Euthanasia

The definition of euthanasia is, “the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment.” (www.Euthanasia.com). Euthanasia can be easily confused with its many different meanings.

Passive Euthanasia is the death of the person by alternating their life support or stopping medicine or procedures. Active Euthanasia is when the person makes a direct request to end their life to a doctor. This usually involves a type of injection to end life painlessly. The other and most controversial form of euthanasia is Involuntary Euthanasia. It involves the killing of a person who has not explicitly requested aid in dying. Patients involved in involuntary euthanasia are usually those who are in a Persistent Vegetative State and they will most likely not regain consciousness.

Euthanasia is only legal in Oregon, the Netherlands, and Belgium. For the act of euthanasia to be legal it must pass through serious law processes. People and major religious groups argue that euthanasia is completely unmoral, ungodly, and unjust. If the person is terminally ill, doesn’t have long to live, and is in incredible amounts of suffering and pain, why let them suffer?

Along with this intense physical pain, comes the severe depression with being terminally ill. Severe depression will keep the patient in even more agony, for long intervals at a time. Not only does this depression dampen whatever hope is tangible, but the family will suffer the repercussions.

Depression