Euthanasia: Murder or Saviour?

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. It is not yet legal in Britain, but when a poll was taken, it was discovered that 85% of the people believed that euthanasia should be legalised. I strongly agree. Who wouldn’t want to stop their pain if it would never end? I’m not saying that anyone that wants to die should be able to be euthanized, there of course would be regulations. My practical arguments are that it is possible to regulate euthanasia, that allowing people to die may free up scarce health resources, and also euthanasia happens anyway. My social argument is that death is a private matter (if it bares no harm to others). My political argument is that people have an explicit right to die.
Instead of wasting effort on the patients who wish to die, more medical time and money could be spent on those who want and have the chance to live. Euthanasia is a relatively cheap option; the drug only costing around $87 is the USA. People may say that it would cost a lot more if because of regulatory control, but with appropriate control it could be sensibly priced. To add to the practical argument, beds in hospital could be used on people who want to stay alive. Even if it isn’t legalised, it will happen anyway with people going to Switzerland to have it happen.
If you knew you were in large amounts of pain, and knew it was only going to get worse till the day you die, wouldn’t you want it to end? It is sickening, gut-wrenching and frankly horrifying to think that anyone could wish someone to endure the pain without any other alternatives! Surely, by not wanting to let someone end their life, you are just torturing them.
Death is not a public matter, if someone desires to bring an end to their pain, who is to say that they can’t? Opponents argue the decision to die by euthanasia will affect other people - our family and friends, and healthcare professionals - and we must balance the consequences for them (guilt, grief, anger) against our rights. Shouldn’t it be the choice of the one in pain? It is really quite selfish for the family and friends not to want the best for their loved one.
How do you want everyone to see you before you die? Want to be seen as strong, brave, fearless? Well, if you don’t want this, euthanasia could be the way out! When in pain, you can find it hard to control your emotions. Whether you get angry at there beloved family member or cry in front of your friend, it could completely change and mutate the image of you in their mind. You cannot wish for someone to have to go through this.
The right to life also gifts us the right to die. This right to life is not simply the right to exist, but the right to a life with a minimum quality and value. Death is the opposite of life, but the process of dying is part of life, everyone will die at some stage or another. People should be given the opportunity to try and make the events in their lives as good as possible and therefore have the right to try to make their dying as good as possible. If the dying process is unpleasant, people should be able to shorten it, and thus reduce the hurting.
A consultant rheumatologist from Winchester, USA, made huge headlines when he was convicted of attempted murder, but given a 12 month suspended sentence in 1992. His ‘crime’ had been to give a terminally ill, elderly woman a lethal injection of potassium chloride. She had requested this and her decision had been fully supported by her two sons. This just shows what people will do to end their life if euthanasia is not made legal.
To conclude, euthanasia not only is the humane way around stopping pain, it is also practical. There is no reason to frown upon it, and anyone as the right to end there life if it is not to the right standard.