Dan Banh Banh 1

Professor Winchell

WRI 102

March 22, 2015

Legalizing Euthanasia

In the world we live in today, people often scrutinize every little details of a person in authority,

such as doctors or physicians. They often think about how bad it would be if they end a life of a

patients in suffering, but they never really think about how much of a relief it might be for a suffering

patient. The issue of euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide is becoming more prevalent as one the

most controversial issue in the medical and healthcare industry. This term refers to the action of ending

a life to end one's sufferings or a grave illness. Some people think of it as immoral and unnecessary.

However, these people don't actually think clearly about how one or multiple illnesses, sufferings, or

pain could torment a patients for the rest of their life, therefore, euthanasia should be legalized to

relieve patients from their agony.

Along with assisted suicide, which means a suicide of a patient when doctors prescribed a lethal

drug to end a life, and happens when its incurable, there is euthanasia. The major one is voluntary

euthanasia, which occurs when a person is conscious and decide to let a qualified doctor/physician end

their life in order to stop their suffering. Non voluntary euthanasia happens when a person is

unconscious or for some medical reason, unable to make a proper decision or request, and the decision

is made by the other person.

In ''Why We Shouldn't Legalize Assisting Suicide'' by Bach, the Director of the Department of

Medical Ethics, the post states various reasons concerning the patient's mental state and why euthanasia

should not be legalized. According to Bach, euthanasia shouldn't be legalized as he thinks it would
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''create a legal presumption of sanity, preventing appropriate mental health treatment''. In this case,

patients who want to die might suffer from a mental disorder such as depression and so on, and by

choosing to die, the decision is solely based on the feeling of hopelessness and depression instead of

actual pain or terminal illness. Back also talks about how some people attempt suicide just to see who

would care, and he's saying that by letting the patient die by their own will, the patient would think that

''we (physicians/doctors) don't care if you live or die'' (Bach n.d). He went on and said that patients

who want the options suffer some kind of mental disorders, making them deciding on ''distorted

judgement''. Bach talks again about suicide and how it usually a desperate step, thinking that ''their

problems so intractable as to make their situation hopeless''.

''Why Assisted Suicide Must Not Be Legalized'' by Marilyn Golden, a policy analyst, also talks

about how she thinks it wouldn't be fair to legalize euthanasia and many problems will arise if it is

legalized. Golden started off saying euthanasia might be a ''good thing to have available. But on closer

inspection, there are many reasons legalizing is a very serious mistake'' (Golden n.d.). As Golden is an

analyst on laws and policy, she stated that it's legal for an individual to create an advance directive that

requires withdrawal of treatment under any condition, and it's also legal for a patient to deny treatment

and such (Golden n.d). There is also a law in Oregon, which is the only state that allows euthanasia,

that if a patient does not have a terminal or chronic illness, he or she would not be eligible for assisted

suicide. Golden went on to talk about how ''managed care and assisted suicide'' is a deadly mix. She

stated that ''the cost of the lethal medication generally used for assisted suicide is about $35 to $50, far

cheaper than the cost of treatment for most long-term medical conditions. The incentive to save money

by denying treatment already poses a significant danger. This danger would be far greater if assisted

suicide is legal'' (Golden n.d). What she means here is that taking care of a patient for a long time

could cost much more than a lethal dose, implying that if euthanasia is legalized, this would happen. In
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addition to that, Golden also think ''Suicide requests from people with terminal illness are usually based

on fear and depression'', which is the same idea to the article above by Bach.

Usually, it isn't easy to just end a life, doctors and physicians have a hard time handle it as well.

According to Dr. Kailash Ghand in an article support legalizing euthanasia, there are ''certain objective

safeguard conditions are met prior to allowing a terminally ill individual from exercising his or her

right to die with dignity'', so doctors can't just agree into ending a patient's life when he or she is

perfectly capable of getting better. According to the ''safeguard conditions'' that many doctors have to

follow, doctors would know if their patients are experiencing depression, and therefore wouldn't allow

them to ending their lives. Plus, the reason that the suicide requests are usually based on fear doesn't

really match up. As commonly seen, patients are in a hospital or any healthcare facilities for them to

get better, so there is no point to request a suicide just because they're afraid of something.

For patients that couldn't make the decision themselves, and others have to make the decisions

for them, the decisions made by others (typically a family members) are seen as a way to release the

patient from suffering their illness. The illness here is obviously incurable, otherwise whoever made

the decisions shouldn't give into it. Of course they wouldn’t be happy making the decisions, but its for

the better, and something has to be done. They know one way or another, death would come, so by

making it sooner, when the illness are still on its way, would be better for the person in the sick

bed. Non voluntary euthanasia are made out of love, so it undoubtedly, not a crime nor a murder.

Family members don't want to see the one they love suffer with the illness that eventually will kill

them, so they made a choice for the sufferer to end in respect. Also, it is true that there away numerous

ways to control and manage the pain that the patients feel, but the only really natural way there is is

helping them to die peacefully, instead of stuffing them with medicines or chemical, that might actually

be worst.

