...EUTHANASIA: The intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his alleged benefit. (If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) ARGUMENTS FOR EUTHANASIA: It provides away to relieve extreme pain It provides a way of relief when a person’s quality of life is low Frees up medical funds to help people It is another case of freedom of choice ARGUMENTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA: Euthanasia devalues human life Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost containment Physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death There is a “slippery slope” effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only the terminally and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily. Opposition overcomes 48 point deficit to defeat assisted suicide - Ballot Question 2 in Massachusetts 1 1 0 Google BOSTON, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a stunning upset, the voters of Massachusetts soundly defeated Ballot Question 2 on Election Day. Dealing a significant setback to the expansion of the assisted suicide movement throughout the United States by Compassion & Choices (the organization formerly known as the Hemlock Society), a diverse coalition of disability rights organizations, medical associations, nurses' groups, community leaders and faith-based organizations united in this effort. "Tonight was a huge victory for those of us in the...
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...EDUCATION AND TRAINING LEGAL AND EThICAL IssUEs Of EUThANAsIA: ARGUmENTATIvE EssAy Bilal S. H. Badr Naga Majd T. Mrayyan (1) Bilal S. H. Badr Naga., MSN, RN, Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim, Saudi Arabia (2) Majd T. Mrayyan., Prof, RN, The Hashemite University, Jordan Correspondence: Bilal S. H. Badr Naga., MSN, RN, Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim, Saudi Arabia Email: Bilal_badrnaga@yahoo.com Case scenario Abstract Euthanasia is one of the issues that has been the subject of intense debate over time. It has been a pertinent issue in human rights discourse as it also affects ethical and legal issues pertaining to patients and health care providers. This paper discusses the legal and ethical debates concerning both types of euthanasia. It focuses on both the supporter of euthanasia and the opponent of euthanasia. Several statements for the Euthanasia argument arediscussed: a merciful response that alleviates the suffering of patients which is sometimes wrongly perceived to be otherwise unrelievable; the autonomy in which the patient has the right to make his own choices; the regulation and legislation of existing practices of euthanasia to protect health care providers and patients. In this heated debate religious, political, ethical, legal and personal views are also included. Among all these, those who desperately want to end their lives because they simply cannot go on in any way, are the ones who suffer. Every individual or group has a different viewpoint...
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...by labelling it as the ultimate truth of life. However, the ethical issue we have taken up is about death which is induced before time. The background setting for our live case is the very debatable issue of “Euthanasia”. Literally, euthanasia means “Good Death” (Greek: eu = good, thanatos = death). More formally, euthanasia means the intentional act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from an incurable and distressing disease as an act of mercy, which is not necessarily at the request of the patient. Forms of Euthanasia: • Voluntary euthanasia: When the patient has requested the death. • Non-voluntary: When the patient has not made any request and gave no consent. • Assisted suicide: Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called "physician assisted suicide." • Euthanasia by Action: Intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. • Euthanasia by Omission: Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. Euthanasia evokes a mixed reaction among people who come across it. For some, it is unimaginable to end a human life and yet some think it is justified to end a life which is not worth of dignity. There are several moral...
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...Moral Issue about Euthanasia Reflection Euthanasia is defined as the practice of ending a life prematurely in order to end pain and suffering. The process is also sometimes called Mercy Killing. Euthanasia can fall into several categories. Voluntary Euthanasia is carried out with the permission of the person whose life is taken. Involuntary euthanasia is carried out without permission, such as in the case of a criminal execution. The moral and social questions surrounding these practices are the most active fields of research in Bioethics today. Many Supreme Court cases, such as Gonzales v. Oregon and Baxter vs. Montana, also surround this issue. Voluntary euthanasia is typically performed when a person is suffering from a terminal illness and is in great pain. When the patient performs this procedure with the help of a doctor, the term assisted suicide is often used. It is also legal in the state of Oregon, Washington and Montana. Passive euthanasia is carried out by terminating a medication that is keeping a patient alive or not performing a life-saving procedure. Active euthanasia involves the administration of a lethal drug or otherwise actively ending the life. These two types of procedures carry different moral and social issues. Euthanasia Controversy My opinion or point of view about euthanasia,There is a lot of controversy surrounding the issue and whether or not it should be legal. From a legal standpoint, the Encyclopedia of American Law categorizes mercy killing as...
