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LEGALIZATION OF EUTHANASIA.   Term Paper ID:20924 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Argues for passive & active good death for terminally ill on moral, legal, medical, familial & economic grounds.... More...

7 Pages / 1575 Words 8 sources, 11 Citations, MLA Format $28.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Argues for passive & active good death for terminally ill on moral, legal, medical, familial & economic grounds. Paper Introduction: Euthanasia has become an important issue in the protection of human dignity. It has been in the news a good deal lately because of the crusade of the so-called "suicide doctor," Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who has "assisted" at some 17 or 18 suicides over the past few years, all of people who were facing some debilitating and painful degenerative disease. As medical science becomes more adept at prolonging life, but not necessarily at making that life valuable, euthanasia becomes an option to be considered by those who suffer, those who love them, and those who are charged with their care. Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning "good death" or "happy death," and the term refers to any action that brings a painless death to a person suffering from an injury, disease, or the ravages of age. There is a distinction between active euthanasia and passive Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Active euthanasia means taking a positive actionthat leads directly to the death of another person, and active euthanasiais considered murder in most legal and religious systems (Urofsky 15). The strain is greater on him because of theanger he feels that his children and grandchildren will not visit the frailwife in the hospital. It is first of all a humaneway of ending life in the event of a terminal illness or debilitating andincurable injury. Euthanasia and Religion. More often, theywill not, and the family is still the decision-making unit faced with theneed to balance the suffering of the patient with the possibility ofrelief. Blendon. 3.Dougherty, Charles J. . People may avoid talking about thefinancial aspect, as if to do so is to place a mercenary rather than amerciful coloring on their desire to end the suffering, but it is an issuethat must be faced. As noted, medical science today can prolong life but may not be ableto restore full functioning to the sufferer, in which case the humansuffering involved is also being prolonged: When technology becomes an end in itself, unduly prolonging the dying process, it creates a paradox in which human dignity may be undermined and where the goals of treatment are distorted to accommodate the imperatives of technology. This issue will be debated more and more as movements for deathwith dignity increase, as we are faced with the activities of physicianslike Dr. Kevorkian who want to challenge the existing system, and as ourhealth care system faces more and more wrenching decisions as newtechniques prolong life without restoring it to a healthy state. On the contrary, we are a culture very much enamored with life and almost obsessive about our physical and psychological well- being. The legalization of active euthanasia would also end thephysical and emotional suffering not only of the patient but also of theimmediate family members. Furthermore, such a move would help cut thenation's soaring health costs by eliminating expensive extended--andultimately fruitless--hospital care. How much does the family or surviving member have to suffer in the face ofthe suffering of a loved one when the suffering on both sides could becurtailed by an active euthanasia? . Decisions that subordinate the humane dying of a terminally ill man or woman to the technological imperative, or personal or institutional self- interest--legal, financial, professional--are not consistent with Christian values and traditions (Tong 27).The purpose of medical science is to alleviate human suffering, not toprolong it, and the stricture against active euthanasia contributes to thecontinuation of suffering in many cases. It came swiftly, "a thief in the night." It came without significant resistance from medicine; little could be done to ward off impending death. Active euthanasia takes place, but it does so to the peril ofparticipants who may only be trying to alleviate human suffering for thosethey love. Often the effect the partner's deterioration has on the other partnerdepends on the degree of assistance the caretaker can get from family,community, and friends. Group lifeclaims increased even more dramatically, from $253 million in 1989 to$374.8 million in 199 . He spends each day byher bed talking softly to her, though long before her hospitalization shehad ceased to recognize him. Still, how many families can afford thesecosts and the lengthy hospitalization which may come at the end? Few of us like pain and suffering, and only those of us who are profoundly religious can find meaning in them (Tong 33). There isa distinction between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. "The common good, terminal illness, and euthanasia." Issues in Law & Medicine (Fall 1993), 151-166."Euthanasia; what is the 'good death'?" The Economist (July 2 , 1991), 21- 23.LaRue, Gerald A. "Euthanasia: should the public decide?" JAMA (February 3, 1993), 59-591.Tong, Rosemarie. There is also an economic aspect to the issue, and many families aredevastated financially by having to maintain life support for a patient whohas no chance whatsoever of recovery. The family must face difficult decisions when there is a terminallyill patient depending on that family to make this important decision.Often, they will have discussed the matter beforehand. It comes only after exhaustive medical interventions, some of which plainly increase the length and intensity of suffering and all of which increase costs to the health care system (Dougherty 153).While this fact is known, it has not been fully addressed by the healthcare system, the legal system, or society at large: The debate on the meaning of "futility" is still in its infancy: we have no clear sense of public values on these matters, no good figures on costs, no clear criteria for cost- benefit calculations, and no political process to allow physicians and lay people together to develop appropriate standards (Tong 32). The factis that death has become very expensive for some patients because there hasbeen a change in how people die. The healthier of the two willbecome the parent to the other's child in the relationship, and this may bea shift from the pattern the relationship has always enjoyed (LaRue 33-37). Physicians tend to assume that what patients and families want isresuscitation-life at all costs, but is seems that this is less and lesstrue as surveys show that public opinion is overwhelmingly on the side ofwithdrawing all "invasive" and "extraordinary" treatment in such cases("Euthanasia; what is the 'good death'?" 