March 20, 2020

Euthanasia: Compassion or Sadism?

A choice is a notion people were fighting for through the last centuries. The choice comes as a milestone of democracy and as a basic instrument to navigate through one’s life.

However, how should we treat such choices as, for instance, assisted suicide?

Euthanasia: Compassion or Sadism?: eAskme
Euthanasia: Compassion or Sadism?: eAskme

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Whereas some say, euthanasia should be an individual choice, the others are afraid that such a fatal approach to pain-management (both physical and psychological) will lead the society into the unbridled chaos.

The dilemma

Let’s begin with the definition provided by Medical News Today:

“Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide refer to deliberate action taken with the intention of ending a life, in order to relieve persistent suffering.”

When stepping into a euthanasia discussion, you should also know that there are two types of injection – voluntary & involuntary (which is frequently used as a corporate punishment).

Talking about the voluntary euthanasia, it’s been a controversial topic for many of the developed countries that keep receiving such requests from the following population categories:
  • Elderly people (older than 75 in most of the cases);

  • Disabled people;

  • People suffering from chronic pain or terminal disease.
At the same time, these groups aren’t likely to commit suicide in its usual sense.

Therefore, we can assume, euthanasia is an acceptable way to say goodbye for them and leave this world for a better place.

In some of the euthanasia essay examples, you may get familiar with the most popular reasons these vulnerable groups present to request voluntary euthanasia.

No need to mention why they feel like being a heavy burden for their family and friends.

Their inability to take care of themselves and live a life filled with joy and happiness turns them into helpless people who’d rather run away from the abusive world than fight till the last breath.

Relying on a relatively high level of morality today, the governments around the world ran into a dilemma regarding this medical procedure.

Euthanasia persuasive essay became quite a popular assignment for students to practice their writing skills.

We collected the most frequent “for” and “against” arguments for you to either come up with a perfect essay on euthanasia or simply choose the side.

For:

  1. People should be able to make a choice regarding their life and death. In essays about euthanasia, you usually see that we shouldn’t recommend someone how to live their life though tell them how and where to die.

  2. Some patients don’t want to continue therapy for both financial and time reasons. Why should the government make these people suffer instead of letting them pass away peacefully? If you want to leave the party – leave the party.

  3. People should be given the same option as the animals who are put down for reducing their pain.

Against:

  • Society demonstrates their care-free attitude about depressed people who’d rather need “assistance with living” not “assistance with dying”.

  • The treatment of the terminally ill people will not improve since the patients may feel pressured by the option of euthanasia and surrender way earlier than they should.

  • Treating human beings in the manner we treat animals distances us from the high moral standards of the XXI century.
In terms of consistency, all the arguments have a right to exist. On one side, people stress out one’s autonomy as a key factor to influence the final decision of a patient.

On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and in this case, mercy comes as one of those.

Since the police ought to help those who are about to commit suicide, why should the doctors follow the opposite strategy?

The issue is too dramatic to find its solution in the nearest future.

Doctors about Euthanasia

The topic of euthanasia is a special challenge for those working in the medical field. It’s a unique case when the concept of “help” may be interpreted in an unusual manner.

In his TEDxEmory speech, Joel Zivots uncovers his feelings about euthanasia and compares it to the death penalty.

Zivots demonstrates that one of the most popular corporate punishment (lethal injection) may harm the body in a way similar to what hanging and electrocution do.

Therefore, he doesn’t see assisted suicide as a way to leave this world peacefully. Instead, Zivots emphasizes the need to conduct the autopsy after euthanasia to get proof of its dehumanizing nature.

Zivots’ colleague, dr. Michael Irwin promotes the opposite idea. He’s absolutely sure that his comfortable existence is coming to an and – why would he want to start an unhappy period of life?

He sees multiple spectacular advances in euthanasia and therefore promotes it in hisonline blog arguing with the “pro-life” groups.

Irwin says we should be responsible for our lives till out last day without delegating your health issues to any of the family members and friends.’

Euthanasia around the world

In some countries, euthanasia is equal to disrespect of human dignity whereas others claim it as the emergence of freedom.

As it usually happens, religion comes as one of the primary factors to support or deny the ethics of assisted suicide.

In Christianity, for example, suffering is viewed from a positive side: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13).

Is this principle relevant to the modern understanding of individualism?

Not all Christian countries think so.

One of the online pro-euthanasia portals My Death – My Decisionhas recently shared information about the legal status of this medical procedure.
  • Australia: Euthanasia is legal in the states of Victoria and Western Australia.

  • North America: Oregon was the first state to provide such an opportunity to its citizens; later, Washington, California, and Colorado joined the community. Even though there multiple activists trying to modify the law, the Canadian government strongly supports euthanasia as well.

  • South America: Columbia is the only country on the list that didn’t have any voluntary procedures after enforcing the respective law for 18 years.

  • Europe: Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland always looked a bit more progressive than the rest of the European giants, thus seeing them on the list is not a surprise.
In Asia and Africa, however, assisted suicide is not a topic for a public discussion even though these regions have a relatively high percentage of suicide in general.

The precise reason behind is still unknown, but we may suggest that the extremely religious communities might avoid this type of debate to prevent the local population from doubting the government and mass misbehavior.

The discussion about euthanasia depends solely on the people who have never gone through it. There are many questions to be asked, and what’s funny, there’s no one to answer those.

The ones who chose a voluntary death will never share their experience: would they make the same decision about requesting a lethal dose of medicine if they had a chance?

What is your understanding, share with me via comments.

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