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...Euthanasia Should Be Legalized Euthanasia should be legalized? As human beings we should all have the right to end our suffering and to choose a dignified, quiet death. Euthanasia is the hastening of death for a suffering, terminally ill person. It is a quiet and easy death. Indeed, the term euthanasia quite literally means in Greek a good death. Euthanasia should be made a legal procedure within Australia as any such legalisation would give people the legal right to choose a ‘good death’, a dignified death for themselves. As human beings we have the right to vote, to take responsibility for our actions and to make our own choices. We are an autonomous people with a right to self-sufficiency, independence and to self-regulation, so why should we not have the right to choose whether or not our lives should end if there is little or no hope of recovery? We all should have the right to choose to die if our circumstances are completely intolerable. We grant animals these rights yet we currently do not offer humans the same opportunity. Who are we, as a civilised society, to force a competent, yet terminally ill person to endure a lingering and painful death? Every person should have the legal right to make choices regarding their own lives and according to their own values as long as these choices do not impinge on the liberties of others. The choice of a terminally ill person to die does not impinge on the liberties of others – only their own. When the only alternative is suffering...
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...2011 Euthanasia Euthanasia should be legalized for many reasons. I not only intend to tell you why it should be legal but what limits we should put on it if it was legal. Euthanasia should be legal and it should be our legal right to decide whether we live or die with can choose just about everything else so why not the right to die. Doctors help create life so why can't they help end life as well. They should be help to not only think of the disease but also the quality of life. Sometimes doctors can do nothing to prevent a patient from dying. The patient can do nothing else but to wait for death knock at their door. Not only could it be causing an increase of suffering to the patient but their family as well. It all causes an extra fincial burden that the family or patient can't pay for and who are we to interfere with a doctors job. If we legalize Euthanasia we would be able set limits and regulations. If it were legal we could prevent the abuse and misuse of it. Law would require explicit consent and there would be mandatory reporting. It would be limited to the last resort and only a license doctor could perform it. Euthanasia should not be legal but doctors should go to jail if they perform it. Euthanasia should not be legal because there are always alternate treatments even if it just keeping the patient comfortable and pain free. Requests for it are normally given under distress even if the distress is the pain the patient is in. Euthanasia prevents...
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...Legalization of Euthanasia Euthanasia is a topic that has been debated by many over the years. Although Euthanasia is presently illegal in the United States, physician assisted death, or PAD is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. To understand Euthanasia, one must understand the way it differs from PAD. The key distinction between the two is that euthanasia requires either a physician or third party to administer the drugs, while in physician assisted death, the drug is administered directly by the individual. The debate over euthanasia dates back to the Greeks and Romans, but it reached the United States in 1870 when Samuel Williams proposed using morphine and anesthetics to intentionally end an individual's life. Debates continued for another 35 years when Ohio attempted to pass a bill which would legalize euthanasia in 1906. While the bill was never passed, it was the first of its kind, and laid the foundation for bills to come (Humphrys). There are many arguments as to why Euthanasia should remain illegal in the United States. Many individuals argue that it fits the definition of murder, and “For present purposes, murder can be defined as the intentional unjustified, unexcused and legally unmitigated killing of another human being. Active euthanasia fits this definition on the basis that it is the, or a cause of, death” (Lanham 2). Although there is some merit to the argument that euthanasia fits the technical definition ...
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...would just want it all to end. Well, there is a way one can stop their own pain and suffering and it is called euthanasia. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease. The act may only be done solely to those diagnosed with terminal illnesses such as cancer, aids, and heart disease. Many people agree with the idea of euthanasia as it can help those who are suffering be stripped of all the pain they are enduring. Whereas, others disagree with the idea of euthanasia because they believe the patient should have a chance to be treated and regain their health instead of choosing the “instant death” route and it may increase the number of assisted suicides. Euthanasia has been made legal in several places around the world such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, India, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Canada. The only U.S. states that have legalized euthanasia are Washington, Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington D.C., Vermont and Montana (“Legality of...
