Euthanasia: When is it Right?
Euthanasia: When is it Right?
When we hear the word euthanasia, most of us automatically associate it with the act of murder-suicide. We also immediately refer to the so-called Dr.Kevorkian who has personally assisted suicides. Euthanasia may not be our natural way to die, but who determines what that is? One would think that the only person, who could decide if euthanasia is the right or wrong way to die, would be the person directly affected by it. It varies from country to country whether euthanasia is accepted. In the United States the government has chosen euthanasia to be illegal and as a result, if someone were to attempt to end their lives and did not succeed he or she would have to pay the consequences in jail.
Unfortunately, there are many circumstances in which people suffering from a terminal illness and/or are undergoing an unbearable amount of pain that may want to seek euthanasia are not given that choice.
Euthanasia that is commonly called mercy killing occurs when incurably ill people ask their physician, or maybe even a friend or a relative to put them to death. There are two types of euthanasia to consider Active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. "The distinction between active and passive euthanasia is thought to be crucial for medical ethics. The idea is that it is permissible, at least in some cases, to withhold treatment and allow a patient to die, but it is never permissible to take any direct action designed to kill the patient." (Rachels, 1975, p. 560) Active euthanasia, which is most commonly committed by administering a lethal injection, is illegal in the United States, Canada, and almost all other countries. Most religious groups consider it to be suicide or murder and, therefore, immoral. Some supporters of euthanasia claim that it allows a person to die with dignity instead of being kept barely alive by machines. Passive euthanasia is the withholding of most types of medical treatment. This method allows the patient to die naturally and it usually legal.
Regardless, the type of euthanasia preferred the problem becomes more intense after considering that there is another party involved in the process. Whether the person is assisting by administering a lethal injection or by simply withholding medical intervention, their participation makes them guilty of murder. It may seem that they are only helping the...