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Cora E. Bissman
Introduction
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Jonas was shocked when he heard about the Giver’s daughter, Rosemary, being released.
Being released is when someone receives a lethal injection and their body is disposed of. Jonas
thought this was horrible, and some people today would agree with him. While others would side
Euthanasia and other variants are defined as, “the acts or practices of killing or permitting
the death of the hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless ways for reasons of
The term “Euthanasia” comes from the Greek, “eu-” meaning “goodly or well,” and
“thanatos” meaning “death.” But the term was first used in the writings of seventeenth- and
assisted suicide, the physician prescribes lethal medications but the patient must take the
external means such as respirators or intravenous feeding that help to preserve the life of people
that may or may not be in irreversible comas. Positive euthanasia is when treatment methods
such as antibiotics, drugs, or surgery are withheld or that lethal medication is applied (Burling,
2016.)
Euthanasia has been practiced in many human cultures throughout history. The issue is
discussed in the writings of several early Greek philosophers, who considered it to be morally
acceptable. Soon after the fall of Rome, however, the rise of the Christian church and its sway
over civil law deemed mercy killing immoral and illegal (Gale, 2016.)
During World War II, as part of his mission to cleanse the German population, Adolf
Hitler authorized physicians to euthanize tens of thousands of mentally and physically disabled
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children and adults. This lead to the death of millions of Jews, Romani (Gypsies), Catholics, and
homosexual people. After the war, revelations about Hitler's actions and devastation at the loss
of millions of people had a profound impact on public opinion regarding euthanasia (Gale,
2016.)
In the 1940s, medical technology was advancing meaning more of the physically sick and
dying could be cured or be able to prolong their life. The strict interpretation of the Hippocratic
Oath that was taken in this time meant that that doctors would try for as long as possible to
maintain a patient’s life even if it went against the will of the patient and their families (Gale,
2016.)
With the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, public discussion began to
include the removal of life-sustaining treatments. Many saw that it was not worth the money
Today this seems to be popular topic of discussion within several countries. Countries all
over the world keep swaying back and forth, changing their laws. In Switzerland, as long as the
physician has no personal motive or gain for killing the person, it is legal (Karlamangla, 2016.)
That way people know that it was within good morals. This seems to be reflected in countries
Among many advancements in this discussion there has also been quite a few fallbacks.
This new generation will have a much different situation and viewpoints involving death than
previous generations. Mainly due to the continuing revolutions in medicine, technology and
philosophy. However there will always be the underlying wish of society for more time and the
Discussion
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Euthanasia is not a black and white topic. There are all sorts of shades of grey and even
some reds and blues. Most viewpoints have terms and conditions to them. They place limitations
on how, when, and on whom, euthanasia should be administered. Doctors and humane boards
.all across the globe are coming up with answers to questions such as; How ill should they be?
How old must they be? Should doctors prescribe medicine or should they use lethal injections?
Which is more moral? These are parts of big discussions taking place all around us.
A study in the Netherlands lead to the surface of a handful of patients real reason they
wish to die; loneliness. In the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland assisted suicides are legal
for people suffering from severe psychiatric problems. Canada cites the rights of people with
untreatable mental illnesses. Some states in America have passed laws that restricts assisted
suicide to only the mentally capable adults with terminal illnesses, not for untreatable mental
Even in the Netherlands they require that a person’s mental disorder be untreatable and
intractable. However sometimes the variety in the evaluation of these elements can prove very
problematic. “People are leaving their treating physician and going to a clinic that exists solely
for this purpose, and being evaluated not by a psychiatrist but by someone else who has to make
these very difficult decisions about levels of suffering and disease,” Dr. Appelbaum adds. For
example, one widow and her previous husband had decided that they would not live without each
other. Herself, the woman had no health problems but once her husband died in their late 70s she
deemed her life “a living hell” and did not try to look for happiness elsewhere so she went to a
clinic to have them end her life (Benedict, 2016.) This dulls the effect of the decision process and
can lead to unneeded Euthanasia and doubt in society of the need for it.
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For contrast, many European countries have laws that allow assistance for any mentally
competent person with “unbearable” suffering regardless of the cause. Such as the Netherlands.
