Personal Death by Personal Choice

First off there are only three places in the world where euthanasia is legal. Oregon where they permit assisted suicide the Netherlands, and Belgium who both permit euthanasia and assisted suicide. The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is that if a third party performs the last act that intentionally causes a patient’s death, euthanasia has occurred. And if the person who dies performs the last act, assisted suicide has taken place. Some of the major arguments for euthanasia are Euthanasia would not only be for people who are terminally ill. There are two problems here; there are many definitions for the word terminal. For example, when Dr. Kevorkian spoke to the National Press Club in 1992, he said that a terminal illness was "any disease that curtails life even for a day." Some laws define "terminal" as death occurring in a "relatively short time." Even where a life expectancy like six months is referred to, experts recognize that it is virtually impossible to predict the life expectancy of a patient. Another major argument against euthanasia by religious groups is that death is natural and should not be controlled, death cannot be legislated for and if a cure is found then the suffer is already dead.

Some of the arguments for euthanasia are that the person involved is in great pain and it is a way to let them die peacefully and painlessly. They can also say goodbye to there loved ones instead of dieing out of the blue and not being able to say anything. Today, advances are constantly being made in the treatment of pain but are still not able to get ride of all of the pain. The right to die with dignity, euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is a very sensitive issue debated in this country today. Euthanasia is the act of painlessly ending the life of a person for the reason of mercy. It is sometimes referred to as mercy killing. Americans are hearing more and more horror stories of the elderly tragically killing his or her spouse in order to avoid painful and horrible deaths. It is sad and amazing the extreme measure one had to go through to accomplish his or her death.

More and more Americans are speaking out and fighting for the right to die. This however goes against all morals and ethical codes, for a physician’s role to sustain life, not take it away. Although euthanasia and assisted suicide is not morally and ethically accepted, it should