Sievers 1

Trevor Sievers
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
November 13, 2014
Euthanasia Death Poll
Todays physicians in the United States are required to follow The Declaration of
Geneva: an oath that is required to all physicians to work for the better of the patient, and never
to harm the patient. If a doctor is to break this code of conduct, they are to retire and have their
medical license and certification taken away and that doctor is never allowed to perform
treatments of any sort ever again. However, physicians have found loopholes. If the patient asks
or proposes to be euthanized, then the physician can do so. The practice of euthanasia is
considered unethical by most and an easy way to resolve hard pain to some.
Firstly, there have been multiple cases of euthanasia in the United States. One of them
pertaining a twenty-one year old woman slipping into a coma in which she will never recover
(Docker). She died after a year of a persistent vegetative state with treatment, and then nine more
years without treatment. This suffering could have been avoided had euthanasia come into play.
Euthanasia would have ended her suffering after the first year of her pointless treatment. Ramon
Sanpedro, a young boy in Spain, was swimming in a pool when he decided that he should dive
in. A horrible swimming accident ensued, leaving him paralyzed from the neck, down. Docker
and Sanpedro described it as a head attached to a cadaver. Sanpedro came to the United States
for treatment, only to find himself untreatable. He was alone, and basically dead, so he chose to
be euthanized. Most people would decide to continue living and make a difference with their

Sievers 2

difference from society, and they receive respect for what they do. However, if someone wanted
to die because they had absolutely nothing left, should we not give them the utmost respect as if
the person was still alive?