Euthanasia

1181 Words3 Pages

Outline

The argument comes down to whether a patient has the legal right to ask their doctor to help them die when the end of life is near and the suffering is severe. I believe that if a person is terminally ill, and is in immense amounts of pain, that it is their legal right, to end their life prematurely, with their doctor’s assistance.

I. The different types of euthanasia
A. Passive euthanasia: acceleration of death by the removal of life support
B. Active euthanasia: a doctor directly assists in the death of a person
C. Physician Assisted Suicide: physician supplies the resources for committing suicide

II. An example of euthanasia
A. Article, “It’s Over Debbie”

III. Legalization of euthanasia
A. Euthanasia is legal in Japan, the Netherlands, and Oregon
B. Bills to make euthanasia have been denied in the United States

IV. Netherlands guidelines for euthanasia
A. It must be voluntary
B. Requests must not be made on impulse or based on depression
C. The pain must be considered unacceptable suffering
D. A second opinion must be had
E. A well documented report must be written by the doctor

V. Religious aspects of euthanasia
A. Conservative group beliefs vs. liberal group beliefs
B. What God says about euthanasia

VI. Survey of terminally ill cancer patients
A. Cancer patients are the largest group to accept euthanasia

VII. When euthanasia is used
A. Only with people who are terminally ill and who are suffering

VIII. My opinion on euthanasia
A. A person has the freedom to choose what they do with their life
B. Euthanasia is not suicide
C. It is the patients free will to decide how their life is ended

Whether to permit euthanasia is ...

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...or an accelerated death. “They felt more hopelessness and they had more desire to die.” (Cancer Weekly)
Euthanasia is only to be used with people that have no hope, and no desire to live anymore, it is both physical and mental. Euthanasia would be used for a person who just simply wants to die with dignity before they become very sick. The people that would fall into this group are people who have the diseases Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, etc. They don’t want to prolong the inevitable, and be in pain for an unknown time period.
I think that a person has the freedom to choose what they do with there life. And if that person is terminally ill, and is in so much pain that they cannot function as they did before the illness, they have the right to end their life in a dignified manor. I am not a supporter of suicide, but I do not think that euthanasia is a form of suicide. It is a way to die without suffering. Not just anyone is able to die by euthanasia, there are strict guidelines that must be followed, and only those that fit the description are allowed to follow through with it. Again it is by the patients free will to choose this way to end their life, and no one else’s!

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