...Our Hands Assisted suicide is a controversial topic, sparking up questions and debates on whether it should be legal, or not. I argue that it should be legalized, it would be beneficial to some individuals because it would allow people with terminal illnesses to plan and prepare for their deaths, rather than go through pain and suffering, and the fear of not knowing when you could die. Assisted suicide, also commonly known as death with dignity, was created so that people could hold the power over their illness and be the ones to control the last moments of their life. I am not arguing that all people who are sick or ill should be allowed to participate in assisted suicide, we need to determine in what circumstances it would be appropriate. Who are we to say that someone has no right to a choice if they are suffering? However, before anything, we need to understand the difference between two terms; assisted suicide and euthanasia. Assisted suicide is “suicide committed with the aid of another person, sometimes a physician” (ahdictionary.com). Euthanasia is defined as “the act or practice of ending the life of a person or animal having a terminal illness or a medical condition that causes suffering perceived as incompatible with an acceptable quality of life, as by lethal injection or the suspension of certain medical treatments” (ahdictionary.com). While these sound like very similar terms, they are two completely different things. In assisted suicide the doctor consults with...
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...nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, constipation, high blood pressure, diabetes and too many others to list. The goal being to live as pain free and as healthy as possible. We have only gained in our life expectancy over the years. We now live to the ripe old age of 75-81 in better health than ever. Life and health are pretty good in this modern age of medicine. But there is one area that is still behind in what we can offer a particular type of patient and that is the dying, terminally ill and chronically in pain patient. Sometimes no matter what is available the patient is still in absolute misery. I feel that the patient should have a choice to end his own life and end his suffering. And I feel that Doctor’s should have the legal freedom to help these people to accomplish it. I feel very strongly that voluntary active euthanasia should be legal in our country as well as all other countries. “Voluntary active euthanasia is a well-established practice in The Netherlands. One of the interesting aspects of the Dutch system is its requirement that active euthanasia be available only if the patient is experiencing unbearable suffering (with no prospect of improvement), but there is no requirement that the patient be terminally ill. Another interesting feature of the Dutch system is its explicit acceptance of an advance-directive principle. That is, active euthanasia may be provided for patients who have become incompetent but who had clearly expressed their request for active...
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...United Church of Christ: The Church affirms individual freedom and responsibility. It has not asserted that hastened dying is the Christian position, but the right to choose is a legitimate Christian decision. Mainline and Liberal Christian denominations: Pro-choice statements have been made by the United Church of Christ, and the Methodist Church on the US West coast. The 'Episcopalian (Anglican) Unitarian, Methodist, Presbyterian and Quaker movements are amongst the most liberal, allowing at least individual decision making in cases of active euthanasia The BBC wrote in an Aug. 3, 2009 online article titled "Religion & Ethics - Christianity: Euthanasia - the Christian View" on www.bbc.co.uk: "Christians are mostly against euthanasia. The arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Some churches also emphasise the importance of not interfering with the natural process of death... Christians believe that the intrinsic dignity and value of human lives means that the value of each human life is identical. They don't think that human dignity and value are measured by mobility, intelligence, or any achievements in life. Valuing human beings as equal just because they are human beings has clear implications for thinking about euthanasia: • patients in a persistent vegetative state, although seriously damaged, remain living human beings, and so their intrinsic value remains the same as anyone...
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...Ruben Salcedo Professor Palmer English 112 10/5/15 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)...
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...THE FIRST FILIPINO Republie of the Philippines Department of Education & Culture NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION Manila FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines JUAN L. MANUEL Secretary of Education & Culture ESTEBAN A. DE OCAMPO Chairman DOMINGO ABELLA Member HORACIO DE LA COSTA, S. J. Member GODOFREDO L. ALCASID Ex-Oficio Member TEODORO A. AGONCILLO Member EMILIO AGUILAR CRUZ Member SERAFIN D. QUIASON Ex-Oficio Member FLORDELIZA K. MILITANTE Exccutive Director RAMON G. CONCEPCION Chief, Administrative Division BELEN V. FORTU Chief, Budget & Fiscal Division JOSE C. DAYRIT Chief, Research & Publications Division AVELINA M. CASTAÑEDA Chief, Special & Commemorative Events Division ROSAURO G. UNTIVERO Historical Researcher & Editor EULOGIO M. LEAÑO Chief Historical Writer-Translator & Publications Officer GENEROSO M. ILANO Auditor JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896) THE FIRST FILIPINO A Biography of José Rizal by LEÓN Ma. GUERRERO with an introduction by CARLOS QUI R INO ( Awarded First Prize in the Rizal Biography Contest held under the auspices of the José Rizal National Centennial Commission in 1961) NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION Manila 1974 First Printing 1963 Second Printing 1965 Third Printing 1969 Fourth Printing 1971 Fifth Printing 1974 This Book is dedicated by the Author to the other Filipinos Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice, Shakespeare: °the/Lo. Paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all ; but...
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