Euthanasia is very controversial and in most countries illegal. Even though it is illegal there are a lot of people who think that it should be legalized. Euthanasia is when a medical professional administers medicine that will end the patient’s life. People would make the option to have this done if they were suffering or if they had someone in their life who come make the decision for them when they could not, then that person would. This would put them out of their misery and they would pass away shortly after. If you have ever had to put an animal down it would be similar to that.
Euthanasia is a huge ethical issue that people often debate and could be legal in the future. There are many religions that believe that this is a horrible thing to be legalized. There are even studies shown that different races and genders feel a certain way about euthanasia. There has also been cases where family member have gone to jail for assisting in ending someone’s life who is suffering from a serious illness or disease. When most people did this because there was not another option like euthanasia for them to help the suffering family member. I chose an article that interested me on Euthanasia.
I did not know much about this topic before I read on it. The article is from listland. com and it is called “Top 10 Reasons Euthanasia Should Be Legal Everywhere”. The article talks about reasons why it should be legalized. It gives the authors top ten reasons on why euthanasia is not a bad thing and how it would benefit people who are suffering and their families. The article begins on defining what they believe that is it. It says that “euthanasia is the definition of “good death”, mercy killing, and assisted suicide. ”
It also touches on the fact that it is a very controversial opic since it deals with death. The article also talks about how medical professionals feel about the topic. It says that “46% think that it should be legal, 41% think that it should continue to be illegal, and there are 14% that think that it is circumstantial”. Then, the article goes on to list the ten reasons that euthanasia should be legal. The first reason the article states is that people have the right to die. Most people who disagree with euthanasia say that “people have the right to live”, this article goes on the right to die when someone wants to.
The article states that “we give such a significant weight on the right to live so we should also give equal weight on the right to die”. The second reason the article gives is that people have the explicit right to choose. The article also starts that “we have the right to choose to die with dignity is defined by social majority, and individual, possessing all the rights of a human being, may perceive a dignified death to be preferable to constant suffering”. Also it says, that “if someone decided on euthanasia this choice should be available”. The article then goes on to talk about how euthanasia is not immoral.
It says “for something to be immoral it would have to violate moral laws or norms. ” The article also touches on the difference between murder and euthanasia. The article says that “no infringements done when it is the person who chooses how to die. For a physician to deny the person his right to die when under intense pain and suffering is effectively forcing them to life without what they believe is their dignity”. Next, the article touches on another topic that euthanasia protects selfhood and human dignity. Here the article talks about how dying on your own terms allows someone to be able to keep their dignity and die on their own terms.
Then, the article goes on to talk about how euthanasia is and can be regulated. It talks about how people think that is unethical or is done without consent. Also, the article touches on how everyone has the right to a “good” death therefore if someone wants a “good” death they should be able to have one. The article also states that euthanasia does not shorten the lifespan as much as people portray it to. It says that “a Dutch survey conducted in 1991 showed that 86% if euthanasia cases only shortened the patient by a max of a week”. It also says “euthanasia save lives”.
The article also touches on the Hippocratic Oath supports euthanasia, this point talks about how doctors need to be looking at the wellbeing of their patient and do no harm. After reading this article and having my own opinion on this topic I think that this article is and is not the best in my opinion. I think that there are some points like people have the right to die which I agree with I also think that people have the right to choose, this is not immoral, this preserves dignity, it does not harm others, I agree with those points that the article makes also.
Everyone has the right to a good death, I don’t think there is really a “good death” so I have to question this point that the article makes. Yes it is better to choose to stop suffering rather that suffer but can we really call this a “good death? I think that the article is also correct when it talks about euthanasia does not shorten the lifespan as long as euthanasia is regulated I think that it will not shorten lifespans by long.
I am not sure how I feel about the point the article used on euthanasia saves lives, even after reading the whole point the article makes I still do not agree. I agree with the article on the final point of why euthanasia should be legalized. The point is that doctors would be going against the hypocritical oath. I do not think that doctors would be going against this as long as euthanasia is legal when they do it, because if the patient is for it they are still doing what they said they would “do no harm”.
After reading this article and educating myself on this very controversial topic Thave taken the side that I do think that euthanasia should be legalized. For many reasons the main ones being that people should not have to go through pain and suffering, people should be able to choose when they have had enough pain or suffering caused by illness, but I do think that if and when it gets legalized (because I think that it will be legalized) it should be regulated, people should not be able to do this if they are not truly sick.
