Euthanasia the Great Debate Over Legalization

Over the past decade in the United States the most argued over, debated about issue has been a patient's right to choose to end their life by means of euthanasia. Euthanasia has been and still remains an extremely controversial issue. With each debate or argument that takes place in regards to legalizing euthanasia there are many questions that have yet to be answered and no clear answers for these questions. Should euthanasia be legalized? Will it open the doors for abuse? Can safeguards be put in place and affectively enforced? Are there any ethical or moral reasons for choosing to die? And is it really painless and peaceful? These are just a few of the concerns that protestors have. However is it not the patients right to end their life? Do they now have the choice to die exactly the way they want? Supporters of legalizing euthanasia present these questions and more. The question at hand is whether euthanasia should be legalized and if it is can there be clear and strict safeguards put in place to reduce the opportunity for abuse.

Before trying to answer the questions at hand, understanding what the meaning of e

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The issue of legalizing euthanasia in the United States has been the topic of must debates over the past decade. "Currently, thirty five states have statutes explicitly criminalizing active euthanasia or assisted suicide."(Assisted) While nine states have taken it a step further by criminalizing it through common law. And three states have absolutely no common law or statues in effect for criminalizing active euthanasia or assisted suicide. Oregon was the first state to allow "doctors to hasten death for terminally ill."(Bloyd) This new law was known as Measure 18, this gives the doctors authorizations to "prescribe a lethal dose of drugs for patients in unbearable suffering who have only six months to live."(Bloyd) This law does have some requirements, one, two doctors must agree on the patient condition as being terminal. Two, the patient must make this request to their doctor at least three times the third time being in writing. And if these requirements are meet and the doctor prescribes the lethal drug to the patient, they are than responsibility for taken the drug on their own without anyone's assistance.

Many arguments have been presented trying to rational legalizing euthanasia. Patients that feel that they can no longer do the things that make their life meaningful or "that death is preferable to the pain of their existence."(Jussim 53) This decision is called a rational suicide. In the United States we as people live in a democracy where the "state exist to serve individuals"(Jussim 53) if this is the case why should they be forced to suffer unnecessarily and should have the freedom to do what they want including when and how to die as long as they do not hurt anyone else. Though most doctors are opposed to performing euthanasia others see it as an extension to health care that can be provided to the patient. "Doctors should be able fulfill this moral and professional obligation without fear of legal prosecution." (Jussim 53) Sometimes the pain is so unbearable that pain management is inadequate or just not available to the patient and active euthanasia would give them that much wished for relieve. It is also just a great comfort knowing that euthanasia is an option at their disposal if their suffering became unbearable. It can be their escape.

Terminally ill patients have many reasons for choosing to end their life. Some patients suffer not only from the disease that is killing them but also from severe depression. To them this is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Others live in constant chronic pain, some due to poverty or lack of health care insurance. Choosing euthanasia may also be due to the "physician's lack of knowledge, inadequate training, or specific beliefs"(Robinson) against prescribing certain painkillers. Sometimes it is for financial reasons why a patient wants to die. They do not want to diminish their assets by incurring expensive medical bills over the course of their treatment. They would rather end it and pass on their assets to their beneficiaries. Another reason is that a serious disorder or disease has completely affected the quality of their life to the point that they do not wish to live any longer in absolute suffe

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