Paper Example on Euthanasia

Currently, some nations like Netherlands and states in America like Oregon promotes the act (Olevitch, 2002). Mercy killing or assisted suicide is considered an act of compassion and also a legal right for the nations or regions supporting it through legislation (Morrison, 2007 and St Godard, 2015). Americans have always fought to have the freedom to decide to be alive or die, which can happen through physical assistance or Euthanasia.

Medical advancement not only prolongs, but also increase the suffering (Ekland-Olson, & Aseltine, 2012). For instance, a patient who is terminally ill are given drugs to sustain themselves but under excruciating and degrading circumstances (Guy & Stern, 2006). For this reason, people need to be allowed to determine whether they want to be alive or dead. These patients should be allowed to have a peaceful dead instead of anguish pain. Laws that are promoted by the court that hinder people from accessing physically assisted suicide should be scrapped (Sunstein, 1997). The right to die qualifies to be classified under the fundamentals rights provided by the American Constitution.

Denying people this chance without adequate reason is a constitutional violation. However, if states need to interfere with this constitutional right, it must have a concrete reason which is evidence-based (Eisendrath, 2012). The right to privacy under the constitution also promotes people right to determine whether to be dead or alive and in what manner (Rubin, 2010). The natural law principles that are covered under the American constitution promotes self-ownership (Pereira, 2011). The outcome should be people who decide what to with their life, including the right to choose the death for life. Before Euthanasia or physician assisted suicide is performed the person needs to be informed or make a personal decision. Carrying out Euthanasia without the consent of the person being administered in the act is wrong and unethical (Quffa & Voinea, 2013). People need to understand what they are about to undergo and the associated consequences.

References

Allen, J., Chavez, S., DeSimone, S., & Howard, D. (2006). Americans' attitudes toward euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, 1936-2002. J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare, 33, 5.

Benatar, D. (2010). Should there be a legal right to die?. Current Oncology, 17(5), 2.

Ekland-Olson, S., & Aseltine, E. (2012). How ethical systems change: Tolerable suffering and assisted dying. Routledge.

Eisendrath, B. (2012). A Natural Right to Die: Twenty-Three Centuries Of Debate. Marquette Elder's Advisor, 4(2), 80.

Guy, M., & Stern, T. A. (2006). The desire for death in the setting of terminal illness: A case discussion. Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 8(5), 299.

Math, S. B., & Chaturvedi, S. K. (2012). Euthanasia: Right to life vs right to die. The Indian journal of medical research, 136(6), 899.

Morrison, L. (2007). Physician assisted suicidea good death?. Br J Gen Pract, 57(544), 923-923.

Olevitch, B. A. (2002). Protecting Psychiatric Patients and Others from Assisted Suicide Movement: Insight and Strategies. Praeger.

Pereira, J. (2011). Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: the illusion of safeguards and controls. Current Oncology, 18(2), e38.

Rubin, E. (2010). Assisted suicide, morality, and law: why prohibiting assisted suicide violates the establishment clause. Vand. L. Rev., 63, 761.

Sunstein, C. R. (1997). The right to die. The Yale law journal, 106(4), 1123-1163.

St Godard, E. T. (2015). Is physician-assisted death in anyones best interest?. Canadian Family Physician, 61(4), 316-318.

Quffa, W.-A., & Voinea, D. (2013). Assisted Suicide - Between the Right tptanco Life, the Obligation to Live and Social Acce. Contemporary Reading in Law and Social.