Euthanasia - Challenging Rules of Society
Euthanasia - Challenging Rules of Society
The issue of euthanasia is tearing at the social fabric of the United States, as proponents and opponents attempt to answer a myriad of questions about an individual's right to die and society's responsibility in either permitting, assisting, or denying that act. The word "euthanasia" is of Greek origin, and literally is translated as "a good death." According to the American Heritage Dictionary, euthanasia is "the act of killing a person for reasons of mercy" (AHD 670). But the issue is far more complex and controversial than what a simple dictionary's explanation can possibly encompass. There are profound issues surrounding the act of mercy killing that are yet to be resolved in the United States, and internationally. The only way that resolution of the issue will occur is if a measured, objective and careful scrutiny is employed of the legal and ethical issues surrounding all sides of this controversial debate
Numerous questions confound the legalities of euthanasia in the United States and in other countries. For example, how does one define what is merciful death? If legalized, how should such so-called "merciful deaths" be performed? Should active means such as lethal injections be administered at patients' request, or only more passive means allowed, such as the withholding of food and water? Should criteria be established as to what types of cases are legally sanctioned as mercy killings and what types are not? Does not allowing voluntary euthanasia violate an individual's constitutional rights? To date, US government agencies, legislators and leaders have not been able to agree on their answers to those questions. Still, records indicate that mercy killing is not largely embraced in the US or internationally, from a legal point of view.
The Netherlands is the only international region today permitting voluntary euthanasia. Suicides there have risen three percent since legalization. Not only have suicides increased, but also controversy is brewing regarding whether the mercy killings are voluntary or involuntary. Opponents in the Netherlands are launching an initiative to repeal the law, claiming one in five cases of euthanasia are occurring without explicit patient consent.
A survey released in the Journal of Medical Ethics looked at Netherlands' figures for 1995 alone, and found that while there were 3,500 authorized cases of physician-assisted suicide, there were 900 other cases in which doctors had acted without clear approval from the patient. In a follow-up report it...