Essay about Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide are...

Assisted Suicide is Murder If suicide is a right, then it is one that has remained undiscovered throughout the ages by the great thinkers in law, ethics, philosophy and theology. It appears nowhere in the Bible or the Koran or the Talmud. Committing suicide wasnt a right a thousand years ago, and it isnt one now. Thats why most societies, including our own, have passed laws against it (Callahan, pg. 71). Assisted suicide is murder! In all of history, there are only three circumstances that have been an acceptable way for taking a life: killing in self-defense or in protection of another life, killing in war, and in the case of capital punishment, killing by agents of the state. This law doesnt allow anywhere in the†¦show more content†¦If we accept assisted suicide now, we might delay the discovery of effective treatments for those diseases that are now terminal. There would be an abandonment of hope. Every physician has had a patient or two that has miraculously recovered. Hope wouldnt even be a possibility! The amount of pressure the patient would feel would be immeasurable. Families have many subtle ways of putting pressure on the patient to request assisted suicide and relieve them of the financial and social burdens on those who care for them, even if their families are happy to take care of them. For many, this is just another way to get rid of the guilt they feel, even if they dont wish to die. The money which is obtained from patients that spend a lot on medicine and hospital bills would cease to exist. Other research for new cures would also suffer from this lack of money (Potts). What about the already corrupt society of America? Todays citizens might not be as honorable as one might wish when it comes to collecting on insurance policies and wills. With assisted suicide legalized, how would one regard the suspicious death of a terminally ill individual within the family? Janice Elsner, a terminally ill woman, called assisted suicide a Pandoras Box that eventually could lead to mercy killings. If were willing to kill terminally ill people, we wont just stick to that one corner of society that we want to put it inShow MoreRelated Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia are Murder Essay1903 Words   |  8 PagesEuthanasia is Murder      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On June 4, 1990, Janet Adkins committed suicide. She killed herself under the supervision of a man named Jack Kevorkian. Again and again, Kevorkian set up machines and killed patients that were supposedly terminally ill. He escaped punishment for years, but on March 26, 1999, Kevorkian was incarcerated for second-degree murder. (Online,99) He had developed many friends and many enemies. One of his followers was a woman who had developed coronary artery disease. HerRead More Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Nice Words for Murder2054 Words   |  9 PagesIncreasingly, in the courts and the media and in conversation, we are hearing about euthanasia and the so-called right to die. Its time we all are fully informed about what is going on, and what the appropriate response should be. Euthanasia is not a future problem. It is a present problem. It is happening now and becoming increasingly accepted. And we are asleep, not realizing that the road we are on will lead to the massive elimination of the elderly and incompetent, and anyone else consideredRead 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†. 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Euthanasia remains a conditional based issue; therefore, the laws created rely on weak ideas that allow for easy manipulation, asRead More Assisted Suicide Or Euthanasia Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pages ASSISTED SUICIDE or euthanasia On July 26, 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld decisions in New York and Washington State that criminalized assisted suicide. As of April 1999, physicians-assisted suicide is illegal in all but a couple of states. Over thirty states have established laws prohibiting assisted suicide, and of those who don’t have statues, a number of them prohibit it through common law. In Michigan, Jack Kevorkian was initially charged with violating the state statue. HeRead MoreSiya Kumar. Dying With Dignity. . Imagine Yourself With1360 Words   |  6 Pagespossible with the help of physician assisted death. Physician assisted death and voluntary euthanasia should be legal in the the United States because if a person has the right to life, then they also have the right to death, it helps terminally ill patients to escape the pain that awaits them, and it can be safely regulated by government legislation. Euthanasia is specifically provided for individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness. There are several types of euthanasia that differ in the way thatRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1180 Words   |  5 Pagesnot is euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. There are some who view this issue as unethical and murder, and others who see it as a basic constitutional human right. Many people differ in where they place the line that separates allowing one to die and murder, and the biggest issue would be as to whether the patient can competently agree to their death, hence the word suicide. After researching both sides of the issue I have decided that I will be advocating for the view that physician assistedRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized1633 Words   |  7 PagesAssisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized Throughout the course of history, death and suffering have been a prominent topic of discussion among people everywhere. Scientists are constantly looking for ways to alleviate and/or cure the pain that comes with the process of dying. Treatments typically focus on pain management and quality of life, and include medication and various types of therapy. When traditional treatments are not able to eliminate pain and suffering or the promise of healing, patients