Euthanasia
Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is a medical process that ends a patient's life. This process is completely voluntary (for both patients and doctors) and often occurs when a patient has a terminal (life-ending) illness and is living in pain.
The goal of euthanasia is to bring closure to a patient and improve their quality of life by eliminating their suffering.
Currently, in the United States, there are no federal laws regarding physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is determined by individual states. As of 2022, 10 states in the US have legalized medically assisted suicide.
However this process has raised many moral and ethical disagreements
Those who support the right to euthanasia claim the following:
Euthanasia eliminates the suffering that stems from the terminal patients having to live in chronic pain until their death. Therefore, euthanasia allows patients to end their suffering earlier with the same outcome that would arrive naturally (death).
A patient is require to give informed consent for euthanasia, meaning that nobody can decide to perform the procedure except for the patient. Additionally, if a doctor does not want to perform the euthanasia, they have the right to deny the procedure and allow another doctor to fill in.
Those who oppose the right to euthanasia argue the following:
Euthanasia eliminates the suffering that stems from the terminal patients having to live in chronic pain until their death. Therefore, euthanasia allows patients to end their suffering ealier with the same outcome that would arrive naturally (death).A patient is require to give informed consent for euthanasia, meaning that nobody can decide to perform the procedure exept for the patient. Additionally, if a doctor does not want to perform the euthanasia, they have the right to deny the procedure and allow another doctor to fill in.
Those who oppose the right to euthanasia argue the following:When doctors complete their education, they take what is known as the Hippocratic Oath. This oath swears to treat patients to the best of their ability and preserve life. Therefore a doctor should not be involved in euthanasia (which ends a patient’s life).In society, laws are created to preserve and give value to every individual's life. Therefore, it is not ethical to legalize a procedure that ends a person's life. Medical treatments should provide patients with the best quality of care, until they pass away naturally.