...Assisted suicide has become a very controversial issue all over the world. Although it is still illegal in most of the world, there are places where it is legal, at least under certain conditions. Switzerland is one of the countries where assisted suicide has been legal for many years. Many countries, like Canada, are considering making changes to their laws regarding this issue. Before doing so, it is essential to closely examine places like Switzerland to identify the issues that have arisen. The fact that people travel from countries where assisted suicide is illegal to places like Switzerland where it is legal is problematic. Additionally, the “slippery slope” argument against assisted suicide has become clearly evident in Switzerland. It is evident that the legalization of assisted suicide does not come without some serious concerns. In Switzerland, assisted suicide has been permitted since 1942. Assisted suicide is acceptable as long as medical protocols are strictly followed (Todd). Euthanasia is not legal in Switzerland. Euthanasia is defined as “intentionally causing the death of a person, the motive being...
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...remain alert, however, trapped in the shell of her body. • Sue Rodriguez was appalled at the prospect of facing such a life and wished instead to prevent it by requesting physician-assisted suicide at a time and in a manner of her own choosing. She determined that she would like to activate a machine that would facilitate her death, but would also like to have a physician present, in case, through some unpredictable eventuality, something went awry and she needed further aid in dying. • A lawyer for Mrs. Rodriguez took her case to a lower court, to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, which denied her request, and then to the B.C. Court of Appeal. In the judgment on appeal from the Court of Appeal, the decision was lost by a vote of two to one. Justice McEachern in his dissenting opinion, based mostly on arguments relating to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms presented by Mrs. Rodriguez's counsel, outlined a set of guidelines by which he felt Mrs. Rodriguez could be granted her wish. • The matter then proceeded with unusual speed to the Supreme Court of Canada. On May 20, 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada heard the Appeal of Sue Rodriguez v. Attorney General of British Columbia and Attorney General of Canada. In a narrow five-to-four decision, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal of Sue Rodriguez in its decision announced September 30,...
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...Against Humanity: Euthanasia Tolga Arslan ESL 160-03: Combined Skills VI Professor Roxanne Leach April 24, 2013 Tolga Arslan 4/24/2013 ESL 160-3 Library Report Essay Professor Roxanne Leach Against Humanity: Euthanasia Euthanasia is a serious political, moral, and ethical issue in today’s society. Euthanasia is putting people in a painless death or when terminally ill people choose to end his or her life with a doctor’s help. The word euthanasia comes from Greek “eu”, goodly or well and “thanatos” death, so it is good death. This short definition is a cause of all those debates all over the world. Doctors, politicians, religious leaders, lawyers, and general public argue for euthanasia, whether it should be legalized or not. Euthanasia is a serious topic because it goes against the standards of traditional medicine. First, doctors have to take the Hippocratic Oath to become a real doctor. The Hippocratic Oath says do whatever you can to save people’s life. Euthanasia says just kill them if they want to die. Which doctor can kill their client if they have taken the Hippocratic Oath or if they are real doctors? Second, euthanasia is not always applied to terminally ill patients either. People who have been in serious accidents, or who have debilitating diseases are often consideration for the application of euthanasia. The problem is, these patients are neither in a coma nor senseless. According to http://www.euthanasia.cc, “A pair of identical twins has died after...
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...Should Physician-assisted suicide be legalized in Canada? Introduction The topic of legalizing Physician-assisted suicide has long been a controversial issue in Canada and has recently received increased attention. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the provisions of the Criminal Code prohibiting assisted suicide. Two decades later, the Supreme Court of Canada began to deliberate whether to uphold or strike down the law prohibiting doctor-assisted suicide. Last month, the nine justices of the Supreme Court heard impassioned pleas for overturning Canada’s absolute prohibition against assisted suicide, with proponents arguing laws that consider the act equivalent to murder are a violation of personal autonomy and infringe the Charter of Rights and Freedom that provides for “life, liberty and security of the person” (Connor, 2014). The hearing sparked fresh debates across the country. Opponents argue that legalizing physician-assisted suicide would lead society down a dangerous "Slippery Slope" that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable. In addition, opponents argue that legalizing physician-assisted suicide gives too much power to doctors and it may reduce the availability of palliative care. The aim of this paper is to make a comprehensive argument in favor of physician-assisted suicide. Physician-Assisted suicide & Euthanasia Physician-assisted suicide occurs for any situation where doctors use drugs or other methods...
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...support, or in a debilitated state. More specifically, it refers to the idea that an individual diagnosed with a terminal illness, committing suicide before death occurs, should be permissible with their right to refuse an extension of life through artificial or heroic efforts acknowledged. In this term paper, analyzed, are the economic issues and concerns associated with the fight for the ‘right to die’ in Canada. Explored,...