21). Under other circumstances, the hurt of the illnesswould still be there, but the old man would have the support of his familyto help reduce the burden. 87-88.----------------------- 8 The effect of one partner's deterioration onthe other partner or on the family as a whole will vary from situation tosituation, but it is certain that there will be considerable stressinvolved, that the healthy partner will have to contend with his or her owninfirmities as well as being the bulwark for the other, and that the straincan have numerous consequences over time. Even when the physician can see that the patient is sufferingand understands the desire on the part of the patient to end it, he or shecan do nothing about it because of the legal structures against mercykilling, assisted suicide, or whatever specific name is given to the actthat would end the suffering. However, at present thechoice is not up to the patient, the family, or the physician, at least notlegally. In many cases, the patientwho is being kept alive is also suffering great pain and indignity, andthis cannot necessarily be measured objectively to an observer such as aphysician. Los Angeles: Hemlock Society, 1985.Shertz, Edward and Robert J. Euthanasia has become an important issue in the protection of humandignity. "Euthanasia in the 199 s: dying a "good" death." Current (July-August 1993), 27-33).Urofsky, Melvin I. Passiveeuthanasia refers to the withdrawal of "heroic" measures that keep amoribund person alive. Health care costshave been rising for some time, and an extended stay in a hospital settingcan cost many thousands of dollars, which seems especially costly when itis for a health problem that is terminal in time. Letting Go: Death, Dying & the Law. Works CitedBrostoff, Steven, "AIDS-Related Life Insurance Claims Jumped in 199 ," National Underwriter (October 7, 1991), p. As science can keep people alive longer,it does so at a much higher cost just prior to death than was paid in thepast: In all of our prior history, death for those who reached adulthood came generally in what is now midlife. Now death is generally an event of old age. Active euthanasia should be legalized. Of course we want to protectinfirm people from predators and from those who would subvert their wisheseither for or against a merciful death. A contrast is provided by looking at groupaccident and health claims, which actually dropped in 199 from the $455million of 1989 to $439.7 million (Brostoff 3). As noted, amongthese patients may be incompetent adults who previously expressed the willto be killed under such circumstances as well as infants who it is simplypresumed would, if they could, express the same wish (Tong 31). Although treatment costs for an AIDS patient can be as high as$1 , , most cases can be held to $3 , to $6 , with good casemanagement (Woolsey 87-88). Euthanasia is a difficult subject for Americans to consider, asindeed is any topic related to death and dying. Yet, it is a veryimportant issue that needs to be explored more profoundly, considered moredeeply, and codified in a way that avoids the murky areas faced by dyingpeople and their families and friends today. In addition, the family itself will be suffering in sympathy withthe patient as well as by the onerousness of the decision that has to bemade. Tong finds that the idea ofactive euthanasia, while distasteful to many and while being something mostAmericans state they would not choose, is also something most Americanstoday feel should be a matter of personal choice and should be judged on anindividual basis: The fact that so many people are interested in euthanasia is not necessarily a sign that this is a death-driven culture. It typically follows a long pattern of chronic illness and decline. AIDS is an expensivedisease, and individual life insurance claims related to the diseasereached $273.6 million in 199 , up from $221.7 million in 1989. It has been in the news a good deal lately because of the crusadeof the so-called "suicide doctor," Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who has "assisted"at some 17 or 18 suicides over the past few years, all of people who werefacing some debilitating and painful degenerative disease. Shertz and Blendon note that surveys showthat half of those who say they would want euthanasia would accept death soas to not burden their families and not, as is widely supposed, becausethey had pain (Shertz and Blendon 59 ). As medicalscience becomes more adept at prolonging life, but not necessarily atmaking that life valuable, euthanasia becomes an option to be considered bythose who suffer, those who love them, and those who are charged with theircare. Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning "good death" or "happydeath," and the term refers to any action that brings a painless death to aperson suffering from an injury, disease, or the ravages of age. The costs accrue not only to the family but also toinsurance companies, hospitals, and society at large. New York: Charles Scribners' Sons, 1993.Woolsey, Christine, "How to Live with the Costs as Workers Live with AIDS," Business Insurance (October 7, 1991), pp. Suffering takes many forms, and the suffering of the family of thepatient should not be ignored. One writer cites the case of an 87 year old manwhose 85 year old wife is comatose from Alzheimer's. Consider just the risein costs associated with AIDS in recent years. In nonvoluntary active euthanasia, physicians (or family members orfriends) make the decision to immediately end the lives of incompetentpatients who seem to be in enormous pain or suffering, and since physiciansare more and more wary of making any such decision which will leave themopen to legal action, the process devolves to the family. Some patients indeed want heroicmeasures taken and want to prolong life as long as possible, while othersbelieve that death with dignity means taking action when it is clear thatthat is the only way dignity can be achieved. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.