Euthanisa Outline

SAMPLE PERSUASIVE OUTLINE – AVERAGE

Student Y

February 17, 2005

Section AY

Topic: Euthanasia

Goal: To persuade the audience that physician-assisted suicide, which is a subset category of euthanasia, should be a legal option.

Thesis: All terminally ill patients or individuals in chronic severe pain should have the option of a peaceful and quick death to minimize suffering.

Introduction

A. Attention Gaining Device: On November 23, 2000 my mother passed away. She had terminal ovarian cancer, but that was not the cause of her death.

B. Significance for this audience: There are so many terminal illnesses in the world, that there is a significant chance that you will at some point know someone, if you do not already, who is terminally ill (American Cancer Society). 556,500 American were expected to die of cancer in 2003. Oregon is the only state that is not standing by and watching individuals suffer. It is the only state in the US where the option of assisted suicide is legal.

C. Thesis: It is necessary that all terminally ill patients or individuals in chronic severe pain have the option of a peaceful and quick death to minimize suffering.

D. Preview: I will address the arguments opposed to euthanasia. First, I will discuss why the slippery slope argument is a fallacy, why proper pain management is not good enough for those who are in constant severe pain, why legalizing euthanasia will not undermine important health care and medical services, and the reasons why the legitimization of euthanasia by omission is not enough.

Transition: Laws legalizing euthanasia will not create a slippery slope, but keep it under control so it is properly regulated for those involved.)

I. Legalizing assisted suicide will not lead to legalizing involuntary euthanasia.

A. Those opposed to euthanasia fear that it will lead to killing innocent patients who cannot reject the procedure (Euthanasia, Alan Keyes quote).

B. This simply will not occur since existing law draws and defends a sharp distinction between assisted and coerced suicide (Oregon law).

C. Ultimately, this fear is a slippery slope fallacy that ignores the effective safeguards currently in place.

D. So, if there is no risk of euthanizing patients accidentally, then the only recipients are willing.

Transition: Legalizing euthanasia is necessary because getting rid of pain is not as easy as proper pain management.

II. Proper pain management will not alleviate all patients from suffering

A. Those who oppose euthanasia argue that proper pain management is enough to make the legalization of euthanasia unnecessary.

B. I argue that this is a narrow definition of suffering that only focuses on the physical pains leading up to death and not the emotional or mental pains.

C. Suffering is not always a matter of pain, but insecurity over when a terminally ill patient will die.

The Hospice Foundation notes that the best pain cure will not always lessen pain.

2. Quadriplegic poet Ramon Sampedro, who committed suicide with the help of friends in 1998, wrote in his will, “life is a right, not an obligation” (Seattle Times)

D. Pain management operates with a narrow definition of suffering that focuses solely on the patient’s physical state. When we look at the patient’s mental state and personal preferences, we cannot simply suggest that pain management is sufficient.

(Transition: Services such as hospice are extremely useful and it is logical to think that legalizing euthanasia will undermine important health care and medical services such as hospice.)

III. Legalizing euthanasia will not undermine important health care and medical services.

A. Opponent of euthanasia fear that assisted suicide will lead to a decrease in the care and support of terminally ill patients who