The Legalization Of Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide

The Legalization of Euthanasia Human rights have always been a piece of America’s development, and today these rights make up the freedom’s we have as the people. Being able to accept or decline medical attention is one of those rights. This means that patients have the right to tell a doctor if he or she does not want to be treated in any way even if they are on their death bed, and the doctor must do as the patient says. As those patients denying medical attention on their death beds are choosing their fate, we should be able to do the same without being in that situation. For now the law says that a physician cannot assist suicide; this law affects those who are already dying from incurable diseases. This law is causing suffering amongst

James Rachels, a professor of moral philosophy writes in Bioethics “the distinction between active and passive euthanasia is thought to be crucial for medical ethics” (77). This implies that the only goal of a doctor or medical facility today is to save lives. It completely leaves out comforting someone in dying pain who wants it all to be over with. Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez presented a real life experience of a man named Matthew Donnelly who loved life but had skin cancer. This cancer caused him to lose many parts of his body and caused excruciating pain on a daily basis. Matthew Donnelly asked to be put out of his misery, but that could not be granted due to the law deeming euthanasia illegal (A Right or a Wrong). Like Matthew who had cancer there are many more people out there suffering from the same thing as him. The doctors know that they will die and understand that the pain the patience are having cannot be settled enough for them to have a truly happy life. Patience like Matthew Donnelly need this law to be removed in order to finally be separated from the misery their body is going

The nurses will become much less caring about the patients within nursing homes and facilities that provide end of life care according to con euthanasia believers. Wesley J. Smith, JD a senior fellow in human rights and bioethics writes “Studies show that hospice-style palliative care 'is virtually unknown in the Netherlands (euthanasia is legal there),” but fails to realize that those in hospice care are usually ready to die. Most of them were neglected by their children or other close family members (qtd. in ProCon). Gerrit Kimsma an professor in medical philosophy and Evert Van Leeuwen a professor in philosophy and medical ethics write “Assisting death in no way precludes giving the best palliative care possible but rather integrates compassionate care and respect for the patient's autonomy and ultimately makes death with dignity a real option” (qtd. in ProCon). With that statement they present that the emotional value in palliative care will not be diminished just because there are less people, but that it will be for the best because the patients will get what they want, and be relieved of all pain, stress, or burdens. If nurses and doctors started to put forth less emotional value as Smith stated then we will know who to trust as life practicing health care provider, as they should care about their patience health no matter the situation or laws put