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...Currently, euthanasia is illegal in Denmark, but it should not be. Euthanasia is a much controversial issue these days, and there are many different opinions about this topic. There are some very good reasons why euthanasia should be legal in Denmark. The main reason is that all people have the rights to decide when and how they want to die if they are incurably sick. Everyone should be allowed to decide what should happen to our own body. However, there should be special rules about euthanasia, so that people that just want to die without being incurably sick could not use euthanasia, but instead get some help. Like everyone deserves to live a good life, everyone deserves to have a peaceful death. Everyone is aware that death is a part of life. We all know that someday we have to die, so why should people who are dependent on machines to live, not have the opportunity to die with dignity and have a peacefull death? In 2010, 67% of the incurably sick people would like assisted dying, but because it is not legal in Denmark, these people renounced the right for the treatment of their illness. When a person is avoiding a painful and slow death, then they have a peaceful death. The incurably sick people do also have the opportunity to say goodbye to the people they love, instead of dying unexpected, and not have the possibility to say the last words to the people they love. Using the medical resources on living instead of on the dying would be cleverer. Spending money on keeping...
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...THE CHURCH, EUTHANASIA and ASSISTED SUICIDE Euthanasia also known as “mercy killing” and assisted suicide are worldwide controversial issues. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word euthanasia comes from Greek, meaning easy death (eu: easy, thanatos: death). Euthanasia means to end the life of a person who is terminally ill or suffering from severe pain, in a deliberate way. At the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) webpage, in the section Ethics guides, under the title of Forms of Euthanasia, Religions and Death? (2009), different types of euthanasia are described, such as indirect, active, passive, voluntary, involuntary and non voluntary. On the other hand, assisted suicide is usually performed with the help of a health professional; that is why; it is usually called Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS). The main controversy is over the different opinions on whether it is the sick patient’s decision or if it is a legal, ethical or religious issue to be considered by a third party. In order to practice assisted suicide in a country where it is legal, many factors should be present, such as the moral and religious beliefs of the patient and the physician or the patient’s family and the physician, as well as the legislation of the country where it is going to be carried out. At present, in countries where euthanasia is not legalized yet, it is very difficult to obtain legal permission to practice it. As regards the ethical...
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...Argumentative Essay: Euthanasia Euthanasia is another term for mercy killing. It is usually done by doctors to their patients who are terminally ill. Although euthanasia is done by doctors in certain situations to patients and is legal in some countries, euthanasia should not be practiced or be legalized because it devalues lives, it might become involuntary and doctors should cure and not kill. According to the article “Euthanasia: Arguments Against Euthanasia”, people might think that death is better than being sick. They might think that death is the only solution to problems. People who support euthanasia say that it is done as self-defense. For example, a soldier is brutally wounded and might die if not treated immediately. Is partner decides to ask his consent for euthanasia to end his suffering. Killing for self-defense means that you kill to save another one’s life but in euthanasia, you do not save anyone’s life. Euthanasia devalues lives because it tells us that we can take our or someone’s life easily. Euthanasia is done to a person with his consent. It is the decision of that person if he wants to do it. According to the article “Arguments Against Euthanasia”, people might decide to go for euthanasia because of emotional and psychological pressures. For example, a patient is suffering because of an illness and his doctor said to him that it is better for him to die. That person might go for it because he suffers too much and his doctor said that it is better...
