Euthanasia

Euthanasia

" 'Whose life is it, anyway?' " A plea by the late Sue Rodrigues, a high-profile, terminally-ill resident of British

Columbia, Canada, who suffered from ALS. She was helped to commit suicide by a physician in violation of Canadian

law." (Robinson Par. 1) This act, referred

to as euthanasia which comes from the Greek term "good death" (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Par. 1) and defined by Dictionary.com as: 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. The Death With Dignity Law, which allows terminally ill patients to

receive a lethal injection which will end their lives, commonly referred to as Indirect euthanasia went into effect in Oregon

in 1997 (Robinson Par. 1). From 1997 through 2003, 171 people have had their lives ended due to this law (Robinson

Par. 1). Also legal in Belguim and the Netherlands, this process is held with very strict limitations. Many states have

proposed bills to legalize euthanasia and physician assisted suicide and recently, a Gallup Poll determined that 75% of

Americans support euthanasia (Wikipedia Par. 20). The topic, highly controversial, causes people to wonder if this is

actually an ethical medical act to practice.

Not to be confused with witholding life-support systems, there are two types of euthanasia, indirect and direct.

Although legal in Oregon, indirect euthanasia is still considered unethical. Direct euthanasia can be categorized as voluntary, nonvoluntary or involuntary. Indirect euthanasia

occurs when an individual receives a perscription or fill of a medication by a physician, nurse of pharmasist, in a dose

high enough to cause death (Wikipedia Par. 7). Direct Euthanasia occurs when a patient is received a lethal injection

directly from a clinician (Wikipedia Par. 8). Voluntary euthanasia is when a patien is fully informed and requests a lethal

injection. "Nonvoluntary euthanasia occurs without the fully-informed consent and fully-informed request of a

desisionally-competent adult patiend or that of their surrogate," stated on Wikipedia.com. Involuntary euthanasia

happens when a patient is informed of this procuedure, yet refuses and receives the injection anyways. (Wikipedia Par.

10). Although involuntary, and voluntary forms of euthanasia can be considered unehtical, voluntary euthanasia should be

left to the patient to decide.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, also known as "Dr. Death" assisted over 130 terminally ill patients to their deaths in the

1990's (Ward Par. 8). All of these patients came to Dr. Kevorkian seeking voluntary euthanasia. He is serving his 6th

year in prison, after being convicted on second-degree murder charges and faces ten to twenty-five years in prison.

These charges came about after Dr. Kevorkian allowed 60-Minutes on CBS to air the taped assisted suicide of Thomas

Youk, who suffered Lou-Gehrigs disease. (Wikipedia Par. ) Although Youk gave consent on the tape, charges were still

filed and the case went to court. Ruth Holmes, jury consultant and handwriting examiner, is Dr. Kvorkian's most avid

supporter." 'When Dr. Kevorkian stood up, people sat down,' " Holmes said. "There's just no outrage. We (Americans)

are just so numb." (Ward. Par. 27). Holmes and her daughter have helped Dr. Kevorkian to put together and publish a

book entitled Amendment IX: Our Cornucopia of Rights(Lessenberry Par. 3). Holmes and Kevorkian are still fighting

for these rights and Kevorkian states that if granted parole, he will campagin to have this practice legalized (Wikipedia

Par. 5).

Diane Pretty of the United Kingdom, who suffered from motor