I would like to start my paper with the general definition of euthanasia. Euthanasia is an acceleration to shorten the suffering of a sick person. It is often referred to as murder, although it is a disputable question. It can also be defined as an action always or usually with the consent of a dying person. It is also known as assisted suicide, doctor assisted dying ( suicide ) physician-assisted suicide (dying ) and more generally termed – mercy killing, which means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve unstoppable suffering. There is a distinction between active euthanasia (death due to specific action) and passive life (death due to discontinuance of life support therapy) and voluntary euthanasia (when conscious request for death) and involuntary euthanasia (when the patient is unable to express such a request, . is unconscious)"
The issue of euthanasia has been the cause of many debates for over a hundred years. We consider it in the context of science, morals, ethics and politics. The admissibility of euthanasia is a difficult ethical issue. It can find both of its supporters and opponents. Conflicts of interest arise from the different systems of values that go both ways. Most often we consider this phenomenon from the religious side. Proponents believe that life is the greatest gift we have received from God. Opponents claim that the will of the sick person must be respected, protected from suffering as much as possible, and allow for the remnant of dignity.
Suicide is the direct task of death itself by an incurably ill person in order to shorten the suffering he or she experiences. Usually, this form of euthanasia is used in situations of extreme inconvenience, hopelessness and suffering that can not be abolished, often in humiliating conditions.
I am by all means supporting euthanasia. One of the reasons why I am supporting such a “ horrible” act is that when one person is very sick and in ubareable amount of pain and they know that they are not going to get any better they have every right to end their lives whenever they feel that it is appropriate. I cannot imagine living in a hospital or home knowing that I am not going to get any better. To make things easier on everyone, that would be my choice.
About 10 years ago we were able to follow story of Terri Schiavo – an American who after cardiac arrest, suffered a brain injury resulting in a state of limited reaction. She was not in a coma, she was clearly reacting to the stimuli, making single notes, but she could not talk or feed herself. It has been going on for 15 years. For euthanasia was her husband, who had for many years been trying to detach women from all the machines to end her suffering. In contrast to his will, there were the parents of the women who were still waiting for the miracle to happen. The woman, on March 18, 2005, was disconnected from all the machines, but only after 2 days she was connected back.
But what should be the decision on this matter? Was she right? Do we – as people – have the right to decide on someone's "to be or not to be"? And does not it make it easier to solve the whole dispute by choosing some criteria? If we had established the determinants that would determine euthanasia, we would have avoided many conflicts on this ground. Yes, you can not kill a man without any cause, but you also need to know in what moment their state of health they are still a human. I'm talking about situations in which the brain has not been functioning for some period of time, for many good years, that is considered clinical death. Are we talking about a man or a plant?
Or whether a dying person who is fully aware of contact with the environment can not choose a quiet death. Can’t he leave as he desires? Let's think about it! Maybe someday we will stand before making such a tough choice.
People should not be forced in any way to stay alive. According to book The greying of India is was smart of them to say that “ neither the law nor medical ethics requires that everything be done to keep a person alive” So in another words this means that people have the right to die. Without death we would not have “human life” by its very definition. Euthanasia does not harm others so why do people desperately want to keep their loved ones alive and allow them to suffer? Another recent example is the case of Brittany Maynard, she was terminally ill and pledged to take her own life under Oregons Death with Dignity Law. She was able to die peacefully in her own home after lethal injection. After Brittanys stage 4 brain cancer, she was told that she at most will have six months to live. She decided that she will take her life away before that. Some people criticized her opinion, but supporters said she was very brave. I do believe she was very brave. She lived her life to the fullest until her last breath. She was in so much pain so decided that out of two this will cause less harm.
Another argument that would convince me to be pro euthanasia would be that in America, tons of people do not have health coverage because they cannot afford it. Even when a person is in tremendous amount of pain doctors decide to withhold the appropriate amount of pain killers because they persuaded that the patients may become addicted to these drugs. In todays times however, medical funding is still very restricted and it continues being reduced, so the money that is being spend on terminally ill person could be well used for infants as for example it could save lives and improve quality of living of people and kids that could be saved.
Euthanasia carries some dangers. Can a very ill patient be able to consciously decide for his own death? This is a problem that facts euthanasia opponents. Likewise the abuse of power by doctors. Of course like anywhere mistakes can and do happen. They are not problems that can not be resolved, you can deal with them by introducing appropriate regulations, psychological help, etc. Because there are indeed cases where the patient does not know whether he wants to die or not. So how to distinguish the fully conscious desire for death from the desire for death as a fundamental of depression and pain? So euthanasia is a straightforward way for abuse and confusion, but then the decision to do it will take the doctor. When he decides to be sick, only he is responsible. That's right, only suicide is responsible for our own death. Everyone has the right to take life for any reason. This is his decision. Every man is a different mind, different world. The decision to commit suicide is often due to reasons we can not understand. Every person has the right to make decisions, especially about their own destiny. If they desire death, one must respect his will and let him die. Who are we to decide about someone's life? Who gave us such a right? There are cases when life is not worth it. When a person decides his own death (even if he or she is not dictated by illness etc.) he or she is entitled to die.