Should Euthanasia Be Legal - 1360 Words

Owadara Adedamola ENG 101 Prof. Skeen 24 November 2015 Legalizing Euthanasia â€Å"Euthanasia is defined as conduct that brings about an easy and painless death for persons suffering from an incurable or painful disease or condition† (Muckart, et al 259). Euthanasia, also dying with dignity, is the practice of the termination of a terminally ill person s life in order to relieve them of their suffering. Euthanasia is one of today’s most controversial health issues with debates on people’s right to die or live. It is a topic that has been debated morally, ethically and legally. It has been described as one of the biggest controversies of this decade. In countries like the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium; euthanasia has been legalized†¦show more content†¦Respect for a person s autonomy requires that his or her considered value judgment must be taken seriously, even if that judgment is believed to be mistaken† (qtd. in Worsnop, par. 121). In line with this, there are laws and medical practices that recognize the right of an individual to refuse treatment even to the individual’s detriment or death. According to David J.Mayo Ph.D., â€Å"Current law and medical practice already recognize the right of competent adults to refuse life-prolonging therapies, however trivial (for example, an antibiotic to end a life-threatening pneumonia), and even feeding tubes and hydration via IV† (qtd. in Karaim 465). There have been cases where people have refused a blood transfusion, feeding tubes and even resuscitation. Cheryl K. Smith said, â€Å"Americans have a common-law and constitutional right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. This right extends to the removal of life-sustaining equipment, including the administration of artificial nutrition and hydration. This â€Å"right-to-die† should extend to aid-in-dying or active euthanasia, for the terminally ill, at their request† (qtd.in Worsnop, par. 120). Since people have a right to refuse care and medication, which may eventually lead to their death, they should have a right to choose to die. Withdrawing artificial means of sustaining life has become widely accepted, as