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Arguments against euthanasia
Arguments against euthanasia
Arguments against euthanasia
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Euthanasia, according to the dictionary, means the killing of a person who is suffering from an incurable disease. Lately, it had been a huge debate over whether euthanasia should be legalized or not. Personally, I believe that euthanasia should be legalized if it is voluntary. I have three reasons for my argument.
First of all, euthanasia saves money and resources. The amount of money for health care in each country, and the number of beds and doctors in each hospital are limited. It is a huge waste if we use those money and resources to lengthen the lives of those who have an incurable disease and want to die themselves rather than saving the lives of the ones with a curable ailment. When we put those patients who ask for euthanasia to death, then the waiting list for each hospital will shorten. Then, the health care money of each country, the hospital beds, and the energy of the doctors can be used on the ones who can be cured, and can get back to normal and able to continue contributing to the society. Isn’t this a better way of using money and resources rather than unnaturally extend those incurable people’s lives?
Secondly, to numerous people, quality of life is more important than the length of the life. The patients who request euthanasia are going through unbearable pain that others who had never gone through it won’t understand. The bystanders think it is better to live, but the patients themselves see death as a way to end their intolerable pain and to give them peace. I believe that it is just a matter of time before those patients die of sickness, and it is pointless to force those patients to live longer. I think it is best to end the lives of those in pain, rather than trying to make their lives full of suffering and torture longer.
Lastly, I support the idea of legalizing euthanasia because the patients own their bodies, and they can do anything with it. Even though the doctor is the one who put the patient to death in a process of euthanasia, the patient is the one who makes the decision to be “killed”, and therefore, euthanasia is a type of physician-assisted suicide, which is not any of other people business.
Some people refuse treatment could be motivated to live and attempt to enjoy whatever is left of their life. If active euthanasia became legal, then people would give up their life easily without trying to live longer. This objection does not undermine my position against euthanasia. Everyone should be grateful for every second of his or her life. Life often comes with endless privileges. Breathing is a privilege to live. Death should not be easy as our breaths and heartbeats will come to a stop. Death would only be pleasant if we are content with our overall life. Euthanasia would make death an easy way out. We should always try to live as long as possible because there is always a chance. If medical science cannot help us, then we should try to make the best of whatever is left. Requesting active euthanasia would mean quitting, and no one should ever quit because once you quit, you can never come
Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering. In the majority of countries, euthanasia is against the law because it is illegal to help someone kill themselves, not matter the severity of the circumstances. Euthanasia is simply unjustified. As humans we are granted the right to live, not to die, and so taking a life that you have been blessed with is not an honorable or appropriate option. If society accepts euthanasia, it will weaken society’s high view of life. Furthermore, if society allows euthanasia of a patient due to the economic considerations, do we not expect this same society to euthanize the mentally challenged and physically disabled. Euthanasia might just end up making society accept the notion that some lives are worth less than others; and that is unacceptable.
Euthanasia, as defined by the Encarta Encyclopedia, is the “practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release the person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death” (Encarta, 2004). Euthanasia is a Greek word, which means “good death.” As humans, we understand death is something we cannot avoid but having some control over death is empowering and reassuring to us. If someone is suffering from a terminal illness, intolerable pain, or in a long-term coma, euthanasia is an acceptable option for someone to end his or her life. With the consent of their doctor(s) these people should be able to have the law on their side supporting their decisions.
Legalizing voluntary euthanasia is all about having a choice. Most people today believe that everyone should be given the right to choose how they live and die. It’s not your life, if you can’t choose when to let go.
The voluntary active euthanasia is legitimately moral. It is morally right for a person to seek euthanasia because it is their freedom or autonomy to control their own lives. It ends the suffering of the patient without harming other people. Furthermore, it prevents the person to suffer by giving him/her lethal injection or medication that prevents a person to die slowly with pain. On the other hand, the arguments against euthanasia are not sound. A thorough assessment will protect patient who request euthanasia for the benefits of others. A patient who seek for euthanasia does not use him/herself as means, but as ends to respect his/her own humanity. Furthermore, God as a benevolent will not allow a person to suffer which endorse the purpose of euthanasia – to end suffering. Therefore, voluntary active euthanasia should be legalized in the United States.
