euthanasia the act of euthanasia should be legal. the ending of one’s life, which is undergoing...

Euthanasia

The act of euthanasia should be legal. The ending of one’s life, which is undergoing severe pain and suffering, is also referred to a mercy killing. Relieving this person of a terrible burden. Everyone has the right to life; as such death is a major part of life.

Continued…Continued…

The definition of euthanasia “ A deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life to Relieve Intractable Suffering.”


The definition of mercy is “ Mercy is the word to describe Compassion shown by one person to another.” It is a moral obligation, a humane duty to provide this act, should it not also be so in the court of law? You have the right to life to life like any person. Death is arguably one of the most important experiences to life. And euthanasia’s original definition and idea was “ A rightful death.”

Pros on the act of euthanasia

• Legalizing euthanasia would help alleviate suffering of terminating ill patients. It would be inhumane and unfair to make them endure unbearable pain.

• In cases dealing with individuals suffering from incurable disease or in conditions where effective treatment wouldn’t affect their quality of life; they should be given the choice of a way out.


• In an attempt to provide medical and emotional care to the patient, a doctor does and should prescribe medicine there will relieve his suffering this means that dealing with agony and distress should be the priority.


• Euthanasia should be a natural extension of patient’s rights allowing him to decide the value of life and death for the patient maintaining the life support systems against the patients will is considered unethical by moral law.

• Provides a way to relieve extreme pain.• Provides a way of relief when a person’s quality

of life is low. • Frees up medical funds to help other people.

Cons on the act of euthanasia

• Mercy killing is morally wrong and should be forbidden by law. It is homicide, murdering another human cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

• Human life deserves exceptional security and protection. Advanced medical technology has made it possible to enhance human life span and quality of life.

• Devalues human life.


• Slippery slope, first its legal then it becomes something non-voluntary.

• Family members influencing the patient’s decision into euthanasia for personal gains like wealth, inheritance, insurance Ect. There is no way you can be completely sure if the desire of the patient rational, with no other interfering factor, bias or influence.


• How would one Asses whether a disorder of mental nature qualifies a mercy killing? What if the pain threshold is below optimum and the patient perceives the circumstance to be not worthy of living

• How would one know whether the wish to die is the result of an imbalanced though process?

Three Sections of Canada’s Criminal Code:

14 - “No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted on him and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibility of any one person by whom death may be inflicted on the person by whom consent is given.”


241- “Everyone who counsels a person to commit suicide or aids (abets) a person to commit suicide whether suicide ensures or not, is guilty of an indictable offences and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.”


215 - “Everyone is under a legal duty to provide necessaries of life to a person under his charge if that person is unable by reason of (…) illness, mental disorder or other cause, to withdraw himself from that charge is unable to provide himself with the necessaries of life.”

The Courts View

The courts view this medical treatment under this section, “Essentially preventing doctors from withholding or withdrawing life sustaining procedures.” Doctors are also under legal obligation to ensure that patients, for whom a risk of suicide exists, are prevented from harming themselves. On the other hand, Canadian citizens have the right to decide what medial treatment they accept or reject, even if the rejection of a life saving procedures leading to they’re death.


The value of living will is debatable. One of the most serious problems is the common occurrence that nobody on the medical staff is made aware of the living will. One important question to ask; “Has the will been revoked?”

The Sue Rodriguez Case

Sue Rodriguez wished to have a qualified physician assist her in terminating her life at the time of her choosing, when diagnosed with anyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as A.L.S.), when she was physically unable to do so herself.


Section 241 (b) of the criminal code (1), However, makes it a criminal offence to assist a person to commit suicide. Sue Rodriguez applied to the Supreme Court for a plea declaring that s.241 (b) be invalid under the Canadian charter of rights and freedom. The court dismissed her application and a majority of the court affirmed the judge’s decision.


Sue Rodriguez then appealed to the supreme court of Canada, where she argued that s.241 (b) violates sections 7, 12 and 15 the charter. She argued that s.241 of the criminal code does in fact infringe with s.7, 12 and s.15 of the charter.

Section 241 (b) of the Criminal Code - Aiding or abetting a person to commit suicide, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.

Continued…Continued…Section 7 of the Charter - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principals of fundamental justice.Ms. Rodriquez argued that the criminal offence created by s.241 (b) prohibits a person from aiding her to terminate her life when she cannot do so without assistance, thus depriving her of liberty and security of the person under s.7 of the charter.Section 12 of the Charter - Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.


Ms. Rodriguez argued that the prohibition of assisted suicide constitutes cruel and unusual treatment under s.12 of the charter because it forces her to endure a prolonged period of suffering of suffering until her natural death occurs or requires her to end her life before she wishes so that she can do without assistance.


Section 15 of the Charter - Every individual is equal before and under law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, mental/ physical disabilities.


It was concluded that infringement s. 15 was justified but sections 7 and 12 were not a good enough decision. To protect individuals from others that may wish to comfort their lives. To create an exception to the prohibition against assisted suicide would create an inequality and lend support to the notion that we are starting down a slippery slope towards full recognition of euthanasia to prevent abuse or to be taken advantage of.

“Dr. Death”

Jack Kevorkian, born May 26, 1928, is an American pathologist, right-to-die activist, He is best-known for publicly championing a terminal patient's right to die via physician-assisted suicide; he claims to have assisted at least 130 patients to that end. He famously said that "dying is not a crime.Beginning in 1999 Kevorkian served eight years of a 10-to-25-year prison sentence for committing second-degree murder, even though his patient gave his consent making it voluntary euthanasia. He was released on parole on June 1, 2007, on condition that he would not offer suicide advice to any other person.

Conclusion

Many doctors agree euthenasia is already widly practiced, doctors know when death is imminent and inevidable and sugest that there should be mediacal guidelines for medical professionals to follow in such circumstances. “Dying with Dignity,” should apply to patients with terminal dissease, or serious medical conditions, insisting euthenasia and assited suicide is way for these victims to go in peace.

euthanasia the act of euthanasia should be legal. the ending of one’s life, which is undergoing...

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