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8 Pivotal Pros and Cons of Euthanasia

navajocodetalkersadmin on July 30, 2015 - 6:17 pm in Pros and Cons

Euthanasia has been one of the most heated debates for many decades. Euthanasia, which is also commonly referred to as physician assisted suicide, right to die, and mercy killing, is the practice of allowing a terminally ill patient who is near death to choose to die on their own terms. There are many different aspects of this issue that should be examined thoroughly before a true decision is made. All types of things, such as religion, morals, and humanity come into play in what could possibly be the debate of the century.

The Pros of Euthanasia

1. It’s An End To The Pain
The people who are suffering from terminal illnesses, such as cancer, are typically in excruciating pain. This pain gets continually worse and worse as their condition worsens. Once all of the treatment options have been exhausted the only option that these people have left are to take massive amounts of mind altering pain medications, and wait to die. This is absolutely cruel and a horrible way to spend the last days of your life. This is why giving them the right to pass away on their own terms is so vitally important.

2. Gives Them Control Again
One of the things that people who are suffering from a terminal illness have to deal with is the complete loss of control in their lives. They have no control of their own health, are eventually not able to care for their basic needs, and are left at the mercy of doctors, family members, and care givers. This can take major mental tolls on a person, which is something that no one facing their own death should have to deal with. Giving them to right to make their own decision on when and how they want to die puts the ultimate power back into their hands and restores their confidence in themselves.

3. It Could Help Ease The Burden On Hospitals
Many people argue that the hospitals have a severe problem with overcrowding, especially when it comes to terminally ill patients. Allowing the patients to choose to end their suffering in a timely manner, on their own accord of course, could ease this burden that the hospitals are facing. It would save money, as well as allow the hospitals to serve more people.

4. Financial Advantages
While money should never be a factor in a monumental decision such as this, it is certainly something that is involved. People who are terminally ill need extensive medical care and supplies that add up very quickly. When a person chooses their right to die, it ends all of these costs that their family has to incur.

The Cons of Euthanasia

1. Moral Obstacles
The biggest issue surrounding physician assisted suicide is the moral one. Death is nothing to take lightly, and many people believe that it is morally wrong to permit the killing of any person, no matter what their circumstance may be. Religion also play a very large role into the debate on euthanasia. The majority of religions believe that if you aid your own death, it is considered suicide, which is the ultimate sin.

2. The Worst Kind of Abuse
People are in very vulnerable positions, such as terminally ill patients, are very open to abuse by caregivers and even family members. They can become a burden onto families, which may prompt them to convince them that choosing euthanasia is the right choice for them. When it comes to medical facilities, it is very possible that this type of practice can be misused for reasons such as saving money, saving space, and even personal issues.

3. Mental Capability Is Hard To Determine
One of the key factors in allowing a person to choose to die is whether or not they are mentally capable to make such a large decision. It can be very hard for a person to understand the implications of their decision, and many terminal illnesses affect the mind in ways that are hard to detect. It would be a tragedy for anyone to not understand the decision they where making until it was too late.

4. Miracles Happen
While the term terminal typically means that the person will inevitably die, one can not count out the fact that medical miracles happen every single day. Even people in the most bleak of situations have been able to pull out of it miraculously and go on to live a full life.

Important Facts About Euthanasia

  • Washington, Oregon, and Vermont are the only three states that allow euthanasia to be used legally.
  • There are two different types of euthanasia. Passive, which is when all life support is removed, such as feeding tubes or ventilators, and the person is allowed to die naturally. Active is when a lethal combination of drugs are given to kill the person quickly.
  • Dr. Kevorkian, who gained the nickname “Dr. Death”, was one of the people to bring the issue into the forefront of society.
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