Forty-one year-old Peter Cinque was in the terminal stages of diabetes. He was blind, had lost both legs, and suffered from ulcers and cardiovascular problems, as well. He was being kept alive by a kidney dialysis machine. Then one day he asked his doctors to stop the treatment. As a conscious, rational adult, he had the legal right to determine what should or should not be done to his body. But the hospital authorities refused to honor this right until he had been examined by two psychiatrists to test his mental competence. After this, the hospital obtained a court order that required him to continue with dialysis treatments. A few days later, Mr. Cimque stopped breathing. He had suffered from brain damage and was in a coma. Only after this and two court hearings in the hospital that he was finally permitted to exercise his constitutional right of self-determination (Ogg 61). What an unfortunate incident. Mr. Cinque was forced to prolong his suffering due to a lack of guidelines to ensure the right of self-determination. For this reason, euthanasia must be legalized in a way that individuals to decide for themselves what should or should not b

Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Neal Bernards. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. 70.

When euthanasia is legalized, terminally ill patients will have the choice to end their suffering and die with dignity. Those who wish to go through euthanasia will not have this right denied to them. They are free to judge their wom lives and free to exercise their right of self-determination. When euthanasia is legalized, patients will not be forced to have their pain prolonged due to court hearing or due to hospital bureaucracies. Lpatients do not have to feel that they are at the mercy of thers. Furthermore, doctors will be free from the burden of providing medical care to patients who are hopelessly ill, especially patients who wish to discontinue painfull treatments. Yet, legalizing euthanasia does not mean that society would force pople to die when they are incapable or when they get old. People would simply be granted an alternative choice other than having to go trough prolonged and painful treatment.

Leo, John. "Assisted Suicide's Slippery Slope." U.S. News

Peterson, Lynn. "Would Better Pain Relief Make

Ogg, Elizabeth. "Euthanasia Should Be Legalized." Euthanasia:

The case for euthanasia is justified on three fundamental moral principles: mercy, autonomy, and justice (Battin 18). First, there is principle of mercy. This means that one ought to relieve pain of another and that it is a doctor's duty to relieve pain and suffering for the patients. Granting mercy sometimes require euthanasia, both by direct killing and letting die. Moreover, allowing doctors to end the life of terminally ill patients is more merciful than allowing them to die slowly and painfully. Second, There is the principle of autonomy. That is, euthanasia is an individual's choice. It is the right of those who have a desire to be free from pain and total dependence on others to end their lives. The degree of pain experienced by one can never be fully appreciated by another. Thus, no one can decide for another, and no one can take a choice away from another. Third, there is the principle of justice. Euthanasia is central to the liberty protected by the fourteenth amendment (Leo22). Again, every human being of adult years has the right to decide what should be done with his body. This also applies to terminally ill patients who are especially in need of choices. They are at a situation in which they must be allowed to decide for choices. They are at a situation in which they must be allowed to decide for themselves. Otherwise, it would be unconstitutional to deny them the freedom of choice in which every body else has. It would be a crime to deny them this right because they are at the mercy of other people.

Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Neal Bernards.

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Approximate Word count = 1860
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)