Euthanasia
Whether or not Euthanasia and assisted suicide should be legalized is one of the most hotly debated legal and ethical issues. Proponents of legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia often defend their case by mixing two types of argument. One is based on social policy; the other is related to individuals their liberty, dignity, and pain and suffering. Some of these arguments are, in my view, flawed, and are inadequate to justify the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Legalization could have grave consequences, especially for those who deserve support and protection because of their vulnerability. The social policy argument reflects a form of "new realism" that has been invoked successfully in discussions. The basis of this argument is that euthanasia prohibition forces people to commit acts of euthanasia or assisted suicide in appalling conditions akin to those of back-street abortions. It could be expressed this way; euthanasia is prohibited, the prohibition forces people to commit "backstreet" acts of euthanasia, therefore the prohibition should be abolished. Because euthanasia is actually practised, it should be legalized so that control can be exercised on the manner by which people are put to death. This "re
Allowing physicians to ask patients if they want to terminate their life is not tantamount to offering a choice. It is more justifiable than allowing euthanasia, because using drugs is not the same as killing a person, or asking other for assistance in suicide. Financial cost, not to mention the emotional cost of seeing beloved ones "without dignity," are often mentioned in support of euthanasia. There will always be reasonable limits to the exercise of liberty. What constitutes dignity is culturally determined. However, studies indicate that between 0. The difficulty in keeping euthanasia within limits, once it is accepted as an exceptional procedure, is already clear in the Netherlands. For example, the suffering and death of young girls during back-street surgical removals of the clitoris is not a reason to legalise the practice and allow physicians to perform it in "ideal circumstances. Consent, in this view, would be an adequate safeguard. It is perfectly legitimate in Canada to refuse treatment even if this clearly hastens death. If we feel "undignified," it is because we are so in the eyes of others around us. This alone would solve many problems of suffering patients. We might all be forced to acknowledge that dependence and physical decline diminish human dignity. Health-care professionals frequently do not provide adequate pain relief from an unfounded and often absurd fear of drug addiction. Does it mean that in the name of liberty, we must give legal approval to killing or assisted suicide? Liberty is necessarily restricted by merely living in society.
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Acceptance Essays
