Euthanasia
By: rara • Essay • 535 Words • May 29, 2010 • 750 Views
Euthanasia
"Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable, painful, or distressing diseases or handicaps." (Dictionary.com.) "Since there is no specific provision for it in Anglo-U.S. law, it is accounted either suicide (if performed by the patient himself) or murder (if performed by another)." (source 7.) There are five different types of euthanasia; active, passive, voluntary, involuntary, and physician assisted suicide. I am opposed to all of the above types of euthanasia. Euthanasia is completely immoral and unethical, and life should never be sacrificed no matter what the situation. The Declaration of Independence states our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Euthanasia is a clear violation of these rights. If our right to life itself is diminished in value, our other rights will have no meaning
Voluntary euthanasia occurs when a patient wishes to die and consents to the action that will make it happen. For example, a patient may be in such pain that they are begging for their life to be ended. Non voluntary euthanasia is when the patient is unable to consent perhaps because he or she is in a coma. The person, who has not made her wishes on this matter known, is put to death. In active euthanasia, there is an injection of a lethal drug. Passive euthanasia is a withdrawal of life and no longer is the patient on sustained medical treatment. The difference between active and passive is that in active euthanasia, something is done to end the patient's life; in passive euthanasia, something is not done that would have preserved the patient's life. When a doctor helps another person to kill themselves it is called physician assisted suicide. There is a difference between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. In assisted suicide, while someone else provides the lethal agent, the person who is dying administers it. In euthanasia, someone else does the administration.
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