The real life case story of a twin, Nicolas and Damian Delmer, fighting to legalize euthanasia is

worth considering. They're suffering cystic fibrosis for an incredible long amount of time. Nicolas
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''feels more and more exhausted by everyday efforts'', and Damien ''pain leaves him worn out, too

exhausted to even read or play the piano'' (Bui 2015). Their lives are now under control by medical

care, they lost a huge amount of weights, their cheeks are hollowed. They campaign for the Association

for the Right to Die in Dignity, and Damien wants ''to be able to decide what's good'' for himself. But of

course, that wouldn't happen if euthanasia is still illegal, ''he wants to have the freedom to say ''stop''

when it hurts too much. He wants to choose his death'', with that being said, euthanasia should be

present, it should be legalized so patients can have the option to choose it.

It is understandable that many people are against euthanasia, but this isn't around morality, it's

more about taking charge of one's life while they still can. Doctors wouldn't allow euthanasia if they

are aware that there are ver high chances that the patient can improve. Plus, some said euthanasia is

murder, but it definitely is not. Living life when it's hard to live, hard to do anything, even hard to

breathe, is certainly not a joy, an old woman from ''All Individual Have the Right to Die with Dignity''

wanted to ''die happy with some dignity left'' (Hayes 2014), but she couldn't because ''physician-

assisted suicide is not an option'', therefore she has to continue suffering with her severe illness,

''crippling stroke; massive blood loss after an angiogram; dialysis; constant hospitalization'' (Hayes

2014). After all, it is their right to die the way the want, and they could end their suffering if euthanasia

is legalized, ''to deny this right it to prolong the suffering for individuals and families'' (Chand 2009).

Also, physician assisted suicide only happens when the ''individual must have a terminal illness as well

as a prognosis of six months or less to live'' (CNN).

In my perspective, it is a little absurd to think that hospital would kill off patients to save money

if euthanasia was to be an option. Doctors are trained, are qualified to cure illness and improve patient's

health, there is no way a hospital would decide to kill off patients in order to save money. In fact,

treatments that are used to prolong life when a terminal/incurable illness is diagnosed are far worse.
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These treatments tend to suppress the fatigue and the pain, it certainly do not cure that illness.

Sometimes, the treatment can even be harsh ''death doesn't scare me, but that they let me go through

this, it terrifies me'' said Damien, wanting the right to ''say stop'' when he wants it. If a patient wants to

end all of that, there is no sense in the statement above that would involve anything about saving

money. Yes is can be costly trying to prolong the patient's lives, but the money doesn't come from the

healthcare facilities, it comes from whoever is paying for the patient.

Personally, I think euthanasia should be legalized. People should have the right to act and make

a decision for themselves while they're still can. The symptom of death is already laid out on the table,

so if they do not want to carry on with the illness that's torturing them, its their right to call for it. It's

also definitely not about giving on life. They die because of sickness, something that nobody wants,

there are sicknesses and illnesses that can end life, so they should be aware that their time of living is

limited. By choosing to die in the early stages of their terminal illness, they could die surrounded and

being with their loved ones, they could die knowing that the decision was made by themselves or

whoever that wants only the best for them, and they could die in peace. Plus, it is again, their right to

their bodies, their right to their mind, their right to choose whatever they want to do. Therefore, they

are in charged of their lives, and it is their choice to live or die.

If everybody advocates their rights, then they should allow people to have the right to die.

Imagine witnessing a patient lying on the hospital beds for days, then days become weeks, weeks

become months, they're withering instead of getting better, and finally they want to die to stop the pain,

but euthanasia isn't on the list of available options, so they have to carry on ''living''. But if euthanasia

is legalized, they either have a choice of keep lying there and hoping for something that they know

wouldn't happen, or just let go when they are still themselves and conscious. It is completely up to

them to decide what they want to do, but legalizing euthanasia would benefit themselves and their

family as well, as they add to the list of options of what's best for the patients.
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People should consider the fact that there is a good side to everything, and euthanasia might

sometimes bring more good than harm. It is a part of the human's right. If they don't wanna die, they

wouldn't choose to die, nobody is forcing them to make that decision. Dealing with constant pain,

constant sufferings without any progress to the point that the patient would completely lose it, doesn't

sound very ideal does it? So it's better the legalize euthanasia so the patients can explore more options

before making a decision. They want to die with dignity, let them. They wanna die to end their

sufferings, let them. Most of all, they want to die because they think its beneficial for themselves and

their family, it is their right to request voluntary euthanasia, so let them.

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References

Golden, M. (n.d.). Why Assisted Suicide Must Not Be Legalized. Retrieved March 20, 2015,

from http://dredf.org/assisted_suicide/assistedsuicide.htm l

Chand, K. (2009, July 1). Why We Should Me Euthanasia Legal. Retrieved March 20, 2015,

from http://www.theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2009/jul/01/euthanasia-assisted-

suicide-uk

Hayes, M. (2014, November 26). All Individuals Have the Right to Die with Dignity. Retrieved

March 21, 2015, from http://panampost.com/editor/2014/11/26/right-to-die-should-

euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide-be-legal/

Bui, D. (2015, March 17). Why These French Twins Are Fighting To Legalize Euthanasia.

Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.worldcrunch.com/culture-society/why- these-

french-twins-are-fighting-to-legalize-euthanasia/cystic-fibrosis-twins-euthanasia-

incurable/c3s18358/#.VQo78mR4oso

Balch, B. (n.d.). Why We Shouldn't Legalize Assisting Suicide, Part I:. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from

http://www.nrlc.org/archive/euthanasia/asisuid1.html