthanasia has numerous meanings that are distinguished by the types: passive, hardworking, aided, and involuntary. Passive is hastening the death of an individual by changing some pattern of support and letting environment take its course. Active engages imitating the death of an individual through a direct activity, in answer to a demand from that person. (Jonsen P.17)

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