The debate on whether voluntary euthanasia should be legalized has been a controversial topic. Euthanasia is defined as ‘a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering’ [1]. Voluntary euthanasia refers to the patients who understand the terms in the consent and sign up under consciousness, while involuntary euthanasia is performed against patient's wishes and some people may regard it as a murder [1].
Our values, opinions and beliefs depend on what culture, religion and the society we come from. People who are against view euthanasia as murder and that we must respect the value of life. Those who are in favor of euthanasia believe that doing such act eliminates the patient’s pain and suffering. Also, the right to die allows the person to die with dignity. Euthanasia may involve taking a human’s life, but not all forms of killing are wrong nor consider as murder. It depends on the underlying reasons and intentions. If you value a person’s life and the cause of death is for the patient’s benefit and not one’s personal interest, then euthanasia is permissible.
... greater pain and anguish for longer periods of time than my father did, I believe euthanasia is the only compassionate form of relief we can provide. I believe it is morally important to allow an individual to die with respect for his or her dignity, while respecting his or her autonomy. Because of these reasons, euthanasia is morally justified when administered under strict controls.
Euthanasia is not an acceptable medical practice for everybody. The countries and states that currently have laws about end of life methods strictly states that these methods are reserved for terminally ill or patients in a vegetative state. These patients have been told they will die. I agree that all people should be able to live a full, happy, pain free life and a life that guarantees them to be able to communicate their medical wishes to their family and doctors. I also agree that people should be able to die a peaceful death without pain and suffering.
Euthanasia is clearly a mercy for those who suffer immensely through disease. Euthanasia should be an option for those that want it. It is obvious that many will still have objections and many will not make such a choice, but if they so choose, a quick and easy death awaits. I personally am not against euthanasia.
In most countries, there is a shortage of health resources. So, if we allowed people to use euthanasia, it would open up valuable resources. Some patients who are ill and could be salvaged are not able to get quick access to the facilities they need for treatment. While at the same time, incurable people who would prefer not to keep living are using scarce health resources. Having the option of euthanasia to these people would open up health resources to people who actually wish to live (BBC “in favor”). We need to legalize euthanasia so both patient and economy can
Euthanasia is the term for opting to die under circumstances, which lead to it being a gentle and easy death. Euthanasia should be an option for the suffering patient, although certain conditions and laws should be implemented on this issue so that both for and against arguments are considered. My opinion leans toward euthanasia being legal although I can understand the critical issues in relation to this practice that cause conflict within the community.
...ncluding the right to participate in assisted suicide. There are many issues concerning euthanasia, however, the three main issues that I feel are important when discussing the legalization of euthanasia are because of medical advances, the severity of pain a person is in once diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the basic fact that a person’s life is their own life and no one else’s. A physician should be allowed to participate in a patient’s death in a compassionate, confidential manner. A physician can provide the most peaceful, least painful and effective means to die. No human being should have to suffer with a terminal illness when an alternate course of action is available, such as euthanasia. No person has the right to take away a freedom given to another without just cause; therefore, who is to say that we cannot pursue the benefits of euthanasia.
The first main reason that people have an argument about Euthanasia is because they think that Euthanasia devalues human life. Because Euthanasia is a way to end people’s lives just by a person’s decision, they think that to kill someone without any guilt is not correct. In fact, Euthanasia does not devalue human life, but it is a choice for people who have the right to make their own decisions. Letting them make a choice to die painlessly is what they themselves see it as a value of their own lives. For example, a person decides for himself that medical treatment that he is receiving is making his life more unpleasant than the disease, and that he would rather end the treatment. Presumably he conclude...
Euthanasia, otherwise known as mercy killing or good death, is used to help end the suffering of a patient in an irreversible state of health, like severe cases of Lou Gehrig’s disease or severe burn victims. Many believe that it is immoral to go against natural survival instincts, while others wish to legalize it to help end the pain of those suffering. The main argument over euthanasia is whether or not it should even be allowed to exist within the medical and legal worlds. Euthanasia has caused many controversies and lawsuits that will continue until euthanasia is fully denied or accepted by society.