Essay, Research Paper: Euthanasia2

Euthanasia It is conceivable, that life can deteriorate to the point where persons lose theirdignity and self-respect and are unable to communicate; life in such a form no longermeets meets the basic criteria of human-ness. (O Keefe, A1) Under these circumstancesonly should Euthanasia be practiced and then only passively ( pulling the plug ). DutchDeath , Euthanasia, doctor assisted suicide, whatever you want to call it, it should not belegalized. People should live their lives for as long as long as it is worth living. As long as someonecan still have experiences and communicate with others, they should go on living.Someone may have six months to live and decides to end their life prematurely, saying thatthey are going to die anyway, why bother with waiting. It is the same with anyone.Everyone will eventually die, so why doesn t every one just kill themselves now? It isbecause there are things they want to do and see, there is life they still have yet toexperience. The same thing is true for a terminably ill person, they could do alot in that sixmonths. They write an autobiography or a novel, do a lot of reading or traveling, whoknows? It has been said that trials and pain make us stronger. Even if someone is in pain,that pain could make them mentally stronger than if they give up and take the easy wayout. Life is pain, everyone goes through pain in their lives, but most stick it out to the end,not giving up taking the easy way out. As long as a person still is able to know what ishappening around them and can interact with the world around them it should be illegal fordoctors to aid in their suicide. Some say that doctor-aided death is widespread already, only covertly, and thatthe Netherlands is a model of how to establish the right to die by bringing the practice outin the open, where the medical and legal system can oversee it. (O Keefe, A1+) Thisissue is compared to how abortion was before it was legalized. The main reason forlegalization of abortion was because it was being done anyway. People HAD access toabortion, it was just being done terribly. We re in exactly the same situation today: Peopledo have access to assisted suicide--it s just being done so badly. (Shavelson, 39) Justbecause something is done does not mean that it should be legal. Many things that are

















 







illegal are done anyway. Look at drugs, underage drinking, drunk driving, and speeding;these things are all illegal and are frequently practiced. Should these or other things belegallized just because they are done anyway? This is not a valid reason for leagalizinganything. Where would it end if the practice of euthanasia were to be legalized, how farwould it go? Would it end with assisted death for the terminably ill? The world looks tothe Netherlands as the only working model of assisted death, a nation known for its openaproach to abortion, prostitution and drug use. A coffieshop next to an Amsterdampolice station has on its menu hash and maijuana, one-forth of an ounce for 25 gulden,about $15. A block away a movie theater is showing the film, Brutally Raped, accompanied by an advertisement that it is banned in most countries. Hookers stand instore windows of the red light district. (O Keefe, A1+) This country has an openapproach to things that most people frown on and yet many right to die activists look to itas an example of what to make ourselves into. If we started with the terminably ill, wouldwe stop there, or would we continue on. Perhaps any physically deformed people, thenanyone with a disease, next any elderly people without much will left. Maybe the doctorswould start going around euthanizing anyone they deemed fit for death. Then perhaps wewould become like a dog or cat and instead of bothering to heal us we would just be putdown. Who knows where it would end. These examples are pretty radical, but once wetake that first step there is no telling where it will end. Sometimes change is needed in society, sometimes things must change to fitsocieties needs. Some things, however, can never change; it will always be wrong to steal,it will always be wrong to kill, and it will allways be wrong to kill someone. Works citedHenry, Sarah The Battle Over Assisted Suicide: A Time to Die California Lawyer, January, 1996O Keefe Mark Doctor Assisted Suicide: Dutch Death The Oregonian, January 8, 1995. ppA1+Shavelson lonnyA Chosen Death; The Dying confront Assisted Suicide January, 1994 --------------------------------------------------------------