Euthanasia
“Euthanasia”
There have been and are many debates going on about “Should euthanasia be legal?” Euthanasia is defined as purposefully acting to terminate life, by a person other than the person concerned, upon request of the latter. To avoid any misunderstanding, the acting person intended here is the physician. This acting is to be distinguished from physician-assisted suicide which refers to prescription, supply, or administration of drugs with the explicit intention of shortening life at the patient's request, as stated by Pieter Tijmes. There are reasons as to why not such as the Hippocratic Oath, Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999, and what gives us, human beings, the right to play God? Dr. Kevorkian also known as Dr. Death has assisted over 130 Dr. assisted suicides and according to The Weekly Standard, “About 70 percent of the nearly 130 people who died in Kevorkian’s rust van or other venues were not terminally ill. Most were disabled and depressed. At least five had no discernable illnesses whatsoever upon autopsy.” Then there is the point that Oregon tries to make with a law allowing Dr. assisted suicide. Should or shouldn’t euthanasia be legal?
Let’s first start with the Hippocratic Oath that doctors swear by stating, “…I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy, in purity and
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holiness I will guard my life and my art…” If all doctors swear by this and are ethical then euthanasia wouldn’t be a problem. Doctors are supposed to be here to help the sick not give them the medicine and tell them how to help kill themselves. Human life is holy, pure, and has dignity no one should be able to take that away.
The Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 was intended to amend the Controlled Substances Act to promote pain management and palliative care...
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