ESSAY ASSIGNMENT - EUTHANASIA

Should Euthanasia be legalized? Discuss with specific references.

Euthanasia is the practice of killing a person who is suffering from an incurable disease. The word euthanasia is taken from Greek eu thanos, meaning ‘good death’. Dr Megan Best, a bioethicist and palliative care doctor, calls voluntary euthanasia ‘An act where a doctor intentionally ends the life of a person, by the administration of drugs, at that person’s voluntary and competent request, for reasons of compassion’. (Best, 2010) Some advocates of euthanasia point out that patients’ suffering can be unbelievable and intolerable, and that euthanasia is a possible solution to end these hopeless situations (Battin and Lipman, n.d.). For instance, “a survey published in the JAMA [in 1992] indicated 64% of Americans thought physicians should be allowed by law to respond to a request for aid in dying by a competent, terminally ill patient in pain”(Battin and Lipman, n.d.). Rom Houben, was imprisoned in his body for 23 years. He was unable to do anything and was unable to communicate with his doctors and family. It was truly years of suffering for him, living but being presumed to be in a vegetative state. In this case, when euthanasia seems to be a considerable alternative, his recovery proved that there is always hope for recovery and that there is still hope when all seems dark.  In  this instance, people also begin to question, how measurable is the level of suffering for one to be considered for euthanasia? Arguments supporting euthanasia laws presuppose a world of ideal hospitals, doctors, nurses and families. But humans don’t live in an ideal world. People live in a fallen world where humans make mistakes and have selfish motives. For this reason, legalisation of euthanasia holds a number of risks such as the abuse of its practice. (Best, 2010) As such, euthanasia should not be legalized because of religious views and legalization problems.

 The abuse of euthanasia is a problem that can arise with the legalization of euthanasia. People cannot be sure that euthanasia, once legalised and socially accepted would remain voluntary. Vulnerable and burdensome patients may be subtly pressured to request termination of their lives, even though they don’t really want to. (Best, 2010) For example, “if euthanasia [is] legalized…vulnerable patients could feel obligation to accept it in order to reduce the burden on their families [and] their caretakers” (Battin and Lipman, n.d.).  Kate Cheney's death, is an example that illustrates the dangers of euthanasia. A lethal dosage was authorized by a managed care executive for Kate Cheney, an elderly cancer patient whose daughter was aggressively pushing for her death, despite the findings of a consulting psychiatrist that the woman's memory loss meant she lacked the mental "capacity to weigh options about assisted suicide" and that she did "not seem to be explicitly pushing for this". (Oregon Newspaper, 1999) In this case, how far can it still be said that euthanasia is solely used for the patients' needs? Moreover, pressure from doctors and medical expenses can also cause potential abuse of patients. For physicians, letting a patient die is much easier than continuing the treatment for recalcitrant pain and suffering (Battin and Lipman, n.d). Doctors may not be able to resist the extension of euthanasia to those who don’t, or can’t, consent to termination of their lives. Proponents of euthanasia have legal guidelines will prevent this happening. However, the Dutch Government’s Remmelink Report in 1991 found that around one in three euthanasia deaths were without patient knowledge or consent (around 1000 each year). Government reviews showed similar results in 1995 and again more recently, despite the fact that there are stringent guidelines in place in Holland. One argument put forward to support euthanasia suggests that we need to regulate what is already taking place illegally. If those doctors performing euthanasia now are unwilling to obey the law, why do we think we could trust them to do so after it is changed? (Best, 2010) Additionally, in the Netherlands, euthanasia was legalised in 2002 after 20 years of widespread practice under legal guidelines. By the time the law had passed, the courts had already legitimized the death of patients who were not terminally ill. The Dutch are currently debating the need to allow the elderly to be euthanized when they are ‘tired of life’ and early in 2005 a Dutch hospital published their guidelines on how to kill disabled new-borns. With euthanasia legalised, would there still be a caring society ready, in times of financial constraint, to continue to invest money and resources into attempts to improve the care of the terminally ill? (Best, 2010) Palliative care is expensive and becoming more so as patients survive longer and develop more complex problems. It is a very labour intensive discipline. Public opinion can be influenced once a law is changed.  Is this what we want?  Western medicine has progressed as far as it has because we do value all human lives and continue to seek cures for the diseases which afflict us. (Best, 2010)

Religious views show the importance of the value of life. According to Pope John Paul II, “Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person.” (Evangelium Vitae, 1995) In Islam, there are verses on the sacredness of life found in the holy Koran. One of which is, “Do not take life, which Allah made sacred, other than in the course of justice.” (Quran 17.33) and another which states that “If anyone kills a person - unless it is for murder or spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed the whole people.”(Qur'an 5:32) Life is sacred and in the case of euthanasia, it is seen as wrong to take a life. In addition, death is the exclusive action of God and “When their time comes they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward by a single hour.”(Qur’an 16:61) and “no person can ever die except by Allah's leave and at an appointed term.” (Quran 3.145) Hence, what right does a doctor have to take a life that is not his to take? Similarly, Christians recognise that all humans are made in the image of God and thus have value that is not dependent on their state of health or abilities. It also means that they are creatures, and so their autonomy will operate within the parameters given to them by their creator, God. “Our bodies are not our own” (1 Cor 6:19-20). While Christians would say their bodies are not their own, legally, a man is free to end his life when he chooses.  But that does not mean he has a right to do so, and he certainly does not have the right to compel someone else to kill him. (Best, 2010) “Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

In conclusion, euthanasia should not be allowed because of the problems that may arise with its practice and the common views of different religions which see life as sacred. The public debate is about whether we should change the law to allow euthanasia, not about whether euthanasia is right or wrong for individual cases. Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is legal in Oregon and Washington State in the US. There are serious discussions going on in Montana, Singapore and Spain. In The UK, over 100 Brits have died under the arrangements in Switzerland, and the government is developing guidelines for prosecution of those who assist in such suicides. The Swiss authorities are having a similar debate themselves, with the final outcome far from clear. (Best, 2010) The question is, why are there debates in Western countries at a time when there are more medical cures than ever before in human history? What is going on? Is ending life the best solution when there is hope more than ever? “Euthanasia is a long, smooth-sounding word, and it conceals its danger as long, smooth words do, but the danger is there, never the less.” (Buck, n.d)

References

Best, M. (2010). The Ethical Dilemmas Of Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://www.case.edu.au/images/uploads/Best_article__2_.pdf.

Brock, D. W. (1992). Voluntary Active Euthanasia. The Hastings Center Report, 22(2), 10-22. Retrieved from http://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/rarneson/Courses/DanBrockVolactEuth.pdf.

Euthanasia quotes. (n.d.). In Famous Quotes, Love Quotes, Life Quotes | Quotations at Dictionary.com. Retrieved January 9 , 2013, from http://quotes.dictionary.com/subject/euthanasia?page=1

Ishimaru, Y. Legalization of Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://faculty.tru.ca/jhu/Legalization%20of%20Euthanasia.pdf.


Kate Cheney's Oregon Death Illustrates Dangers. (n.d.). National Right to Life. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.nrlc.org/news/1999/NRL1199/kate.html

Shadi, H., & Aramesh, K. (2007). Euthanasia: An Islamic Ethical Perspective. Iranian Journal Of Allergy, Asthma And Immunology, 6(5), 35-38. Retrieved from http://www.iaari.hbi.ir/journal/archive/articles/v6s5ar3.pdf.