Euthanasia

This is a paper I had done on euthanasia (physician assisted suicide):

It is hard to determine the morality of euthanasia. It may take a lot of thought on whether you side with it or you are against it. Euthanasia is the ending of a patient's life in order to relieve the pain of the already terminally ill person. Though it might seem immoral to assist in the suicide of another living person, it might not be what is thought to help end the suffering of someone bound to a close death.

Terminally ill is defined as someone who is on a definite path to death. This path usually consists of the pain and suffering of a person. This is someone who may have cancer, a terminal illness, and or has been in an accident that has rendered their body unmovable. These are some of the most often ways that a patient will ask for the option for euthanasia. Who has the right to say someone should suffer till they die in this situation. There are not many things we can do to help terminally ill patients who is suffering from pain. We can for a time use pain relief medication to help the patient, but these medications most often leave the patient sedated with unpleasant side effects and in a low state of mind. Is this really living a good life? If a person has a conscious mind, then we should give them the right to choose. Those in terminal pain and suffering with an illness and or life altering injury are those who should qualify for euthanasia. Should someone suffer in pain because someone else has a different opinion on the subject or should we let those with an imminent painful death go in a more dignified way. There are other that cannot make their own decision on the matter and just have to deal with the suffering. Patients in a coma or with brain damage, terminally ill kids and teens, and even senile elderly do not always have the voice to say they need help ending this pain. We should not, as a society determine the choice of another human being. Death is not meant to mean a painful and suffering end of life. Doctors and physicians can help to end the pain in a more dignified way.

This is something that is not legal in many states. The option for euthanasia is very slim within the United States of America. There are four states that have legalized the option of euthanasia and a fifth state that has it only court ordered. These states have views that are in favor to help those who have a terminally ill state. Vermont, California, Washington, and Oregon are the four confirmed states that are of legal state. The fifth of which is Minnesota, which is a court ordered state. This means the courts of the state have the decision on what qualifies for the option of euthanasia. This was from the process of a terminally ill patient who sued the state for not giving them the right to the choice of euthanasia.

People who go under euthanasia are usually patient’s on the verge of their death bed. There are many processes that can be taken in the euthanasia process. When the patient who is in this form of critical condition and have the option of euthanasia have many types of processes. Whether it be an overdose of morphine, “pulling the plug”, or even the lethal injection. The doctor in this process can even, in some cases not provide the proper care, so the patient passes sooner than what was expected. Many patient’s of euthanasia choose the way of starving themselves, so they do not have to go through the pain for much longer. There are many physicians who believe that relief of pain is their principal duty. There are many doctors and physicians that resort to euthanasia. These physicians feel like they are compelled to commit this technical murder in a sense. Patients have this done without telling anyone and leaving the responsibility to the physician.

On the other side, there are considerations that have to be made. Euthanasia is the assisted murder of a patient. Some people see this hard to understand. Most grow up to see this as a bad thing and not see this is helping someone. This matter does weigh heavily on the religious side and is controlled by the majority vote. Most people that are against it are on the religious side. Both sides will always have a battle to understand each point of view.

Will we ever be able to know what is morally right in this situation. Euthanasia has two very different side to its story. This is something that can help those that are terminally ill. It can show the compassion that the terminally ill deserve. This should not be the decision of another person to decide how someone's death is. Taking away someone right to decide is what is really immoral in this situation. We should all have the right to decide.