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...Euthanasia Euthanasia - Deep sympathy for the suffering Introduction Euthanasia is the deliberate killing either by omission or commission of a dependent person for their benefit. Arguments against euthanasia claim that the concern for happiness and human life and not their obliteration is the objective of any good governance. They say that the terminally ill are people who require protection from social, economic and family pressures, and who are particularly prone to this pressure as a result of chronic depression, pain and effects of continued medication. Arguments for euthanasia say it is impossible to maintain quality of life if a patient is dead. While there have been massive arguments, debates and campaigns against euthanasia, this paper will seek to support euthanasia because of the moral issues that relate to the topic. This paper supports that when a personal is physically dead, the only reason anybody wishes to keep them alive is for their selfish clinging onto them with the hope of a miracle and the fear of closure without regard to the wishes of the person. It supports the practice of euthanasia and seeks to evaluate the reasons why euthanasia should be legalized. This paper will have a general audience because of the controversy that it sparks every time it comes up Death is a dreaded subject for all human beings because it signifies leaving the known to go to the unknown. This is the reason why by its nature euthanasia is a hugely hushed up topic...
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...Exploring History and Theories in Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: An Annotated Bibliography The ethical considerations for euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS) have been debated for decades. As this topic evolves from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, nurses must be prepared to help manage individual cases, as well as participate in shaping the end of life field. If we understand the history of practicing jurisdictions and the evolution of euthanasia and PAS, we can help develop and manage a prudent course of action. Regardless of the nurse’s personal views, this polarizing ethical issue requires a commitment to comprehending the laws of the jurisdiction and adherence to professional responsibilities. Pereira, J. (2011) Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: the illusion of safeguards and controls. Current Oncology, 18, e38-e45. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070710/pdf/conc-18-e38.pdf The bioethics article offers an extensive body of work that empirically analyzes the effectiveness of boundaries with euthanasia and PAS. The author contends that policy dictates mandatory reporting of euthanasia in practicing countries, but warns of several “transgressions” that occur within the current procedural structure. The main body of the article provides examples and studies to fortify the significant frequency of these transgressions. The slippery slope argument is also addressed. Where by the author documents the historical...
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...in the world today is to legalize euthanasia, and already several countries are considering the passing of legal bills to make euthanasia legal. Argument I: Euthanasia in our modern time is seen as a merciful solution, not as a crime, and it is justified by human feelings and understanding. A- Counter Argument: Euthanasia is nothing than an act of suicide, and hence, it is as morally wrong and unacceptable as suicide is. B- Refutation: Suicide and euthanasia are morally different because suicide is the choice of death as one of several options whereas in euthanasia it is the only choice to end permanent and unbearable pain and suffering. Argument II: Euthanasia should be legalized because this is the only way to regulate a concept that is practiced all over the world anyway. A- Counter Argument: Doctors who assist patients to commit euthanasia should be punished as criminals, because according to their oath, they are supposed to elongate the lives of their patients, not to end them. B- Refutation: Doctors who assist euthanasia cannot be treated as criminals if their intentions are to relieve patients of permanent and unbearable suffering. Medical assisted euthanasia is not in violation with the oath that doctors take to relieve their patients of unbearable and permanent pain. Argument III: Euthanasia has deep roots as it has been practiced by human civilizations. A- Counter Argument: Euthanasia was practiced by barbarian and inhuman...
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...Euthanasia Legislation surrounding both euthanasia and assisted suicide sparks much debate in Queensland’s legal and political systems. Despite a society largely proponents of euthanasia, political and legislative institutions rear firm in their stance against its legalisation. It is evident that as a society progresses, so too do the ideological views of those within; so why is it that Queensland legislators have done nothing in the way of legalising euthanasia? Much of this notion can be attributed to a mere political debate; however, euthanasia and assisted suicide are extremely controversial and in order to delve deep enough into the issue, the religious, legal, cultural, ethical and medical ramifications need to be explored. Often referred to as ‘mercy killing,’ euthanasia is defined as the ‘deliberate causing of death of a person suffering from an incurable disease or condition.’ (‘Euthanasia’ 2009) Although advocators see it as a way to relieve immense pain and suffering, many see euthanasia not as a ‘right to die’ but as a ‘right to kill’- ultimately ‘weakening society’s respect for the sanctity of life.’ (‘BBC’, 2013) In recent years, state and commonwealth governments have made significant changes and reforms to euthanasia law, although the effectiveness and validity of such changes are somewhat questionable. The purpose of this essay is to address the legal principles and relevant legislation regarding euthanasia, any issues surrounding the efficacy of such law...
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