A patient is diagnosed with brain tumors that have spread to their bones and muscles. The doctor gives them three months to live, but only with the continuation of treatment. They spend most of their remaining time in a hospital receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments. They must be pushed in a wheelchair because they are too sick to walk and spend the rest of their few months in pain, knowing they will die but not sure when. That is how the last few months of Cristy Grayson's life was spent. Now ask yourself, what would you do if you were in this situation? Would you want to spend the last few months of your life unhappy and in pain, or die peacefully? For some, euthanasia is not an option, but for others it is a way to end their suffering and have a peaceful death. Although some view euthanasia to be morally wrong, voluntary euthanasia should be legalized in the United States to end the suffering of others, help patients who have the ability to live a longer life, and decrease the cost of health care. Euthanasia is an act of killing an incurable patient who is suffering or in pain. Euthanasia comes from a Greek expression for “good death” and, in other words, allows the patients to die and easy death without suffering. Euthanasia can be described as voluntary, involuntary or active, and passive. Voluntary euthanasia is being put to death with the consent of the patient; involuntary is where the patient is to ill to give consent, so a physician or close family member gives consent for them. Passive euthanasia is when common treatments, such as, antibiotics, pain medications, or surgery, are withheld. Active euthanasia is the use of lethal substances that will end a patient’s life. No matter what form of euthanasia is used... ... middle of paper ... ...a. Hamlon Kathi. “Could euthanasia or assisted suicide be used as a means of health care cost containment?” Patient’s rights council. Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. Pearlman, R. "Why Do Patients Request Physician-Assisted Death?” ProConorg Headlines. 10 July 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. Pereira, J. “Legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide.” PMC. 19 June 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. Standley, Tim. "Jack Kevorkian's Horrible Career Offers a Warning against Legalizing Euthanasia." News Jack Kevorkian’s Horrible Career Offers a Warning against Legalizing Euthanasia Comments. 4 June 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. Stevens, Kenneth. "PCCEF - Articles." National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled. 2006. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. Swarte, N. "Effects of Euthanasia on the Bereaved Family and Friends: A Cross Sectional Study." BMJ. 24 July 2003. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Bernards, Neal, Ed. (1989). Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints Series, Series Eds. David L. Bender and Bruno Leone. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press.
There are several important ethical issues related to euthanasia. One is allowing people who are terminally ill and suffering the right to choose death. Should these people continue to suffer even though they really are ba...
Velasquez, Manuel, Andre, Claire “Assisted Suicide A Right or Wrong.” Santa Clara university n.d. web 24 March 2012
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Smith, Cheryl. "Should Active Euthanasia Be Legalized: Yes." American Bar Association Journal April 1993. Rpt. in CQ Researcher 5.1 (1995): 409.
In today’s modern society the use of euthanasia and assisted suicide is a hot button topic. Due to the argumentative nature of this issue many philosophers have created their own ideas on how euthanasia and assisted suicide benefit or harm society. These philosophers such as Brock and Callahan differ in their arguments about euthanasia and assisted suicide. Like almost all the heavily opinionated topics in society there should be limits to the use thus my consensus regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide is that it should be legalized to a certain extent.
Smith, Wesley J. "Assisted Suicide Will Not Remain Restricted to the Terminally Ill." Assisted Suicide. Ed. Sylvia Engdahl. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Death on Demand: The Assisted-Suicide Movement Sheds Its Fig Leaf." Weekly Standard (5 July 2007). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
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Rachels, Jame. "Active and Passive Euthanasia." New England Journal of Medicine 292 (1975): 78-80. Print.
Pereira, J. (2011). Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: The illusion of safeguards and controls. Retrieved November 29, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070710/
Larson, Edward J. “Legalizing Euthanasia Would Encourage Suicide” Euthanasia- Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Carol Wesseker. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 78-83. Print.
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Euthanasia is a medical procedure which speeds up the process of dying for people with incurable, painful, or distressing diseases. The patient’s doctor can stop treatment and instead let them die from their illness. It come from the Greek words for 'good' and 'death', and is also called mercy killing. Euthanasia is illegal in most countries including the UK . If you suffer from an incurable disease, you cannot legally terminate your life. However, in a number of European countries it is possible to go to a clinic which will assist you to die gracefully under some very strict circumstances.