Too Few Main Points How to Proceed (q) Should we allow for euthanasia ? As people in developed societies all over the world live longer, the issue of individual mortality becomes a social or national concern. One question that comes to mind is whether we should allow people to have greater autonomy over the ending of their lives, just as we give them freedom to decide many other aspects of their lives. iberals cite how science now offers the option of euthanasia that can come in different forms and can be practised with different conditions. !owever promising this may sound, many complications as well as the argument of valuing human life mean that euthanasia should be a decision that is greatly limited, if it is ever justified. "hose who support euthanasia argue that there can be many conditions put in place so that euthanasia facilitates a dignified end rather than suicide. To begin, it can be applied only to terminally ill patients whose hope for survival is slim, recovery is certainly impossible, and pain is unbearable. "his would eliminate rash decision#ma$ing by those who having greater chances of survival or those who more emotionally traumatised than they are actually medically ill. Next, another condition that can be implemented is for the patient to be of conscious and of sound mind to communicate his desire for euthanasia. "his would prevent ne%t# of#$in from resorting to &mercy $illing' simply to avoid the inconvenience of caring for the terminally#patient. On a social level, granting the freedom to choose euthanasia can result in some relief on medical resources such as bed space and medical staff. (hen we consider all these benefits, it would appear that euthanasia should be encouraged. !owever, the arguments against euthanasia are compelling too. "here are problems of implementation that have already appeared. One of them is that even though we can try to ma%imise freedom and minimise abuse by leaving the decision to a patient who is conscious and P a g e | ) of sound mind, there is still a chance that his own decision could be coloured by other factors that ma$e his final choice an emotional unsound one. Another practice, the living will, which allows a person to permit euthanasia on himself if he is incapacitated later in life, is also problematic. (ould one's younger self $now what one's older self would prefer* As a person grows, his view of life changes. +o declaring a desire for euthanasia is a premature decision. ,et, in the absence of the living will, his fate could be sealed by those around him. -n such situations, the safest option may be to not even have the choice of euthanasia allowed for anyone, be it the person, or ne%t#of#$in. et another big concern is that permitting euthanasia # meaning ma$ing it legal in a state or country . sets the tone for society and shapes the view of the ne%t generation. -t may ta$e one or two generations, but just li$e other social transformations, what begins as choices made by the minority then evolves to become more prevalent. And this is alright if the social transformation is positive. /nfortunately, euthanasia is not a clear# cut positive thing because it challenges some of our most human attributes. The first is hope. "he undermining of hope is often equated with the undermining of faith because mortal humans turn to the 0ivine in hope. The second is struggle. (hile this struggle is apparent for the terminally#ill who are still conscious, for patients who are no longer conscious, the struggle is one that is most felt by their loved ones. +ome may argue that this is an act of futility, but in both the forms of struggle, these attributes emerge1 selflessness, patience and love. "hese qualities are e%alted precisely because they bloom when a person is truly wea$est. "he subtle erosion of any of this, nurtures a society that is less $ind and more utilitarian in its choices. (ith every new generation, a less human society is built. "o conclude, can there be a middle ground in a life#and#death decision li$e euthanasia* +ome may say, 2"o each his own.3 4ut their personal decision has repercussions too. -f people aspire to goodness for others in their living, then they should want to leave a good legacy in their dying. On this note, euthanasia should not be allowed. 511 words