The Ethical Dilemmas Of Euthanasia

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Everyone, at some point in their life, will grapple with the grievous reality of a loved one dying. Doctors and medical practitioners will do all they can to comfort and help those who are terminally ill, but their efforts will only postpone the inevitable. Modern medical advances have facilitated the use of life-support machines and intubation, but these advances have also facilitated the controversial introduction of euthanasia and physician-assisted dying. A number of pro-choice advocates have recently suggested that euthanasia is the gentlest, easiest, and quickest way to end one 's life with dignity. By focusing on these appealing prospects, however, many people do not adequately take into account what I consider to be important constituents …show more content…

Although the desire to give the most humane ending possible to a suffering individual is honorable, mercy killing is essentially murder. Merely excusing the fact that euthanasia is murder by arguing that it is implemented with good intentions is faulty reasoning. This would be analogous to condoning the act of stealing simply because it was done to relieve the suffering of hunger. Murder is a crime for a reason; it is the deliberate ending of a person 's life. Richard Huxtable, author of four books on euthanasia, advocates that, "...[life] should never intentionally be brought to a premature end" (58). In making this comment, Huxtable urges us to realize that utilizing assisted suicide can cut short one 's endowment of life. While it can be perceived as a compassionate alternative to prolonged suffering, the ethical considerations behind physician-assisted suicide demand careful …show more content…

Although Robert Orfali supports voluntary euthanasia, he asserts in his book that, "Involuntary euthanasia must never be legalized for humans... it has too much potential for abuse" (9). Basically, if involuntary euthanasia ever becomes legal, the risk of lethal drugs being wrongfully utilized would be a major cause for concern. This same concern, however, can be applied to all types of euthanasia. Legalizing assisted suicide creates an opportunity in which the terminally ill can be persuaded, against their best interests, to opt for euthanasia. Family members with wrongful motives such as looming inheritances and reduced health care costs can manipulate their terminally ill relations into choosing a cheaper, quicker, and easier substitute for a prolonged life. These types of ulterior motives create a dangerous potential for abuse and necessitate the careful reconsideration of euthanasia 's legal

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