Should Euthanasia Be Legalized - 1536 Words

Legalizing Murder â€Å"Euthanasia, also [known as] mercy killing, [is the] practice of ending another’s life with the aim of enabling the person to avoid severe suffering, typically from a terminal illness† (â€Å"Euthanasia†). Furthermore, a study conducted in Washington State revealed that most of the participants who requested euthanasia had the diagnosis of cancer, neurological disease, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Back et al. 919). This study also uncovered that â€Å"the patient concerns most often perceived by physicians were worries about loss of control, being a burden, being dependent on others for personal care, and loss of dignity† (Back et al. 919). Although some argue that euthanasia is the best way to die for terminally-ill†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"In accord with Christian and other religious traditions, Western laws have generally considered the act of helping someone die a form of, [sic] or near equivalent of, [sic] homicide, and thus subject to legal sanctions† (â€Å"Euthanasia†). â€Å"Even a passive withholding of help to prevent death has often been severely punished† (â€Å"Euthanasia†). Although euthanasia is a very general term, it comes in a multitudinous variety of types. One of the many types of euthanasia is known as active euthanasia. â€Å"In active euthanasia a person directly and deliberately causes the patient s death† (â€Å"Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide†). â€Å"Active euthanasia is when death is brought about by an act,† such as â€Å"when a person is killed by being given an overdose of pain-killers† (â€Å"Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide†). Another one of the plethora of types is called passive euthanasia. When a patient is allowed to die, and the physician does not take the patient’s life directly, then it is known as passive euthanasia (â€Å"Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suic ide†). Furthermore, â€Å"passive euthanasia is when death is brought about by an omission,† which can be done by either â€Å"withdrawing or withholding treatment† (â€Å"Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide†). A third one of the innumerable types of euthanasia is called voluntary euthanasia. â€Å"Voluntary euthanasia occurs at the request of the