Euthanasia

The topic of my research paper is euthanasia. I chose this topic because it is very controversial and I am intrigued by the dialog it can spark. Before this research paper I thought euthanasia was simply a doctor or nurse killing patients they thought didn't have any quality of life by giving them a lethal injection. I found from my research that it is a lot more complicated than that. There are people who actually want to be euthanized. There are also situations where removal of ventilation or feeding tubes will bring about death. There are many different situations and circumstances and even definitions of euthanasia. This paper will only scrape the surface of the mountains of debates, legal issues, moral issues and personal stances of this very sensitive topic.

The first obstacle of this paper is to clearly define euthanasia. "Euthanasia defined 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." (American Heritage