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...Page 1 of 2 Why assisted suicide will put Canada’s most vulnerable at risk CBC – Fri, 17 Oct, 2014 Compassion motivates many towards supporting euthanasia, but history has shown it puts society's most vulnerable people at risk. This week our Supreme Court heard an important case on assisted suicide and its potential legalization. Canadians then are faced with an important question: “Why?” Why should we allow assisted suicide? It is often considered compassionate to assist in the death of suffering people. Compassion is noble, even virtuous. But, I believe that elimination of suffering should never transform into the elimination of the sufferer. Sometimes, we are most weak right at the point of our highest virtues. This is why I also believe that besides asking “why,” we must also ask “why not?” Science fiction no more I am concerned, firstly, about where legalizing assisted suicide will lead. Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Welcome to the Monkey House (1968) describes the enticing power of suicide parlours. As a teenager first reading this story, it seemed like far-off science fiction. But, the themes of the book are not so far-fetched now. What is interesting to me is that I don’t need the dramatic warnings of science fiction or my own imagination to ponder a future that includes assisted suicide. All I need to do is look to those parts of Europe where, for over a decade, assisted suicide has been perfectly legal. The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported last month on a Belgian...
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...prolongation of dying. Put simply - why should be patient be forced to experience a slow death? Most physicians have received one or more requests to help a patient end his or her life prematurely. This module focuses on the skills that the physician can use to respond both compassionately and with confidence to a request, not on the merits of arguments for or against legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) or euthanasia, but using solid clinical skills. To respond effectively, physicians must know the reasons why patients ask for assistance. Depression, psychosocial factors, and anticipated distress are common reasons, but current physical suffering can also be a factor. Physicians need to be able to assess the root causes of the specific request, make a commitment to the patient’s care, address each of the patient’s sources of suffering, educate the patient about legal alternatives, and seek counsel from colleagues. The vast majority of requests for PAS or euthanasia should abate when approached in this way. Oregon The state of Oregon has had a physician-assisted suicide law since 1994 which was implemented in 1998. Since then more than 341 terminally ill people have taken...
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...Aided suicide is really a dilemma that various people today in America have confronted within their life span. Do you find it appropriate or perhaps do you find it inappropriate? It really is a subject left up to that individual. You will find not one but two features to just about every scenario and naturally you will find a couple facets to this particular one. The meaning regarding suicide stands out as “the action involving eliminating yourself deliberately with the aid of another person, sometimes a physician (Dictionary, 2012).” For you to merely use this description then one may possibly declare the fact that it’s improper. Subsequently to alternatively state that it ended up being more beneficial to stop someone’s struggling then one might possibly suggest the fact that it’s acceptable. Assisted suicide continues to be one of the more questionable matters plaguing contemporary society these days (Conwell & Caine, 1991). The individuals which have been looking for ways to have assisted suicide legalized are convinced that absolutely everyone should pass away having self-respect as well as without the need of enduring fatal health problems and this needs to be the patients rightful option (Pretzer, 2000). Anti-assisted action is without a doubt in opposition to legalizing this as a result of the potential risks associated with permitting individuals to terminate their particular existence lawfully regardless of whether it’s on their own or perhaps by making use of a health...
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...Code of Ethics Paper HCS/335 Ethics: It is said that the greatest human freedom is to live, and die according to one’s desires and beliefs. Death with dignity is a national organization located in Oregon, which is non-partisan, non-profit that has led the legal defense and education of the Oregon law for nearly twenty years; however, the actual law for death with dignity was not passed until 1994 and due to legal issues, it became effective later in 1997. The Board of Directors for Death with Dignity Movements are some of the most esteemed medical, legal and scholarly experts, which are responsible for the political defense of the Oregon law and the promotion of death with dignity initiatives in other states. The Oregon Death with Dignity act has given patients what others might think or find deplorable a chance to die with dignity in their own terms. The Act allows mentally competent terminally ill adults who have six months or less to live receive, under strict safeguard, a prescription for life ending medication The goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is three fold: defend dignity, mobilize dignity, and preserve dignity. To Defend Dignity, the Death with Dignity National Center works with an “extensive and costly legal defense of the Oregon law, as well as coalition building providing the flexibility to rapid response to both legal and political challenges” (DWDNC, 2011). A second goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is to mobilize dignity. In...
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...because of the detailed explanation that ethical considerations are being actively debated. Some may contend that euthanasia is a practice to be upheld in the U.S.A. due to being a country of freedom and liberty, and that is kind to allow one’s suffering to stop. However, others remain opposed and stand firm on the notion that assisting death is unethical, un-Godly, and to be illegal. The debate of assisted-suicide is argumentative amongst society, doctors, and legislators in Hawaii and throughout the nation; with recent regards to changing current law, euthanasia should remain to be illegal. Assisting in death, encouraging death, and advocating for death is wrong in many ways. Societal opinions differ and are found to be expressed throughout Hawaii in organizations, churches, and personal testimonials. What causes one to even think that assisted suicide is an acceptable foreseeable option? An example pros for debate is the notion of becoming invalid; according to an article by UH Philosophy Professor, Ron Amundson, a “Fear of Being Disabled Drives Advocates of Assisted-Suicide Bill” (Amundson, Pg.1). The idea of becoming disabled, or an invalid, is a pre-conceived notion, and shouldn’t be a determining factor in deciding one’s length of life. Many people live and maintain active and happily fulfilling lifestyles even...
