Conflict In America

Conflict in America

Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide is a growing conflict in America and the world. Many people turn to it because they feel it is a way to gain control over their life, or put an end to it. They want to terminate the pain and suffering. They do not want to become a burden to their family and/or society. They need an environment that will make them feel wanted and loved. The whole human race has one particular need in common, the feeling of belonging. Helping people in suicide does not convey compassion. The ill, the elderly, the depressed, and infants who are born with diseases are all at risk. Euthanasia is wrong because death should only be God's decision, the process of dying is an important part of life and people should be cherished regardless of their physical condition.

We are becoming a culture of death faster than we realize. Euthanasia, suicide, and abortion are the downfalls to our society. Do not believe that people can look at these situations and discuss them as "ethical" questions. Killing is killing no matter what the circumstances. Murder, suicide, euthanasia, abortion; they all lead to death, and death is not something that should be pre-meditated. Soon assisted-suicide will be just as popular as abortion, and we will have both types of clinics; what a comforting thought. Everyone has a conscience, and everyone who has participated in a suicide or abortion will be consumed by guilt one day.

Too many different situations occur as a result of euthanasia. A terminally ill person will likely first seek the advice of a physician. Then there is the family involved; their feelings and values must also be considered. A situation that arises is that it is not always the decision of the person being killed. As in weather an ill person is in a coma, and has brain damage that is so bad the person is practically a vegetable.

As one example in the case study of Jim Romney, 56, a retired school principle from Portland, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. People with this type of illness will barley ever live more than two years after being diagnosed with this type of disease. His physicians made it clear that the disease would destroy his body, by leaving his entire body paralyzed, but his mind would still continue to function. After hearing this Romney made it known that when the disease became unbearable he would end his life with legally assisted suicide. (Last Wish 2)

In this scenario we all can understand how this man would want to end his life, but it is not his and should not be his choice or anyone else's, but God's, to make. Many faith groups within Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other religions believe that God gives life and therefore only God should take it away (Robinson 1). God should be the only one to give, and take life because that is the natural way. That is way it has been since the beginning of life. If assisted suicide would be put into effect it would be uncivilized.

There are a lot of people like Goyette that understand the process of dying and know that this is a difficult process to go through, but everyone will have to go through it someday. "People are cheating themselves if they shortcut the dying process, they are robbing themselves of probably the most meaningful time in their life" (Goyette 2). He not only understands death, but also life. He shows how important it is to spend this most precious time with their loved one. The more time

Many elderly people are afraid to check into a hospital because they fear the doctor will make the choice for them. Soon the world will lose what they call the "right to die" and make it our "duty to die." A Roman Catholic document mentions that "some Christians prefer to moderate their use of painkillers, in order to accept voluntarily at least a part of their sufferings and thus associate themselves in a conscious way with the sufferings of Christ crucified" (Robinson 2). Everyone knows that they are eventually going to die someday, and it is just a matter of when, where, and of what. That is what scares people most; so make the best of what you have before it is gone.

Groups that promote assisted suicide seem to publicize cases where people have a terminal illness and are in so much pain that they want to end their life. The main fuel to this controversy comes from many directions: Jack Kevorkian, religious factions, and the pro-choice alliance. No matter what direction it is fueled from the decision to help someone kill themselves is not anyone's to make. Kevorkian thought that euthanasia was a great thing because it would put money in his pocket. Pro-choice alliances feel that it is the persons choice to live or die, and not anyone else's decision, but theirs. Which is the same thing for abortion pro-choice alliances feel it is up to the woman if she wants to have the baby or not.

Kevorkian's first assisted suicide in 1990 ignited national debate. His undoing came when instead of simply providing deadly drugs, he injected them into the arm of Thomas Youk, a 52 year old man with ALS which is also known as Lou Gehrigs (Shapiro). If someone just simply gives people drugs