Although, all around the world it seems to be a common theme that mentally ill patients are not
capable of fully comprehending Euthanasia and are therefore restricted from being authorized for
it.
Obviously there are still many differences in opinion around the world and also variety in
those varying views. For example, compelled by their religion and morals, anti-Euthanasia
advocates argue that every moment of life is precious and we cannot take that away from
someone no matter how much pain they are in. Some will say that “you get what you deserve,”
God punishes us for sinning with disease and poverty. In an article posted in 2015, Stanley
examined the case of Nathan Verhelst, a 44 year old man that was left authorized for lethal
injection when he was left traumatised by a bollixed genital reconstruction surgery. Nathan has a
tragic story, he was born into an identity he could not stand, his mother abandoned him and he
never got what he wanted. Nathan was revolted by the doctors horrible work. He was in a deep
state of depression but Stanley argues that the most tragic part was perhaps how his story ended.
By suicide with the help of the state. He agrees that while Nathan was clearly in a lot of pain, the
solution was not death, but human sympathy and kindness that did not come in the form of a
lethal injection.
This is the story of a man who went through hell and wound up hating himself, lonely
and inclined to give up life altogether. But there was still hope. He just needed someone to reach
out to his desperate soul, convince him that he is still beautiful because all humans hold beauty
within themselves, and to let him know that he is not going to go through this alone. He did not
need death, he needed love and we failed to provide him with that says argues Stanley.
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All doctors are required to take the Hippocratic Oath when they get certified. The
Hippocratic Oath reads “First do no harm.” Advocates against Euthanasia argue that euthanasia
and such clearly violates this sacred oath with the ending of a life even if it keeps the patient
Defenders insist that they are simply expanding individual freedom. That the right to
choose whether you live or die is the ultimate expression of free choice. Euthanasia appeals to
the people who like to be in control. Who have been control of every part of their life so far and
they want control of this too. In the United States alone, of all the people who chose assisted
suicide, more than half of them said they did so because they were concerned about losing their
autonomy and their dignity. They also see that the patient’s quality of life has plummeted
dramatically and ask why they should be forced to continue to live in suffering. Also compelled
by their religion and personal beliefs it is morally wrong to let someone suffer for unnecessary
reasons. Human life is precious and it should not be ruined by disease and suffering. The patients
are in extreme pain and sorrow, the patients are “old, limbless, bedridden, ulcerated, in a puddle
of waste, gasping for breath, loopy on morphine, hopelessly demented in a sterile hospital room,
completely dependant on the beeping, ticking machines and the nurses" (Goodman, 2015.)
For example, Brittany Maynard was terminally ill with glioblastoma, commonly known
as brain cancer at the age of 29. Her life was a tragically beautiful collage of hour long doctor’s
visits, useless surgeries and medical examinations in the grave name of research. In January of
2014 they removed her tumor. But in that same April, she learned that it had come back, and
more aggressive than ever. Doctors gave her a prognosis of 6 months to live but continued with
the next step of treatment, full brain radiation. Full brain radiation would cause her hair to be
singed off and the rest of her scalp to be covered in first degree burns. From this point on she
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knew that her quality of life was completely gone. She would live these last 6 months in
excruciating pain. Even with medicines she would suffer through personality changes and verbal,
cognitive and motor loss of any kind. She would fade away completely. Her family could not
bare to see her suffer like that. It would quickly become a nightmare for everyone she ever knew,
so in November of 2014, with the help of her physician, Brittany ended her life (Maynard, 2014.)
Brittany’s death is still incredibly controversial today and often impacts several opinions
of not only the public but of lawmakers and the press. News about Brittany’s decision spread
around the country. To some people, she was a hero. She received letters from people different
states, thanking her for her bravery and people wishing they had that opportunity for their loved
one to have gone in peace (Maynard, 2014.) But to others, she was an enemy. For anti-
euthanasia fighters, her story informed many on the serious topic of Euthanasia which in most
cases lead to sympathy and pity for Brittany, she received tons of support on her decision, tons of
people joined the fight for Euthanasia. Today, most people accept the dea of Euthanasia with
certain limitations but those who are against it completely are far and few.
