Euthanasia:A Right

Euthanasia

The term euthanasia comes from the Greek words "eu” and “thanatos” which combined means “well death” or "dying well". A considerable size of society is in favour of Euthanasia mostly because they feel that as a democratic country, and in democratic countries individuals have the right to decide whether or not it is their right to determine whether they want to live or die. Euthanasia can be viewed as murder by many, hence the stronger opinion amongst society that is against euthanasia. Primarily because society feels that it is god's task to determine when one of his creations time has come, and as humans are in no position to behave as god and end someone's life. Since the beginning of the 19th century there has been global debate; when humans take it upon themselves to shorten their lives or to have others to do it for them by withdrawing life-sustaining apparatus, they play god. Euthanasia is a merciful means to and end of long-term suffering. It is a relatively new dilemma for the United States and has gained a bad reputation from negative media hype surrounding assisted suicides. Euthanasia has a purpose and should be evaluated in terms of: the comfort of the patient, the stress put on the patients family, and the effects on the healthcare system.

Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable, painful, or distressing diseases, and is commonly called mercy killing. Voluntary euthanasia may occur when incurably ill persons ask their physician, friend or relative, to put them to death. The patients or their relatives may ask a doctor to withhold treatment and let them die. When a person is diagnosed with a fatal or dehabilitating disease or condition their qaulity of life will often to begin to decline. Throughout the course of having this fatal disease, a person will experience terrible amounts of pain. Even with the assistance of pain killers, the pain they are expiriancing can be incomprehensable to the average person. Weir(1997) writes “No one wants to suffer. No one wants a death marked by suffering. Only tyrants who are pathologically cruel want others to suffer. Medicine is dedicated to the relief of suffering, and we proclaim ourselves to be a society that will not knowingly countenance the releiveable misery of any group. Suffering not only brings pain, both physical and mental( just as pain can bring suffering), it can in its extreme forms rob people of their humanity.”(p.69)

Today in most modern countries hospitals are overcrowded, and medical care is expensive. The time of doctors and space in the hospital could be better untilized on paitents who’s lives could be saved, instead of those who are terminal and wishing to die.McKahn(1999). The author indicates “the dilemma of a terminally ill patient when it comes to suicide. It is also suggested that society take on a different view on suicide when life to this patient has lost all value or meaning.”(p44-45) Even if the paitent stays in the hospital throught the duration of the illness, the family is burdened in the end with rediculous hospital bills and doctor fees, which will continue the families suffering long after their loved one has passed. Euthanasia is, after all, a very cheap service. The cost of a dose of a poison and the few hours in a hospital bed that it takes