Essay Voluntary Euthanasia and Life Support - 1077 Words

Euthanasia Euthanasia - is it killing or letting die? In the last thirty years, this has been a highly controversial topic, the worldly morals versus the Christian. Although there are certain instances where it is justifiably considered to be letting die, it is essentially killing. Euthanasia comes from a Greek word, meaning easy death, and is now often associated with the infamous Dr. Kevorkian. There are three types of euthanasia - what doctors consider to be letting the patient die, for instance taking both conscious and unconscious patients off of life support, not reviving the patient in case of a heart failure, et cetera. There is also assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian and his suicide machine have made themselves known†¦show more content†¦The brain stem, the part of the brain that controls the major organs of the body, still works, though. A PVS patient will never become conscious again after entering this state, will remain like this until he or she dies. They are not brain dead, however. Technically, in the United States, brain death occurs when the brain tissue breaks down, disabling the lungs and other vital organs, and requiring machines to keep the patient alive. The family may choose to have the patient taken off of life support if they wish, and if the doctors comply, it will be done.  §There was a case, though, where the doctor said he had a moral problem in killing a patient and the parents took the doctor to court. The judge ruled that removing life support would be homicide and an act of euthanasia and said that judicial conscience and morality told him that the doctors were dealing with the patient correctly. But the parents later appealed to the Supreme Court and the decision was reversed, stating that the patient had the right to refuse treatment. The third and most hotly contested type of euthanasia is doctor-assisted suicide. Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his suicide machine have become famous for his contribution to this type of euthanasia. His first case, in 1990, involved Janet Adkins of Portland, OR, after she found out that she had Alzheimers disease. She had seen the doctor on Donahue and in Newsweek magazine, andShow MoreRelated Legalizing Voluntary Euthanasia Essay988 Words   |  4 PagesToday, voluntary euthanasia is getting closer to being legalized in more than just one state in the United States. â€Å"‘Voluntary’ euthanasia means that the act of putting the person to death is the end result of the person’s own free will† (Bender 19). â€Å" Voluntary euthanasia is an area worthy of our serious consideration, since it would allow patients who have exhausted all other reasonable options to choose death rather than continue suffering† (Bender 19). The question of whether or not voluntaryRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?907 Words   |  4 Pagesof voluntary active euthanasia, which is a highly contentious issue in the United States. Voluntary active euthanasia is currently illegal in the United States. However, I believe that patients with terminal illnesses experiencing a lot of pain and misery should have the right to die the way they choose, with dignity, instead of being subjected to agony. People should be able to choose voluntary active euthanasia, if ever need be, which is why I believe that despite current policy, voluntary activeRead MoreEuthanasi The Controversial Issue Of Euthanasia1650 Words   |  7 Pageslegalising voluntary euthanasia in Australia? Introduction The purpose of this research is to seeking and analysing the opinions about legalising voluntary euthanasia within Adelaide students (aged 18-25 years old). With recent changes to legalisation of child euthanasia in Belgium, the controversial issue of euthanasia is currently being re-spotlighted all over the world. Ongoing active discussion on the legalisation of euthanasia mainly debates individual’s choices in ending their own life. While someRead More A Reasonable Approach to Euthanasia Essays1566 Words   |  7 PagesA Reasonable Approach to Euthanasia      Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the biggest controversies of this decade is euthanasia. Euthanasia is inducing the painless death of a person for reasons assumed to be merciful?(Henrickson and Martin 24). There are four types of euthanasia voluntary and direct, voluntary but indirect, direct but involuntary, and indirect and involuntary. Voluntary and direct euthanasia is chosen and carried out by the patient.? Voluntary but indirect euthanasia is chosen in advance. DirectRead More Euthanasia Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesWhen a person commits an act of euthanasia, he/she brings about the death of another person because he/she believes that the latter’s present existence is so bad that he/she would be better off dead. The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means â€Å"good† and thanatos means â€Å"death†. The meaning of euthanasia is â€Å"the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies† (Religious T olerance). However, euthanasia has many different meanings, whichRead MoreWhat Would You Do If You Were In The Position In Which997 Words   |  4 Pagesyour loved ones decided to resort to euthanasia? Would you support their decision? There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the topic of euthanasia. Is it moral or is it immoral? Should it be legal or illegal? In order to form a solid opinion on any topic, you must first be well informed. Euthanasia is the painless and intentional killing of a patient suffering from a terminal illness in order to relieve them. There are several different types of euthanasia, all holding separate ethical viewsRead MoreThe Controversial Topic of Euthanasia975 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia is a controversial topic throughout today’s society. As euthanasia is illegal in America, Singer fights for the legalization of voluntary euthanasia, which means the patients make voluntary request to be assisted to die. While religious views value that the life cannot be taken away so easily, Singer focuses on the human rights that enable their choices to die or not to die. However, I do not agree with singer’s respect for autonomy on the issue of voluntary euthanasia because this issueRead MoreThe People : Ethics And Social Responsibility Essay1280 Words   |  6 Pages WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 7 OGBE MOSES E VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA For this week Unit 7 written assignment, I choose to talk about Voluntary euthanasia. A brief history and ethical and unethical dilemma of this topic will also be looked into in this assignment. A physician or doctor that carried out an act of voluntary euthanasia (Mercy killing), brings about the death of an individual who is in a state of bad medical condition becauseRead MoreThe Controversy Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1385 Words   |  6 PagesControversy between life and death â€Å"When a patient says, ‘Help me doctor,’ he is assuming that his doctor is on the side of his life.† This quote by Dr.Margaret Cottle , who is a palliative care physician , shows the mentality that most patients have when it comes to patient care. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic that has been debated on throughout the years. Whether it may be active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, indirect or physicianRead MoreEuthanasia Should Not Be Legal1520 Words   |  7 Pages Euthanasia or commonly known as Physician-Assisted Suicide is defined as the painless killing of a patient who is suffering from an incurable and painful disease or is in an irreversible coma. It is an act that speeds up death. Some people consider euthanasia to be a mercy killing and others consider it to be murder. This practice is illegal in most countries. In the United States, however, six states have legalized physician-assi sted suicide even though most states, 44 to be more specific, have