Conclusion
Rosemary was clearly in a lot of pain and there was nothing society could offer her to fix
it besides to just end her life, which was a common solution for them, so it was not double sided.
But here, there are two sides. Neither side realizes that they are arguing for the same morals, to
protect human life, but each are interpreting their ideas involving death differently, which creates
ambivalent opinions. Neither approach is morally wrong, which makes this such a difficult topic
to discuss and come to a successful agreement on. Along with that, each argument brings forth
valid questions that few people move to solve. Euthanasia should be limited to the terminally ill
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to ensure that they do not suffer for no apparent reason and that the quality at the end of their life
Humans are extremely dignified and like to have autonomy, when this is taken away in
the hospital it has deep effects on the patient. For bedridden patients sitting in bed for endless
hours has extreme health dangers. Pressure ulcers can form and eat away the skin, exposing
bone. Nurses must come every few hours and rotate their bodies for that ulcers do not form. Life
in the hospital is an awful experience, patients become completely dependant on nurses and
doctors, losing their dignity. They want this choice, because they want their whole life to be in
In some cases for the terminally ill, the suffering they will experience in the time they
have left is not worth the extra time. Brittany Maynard had 6 months to live that would be full of
far stretched treatments that would damage her brain, she would lose her cognitive abilities to
communicate. Her family would have to witness her slowly fade away. Brittany’s suffering
would have been for nothing, she had 6 months to live that would destroy both her and her
family who could not bear to see her suffer like that.
Religion has a lot to do here, they have very strong ideals on death that sometimes
outweigh their more humane morals. Many people of a variety of different religions are
connected by the thread that their version of a higher being is almighty and controls everything
including when and how you die. They are also concerned that this is a morally wrong thing, to
purposely cause the death of a fellow human. They would rather watch people live a complete
life full of not only personal suffering but force their families to watch them go through that as
well. The argument could be made that God and only God has the power to decide when your
time is up. Our job is to keep living and keep writing our stories, God is the editor and he decides
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when and how it ends. People who believe this can sometimes push away and ignore the
perspective of the suffering patient. They have the right to decide what to do with their own life.
Imagine if the patient were a dog, it would not be considered humane to force them to suffer for
the rest of their life. Most likely we would put them down because we cannot bear watching
them suffer. We understand that they cannot take the pain and that their time is limited, we have
sympathy. But when it comes to involve our fellow humans we can be incredibly selfish in our
values.
Euthanasia should be used to prevent the useless suffering of the terminally ill. It is
incredibly challenging to live everyday knowing that your time is running short, harder than any
of us can ever imagine. Some people say “live your life to the fullest” but some illnesses prevent
that by making life a living hell for the patient and somewhere along the line for one reason or
another, they lose their dignity and it becomes impossible. So, try to see things from the patient’s
Works Cited
Burling, S. (2016, 07/06). Few seek help in dying, study finds. Philadelphia Inquirer.
Carey, Benedict. (2016, 02/11). Study questions the use of doctor-assisted death. New York
Times.
University Press.
Goodman, J. C. (2015, 10/15). California's new law advances the right to die with dignity.
Injecting a poison-filled syringe into the arm of a 17-year-old, a Belgian doctor killed the patient,
the first minor to be legally euthanized in Belgium, which in 2014 revised its laws to eliminate
all age restrictions on the practice. (2016, October 10). National Review, 68(18), 12.
Karlamangla, S. (2016, 06/06). Aid-in-dying law has many doctors uneasy. Los Angeles Times.
Karlamangla, S. (2016, 06/10). Groups sue to repeal end of life act. Los Angeles Times.
Maynard, B. (2014). My right to death with dignity at 29. Retrieved December 07, 2016.
Pesta, D. (2016, October 10). Making doctors kill: the Tyranny of State-enforced euthanasia:
proponents of euthanasia have longed claimed that it is ridiculous to assume that allowing
limited euthanasia will lead to a slippery slope, but recent events show otherwise. The New
Stanley, T. (2015). Euthanasia Should Not Be Allowed for Emotional Suffering. In M. Haerens
(Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Euthanasia. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted
from n.d.)