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The case of Terri Schiavo once again brought the controversial issue of Euthanasia to limelight.
She was a 41 year old woman who had been severely disabled for over 15 years, when her heart
stopped beating suddenly, depriving her brain of oxygen. Her husband Michael Schiavo fought a
long drawn case to let Terri die with dignity, as was her wish. However, Terri's parents opposed
this and thought that their 'abusive' son-in-law was taking advantage of Terri's vegetative state to
terminate her life. Finally Terri's feeding tube was removed on March 18, 2005. She died on
March 31, 2005, in Florida. The Terri Schavio case highlights the controversies surrounding the
ethics of Euthanasia. Not only private groups opposing Euthanasia protested against Michael
Schiavo's appeal, but the case also got the Florida legislature and the then President of the United
States, President George Bush involved.

Reasons against Euthanasia

1. Religious Reasons: Euthanasia is opposed by those who believe that it is against the will
of God to end a life, be it voluntary or involuntary. According to them, it's a form of
suicide that demeans the value of life. Some fear that Euthanasia would make the society
devalue life of those that are weak like the sick and the old, and it would rob the sufferer
of the right to live.
2. Ethical Reasons: Ethical reasons against Euthanasia include the following questions:
o What are the circumstances when carrying out Euthanasia would be justified?
o Euthanasia is the act of ending one's life, even if it is termed as Mercy Killing or
letting die.
o In case of involuntary Euthanasia, in which a patient is not asked before a decision
is taken to end his life, who decides if the life of a terminally ill patient has to be
ended?

Be it voluntary Euthanasia, in which a severely ill person asks someone else to end his
life, or involuntary Euthanasia, people opposing it on ethical grounds say that no one has
the right to take a human life.

3. Practical Implications: The cases where Euthanasia is sought are complicated medical
cases. Medical care of such individuals is expensive. Some argue that Euthanasia might
be used by relatives of such patients to avoid the medical costs without exploring all the
possible options of treating the patient. Some believe that legalizing Euthanasia might
reduce the impetus to search cure for the terminally ill. Certain sections of the society
argue against Euthanasia, on the ground that older patients and those abandoned by their
families may feel morally pressurized to end their lives to free their family of troubles and
expenses of their medical treatment.

Reasons for Euthanasia

People who support Euthanasia believe that everyone should have the right to die with dignity.
According to them, rather than being reduced to a vegetable state and be a burden on others, one
should be allowed to terminate his life. Another reason given to support Euthanasia is to relieve
an individual of physical pain, if he chooses to. A relevant case is that of Chantal Sabire, a 51
year old French school teacher who had been suffering from an incurable and painful form of
cancer, where her plea to end her life had been rejected by the French law. A large number of
people who choose Euthanasia are those who suffer from painful diseases, that cannot be treated.
If they choose not to bear the pain, they should have the right to do so. Some also believe that if a
patient wants to end his life out of his own will he should be allowed to, as this also relieves
medical resources to be used in cases where the patient could be cured.

Euthanasia and the Law

Euthanasia has been a raging controversy all over the world. Although most of the countries have
laws against Euthanasia, it has been legalized in the countries like Netherlands, Switzerland,
Thailand and the states of Oregon and Washington in the United States of America.

Euthanasia is not a recent concept. It finds mention in almost all the religions of the world. While
Islam and Catholicism condemn it, Hinduism have a mixed view about it. With opinions about
Euthanasia varying among different religions and individuals, it is difficult to have an end to the
controversy regarding the practice.

By Debopriya Bose