Physician-Assisted Suicide essays

Physician-Assisted Suicide essays The term "euthanasia" conjures up thoughts of the family pet having a dignified death, but it is not the same when it comes to loved ones and family members. While it may be accepted practice to end the suffering of an animal that cannot express its' wishes, it is not accepted practice to murder a suffering loved one, and that is what euthanasia, or physician- assisted suicide comes to - murder. There are two types of euthanasia in question in this debate, passive and active. Passive euthanasia is the act of allowing someone who is terminally ill to die, without intervening with medication or treatment to continue his or her life. Today, passive euthanasia is a reasonably common event in the United States. Families inform the doctor their loved one does not wish to continue on life support if there is no hope of recovery, or does not wish to suffer incessantly, and doctors remove all care and simply manage the pain of the patient until they pass away. This is the role of a physician, to manage the treatment of the patient, not to manage their murder. Active euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, is another matter. This is a form of murder, traceable back to the family and the physician. In this practice, a terminally ill patient actually takes their own life, sometimes on their own, and sometimes with the assistance of a physician. The well known "Dr. Death," Dr. Kevorkian, is a participant in and advocate of active euthanasia. However, physicians are supposed to be in the business of healing, not murder, and it goes against everything a physician has trained for to take part in physician-assisted suicide. It is ethically and morally reprehensible for a physician to take the life of his As with most contentious issues, there are great moral and ethical issues surrounding physician-assisted suicide. While it is hotly debated across the country, the issue ...