EUTHANASIA IS IRREVERSIBLE: The writer starts by clearly defining the differences between direct and passive euthanasia and natural death, terminology that is essential to understanding the issue at hand. However, once established by the writer, these concepts seem to have little relevance to the rest of the argument. He then continues his debate by clearly establishing that euthanasia is permanent and irreversible, a point that is difficult to dispute and does emphasize the importance of the issue to the reader. Yet, his persistent use of medical cases where patients were classified as irreversibly comatose and where all decisions regarding their continual treatment were made by others, neglects to recognize the numerous cases of terminally ill patients, who simply ask for the right to control their own destiny and to die with dignity. His use of extreme cases, all of which were found in 'National Right to Life News', gives the reader a distorted picture and neglects the many types of cases where the prolonging of life would be cruel, inhumane and immoral. (Johnstone, 1994:353)
             EUTHANASIA SETS A BAD EXAMPLE? I would ask what kind of example are we giving our young by prolonging life at whatever cost to the person? Is quantity of life always the best option? Is the taking of human life always wrong? In the 18th century William Mitford, an English historian stated "Men fear death, as if unquestionably the greatest evil, and yet no man knows that it may not be the greatest good." (Bradley, Daniels & Jones, 1969:194) Here the author compares the act of suicide among the young with the act of euthanasia with the terminally ill. He believes, in making euthanasia an acceptable social practice, it will inevitably have negative repercussions on the rest of society. The writer argues that by condoning euthanasia, we condone acts of suicide as a means to cope with life. In my opinion, there are obvious differences between the act ...