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...Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide debate Mary Gundersen HCA 322 November 18, 2013 Linda Hoppe Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide debate Euthanaisa and assisted suicide are heated battle, in which lines have been drawn between warning social, religious, and political groups. Several individuals want this controversial institution erased from the volumes of lawful medicine, but others say that should be able to choose our fates in extreme cases. Either the law makers, neither the country, nor the citizens could find a solution to this debate without causing an intense opposition and the possibility for an end to this war of ethics seems very far in the distance. The definition of euthanasia is a painless killing, especially to end a painful and incurable disease; mercy killing. This intentional termination of life by another is at the request of the person who dies because like so many other religious, social, and political terms, euthanasia has various meanings. The passive euthanaisa is defines the hastening of death of a person by withdrawing several types of support and letting nature take it is course, instance of his are, removing life support systems, stopping medical procedures, stopping food, and water, not delivering CPR and letting the patient’s heart stop. The several common form of passive euthanaisa is to give a person large doses of morphine to control pain despite the likely hood that the pain killer would suppress respiration, thus causing death earlier than normal...
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...Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Debate HCA 322 Sonya Pedro 24 April 2011 Everybody is going to die sometime, but for some, serious medical conditions only prolong the wait upon their deathbed. From newborn infants with severe handicaps, to elderly men and women diagnosed with hopeless amnesia, euthanasia has found a place in society since society’s creation. In this paper I will focus on the controversial and difficult issue of assisted suicide or euthanasia. I will discuss my beliefs concerning euthanasia, to include the “special population” and identify the laws concerning physician-assisted suicide in the state of North Dakota. Euthanasia has its share of protesters, and there are some supporters who recognize the boundaries. Let’s discuss some of my beliefs concerning euthanasia. A person has become extremely ill and doesn't want to continue suffering, should he/she be forced to stay alive? Whose life is it anyways? Is it the family's life or the persons'? As our text explains, physician-assisted suicide occurs when the physician gives the patient a lethal dose of some medication, but the patient administers it him/herself. Euthanasia occurs when the physician carries out the final act. (Pozgar, 2010). Most families believe that they should be given the right to decide if they want to let their loved ones go, but in most cases it's not the family's choice. The decision to live or die usually rests with the individual, unless he/she is too ill to make...
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...Should Assisted Suicide be Legal? Stefan C Sooter HUM/115 October 12, 2015 Beverly Sessoms Should Assisted Suicide be Legal? As I type this opening paragraph for my essay, I should precursor this by saying that I'm beginning this piece as a non-advocate for assisted suicide. It's not just about my religious views, but also for the fact that I believe that with modern medical miracles, anything can happen. If you tap out of the fight too early, you may never know what could have happened. I understand that the situation can feel hopeless, and one can be in so much pain that one may feel like they can't take anymore, but I've witnessed first-hand desperate situations turn into miracles. My father was diagnosed in 2009 with Stage 3 Esophageal cancer. The chances of him living, especially at 65 years old, were thirty-three percent, at best. Today, he is one hundred percent in remission and living his life as a healthy senior man. That example alone is my reason for not believing in assisted suicide. A publication in the Evening Chronicle states that assisted suicide may be a dangerous law to pass. If legalized, it could set a precedent for those that are disabled or terminally ill to take their lives as to not be a burden to their family or friends (Anonymous, 2010). The author also goes on to discuss how legalizing assisted suicide could, "create pressure, particularly on those who are newly physically challenged, to end their lives. We should be fighting for proper health...
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...Physician Assisted Suicide “I still feel good enough, I still have enough joy. I still laugh and smile with my family and friends. This does not feel like the right time to go,” Brittney Maynard. In Oregon, there was a woman named Brittney Maynard. She was 29 years of age. She suddenly started to have severe headaches and became concerned and wanted to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Shortly after in May 2013, Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She was married to her husband Dan Diaz, at the time she was diagnosed. The following year, in the spring of 2014 she was informed that she only had six or seven months to live. The thought of dying from terminally ill brain cancer and never having kids was heartbreaking to her. She wanted to leave her legacy behind. Maynard decided to move from the state of California to Oregon to participate in physician assisted suicide also known as the “Death with Dignity Act.” She was told that the process would be long and painful, and she did not want to go through that. So she went a doctor in Oregon that could prescribe her the lethal dose of the medication that would end her life immediately. She scheduled to end her life November 1, 2014, just three short days after her husband’s birthday. Brittney stated, “I know everyone has to morn, but I want him to remarry and have a family. Something I could never do for him.” In her saying that one can tell that she really loves Dan and wants only the best for him. Physician...
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...least 130 people commit suicide in the 1990s. Physician assisted death/suicide is when a doctor knowingly and willingly provides a terminally ill person with the knowledge and resources required to die. It is legal in 8 states and 7 countries. Legalizing it in all states could encourage malpractice, and people should be urged to endure as long as they can. One other reason is that friends and family of the patient may want to spend their final moments together. All of these things make it so that physician assisted death should become illegal in the United States. The first reason P.A.D, (Physician assisted death) should be illegal is that patients should be encouraged to hold on as...
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