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Euthanasia Laws: Should it be banned or enacted?
by Michelle Calderon, staff writer for AnaiRhoads.org
An emotive matter for discussion is the many difficult areas that surround euthanasia. Euthanasia, aiding suicide killings, or mercy killing have been subjects of great concern everywhere. Many delegates recognize that the issue is neither black nor white. While proponents argue that patient choice is the key area for decision-making, critics assert the ethical dilemma concerning the legitimacy of murdering a human being.
Quality of life is at the heart of this issue and there was debate on how individuals with progressive diseases, which gradually reduce the quality of life, are unable to make their own decisions later and therefore may not be able to die with dignity.
Voluntary active euthanasia is the intentionally administering medication or other interventions to cause the patient's death at the patient's explicit request and with fully informed consent. Involuntary active euthanasia is the intentionally administering medications or other interventions to cause patient's death when patient was competent but without the patient's explicit request and/or fully informed consent.
Non-voluntary active euthanasia is the intentionally administering medication or other interventions to cause patient's death when patient was incompetent or not able to explicitly requesting it. Terminating life-sustaining treatments is withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatments from the patient to let him or her die. Palliative care or indirect euthanasia is administering narcotics or other medications to relieve pain with incidental consequence of causing sufficient respiratory depression to result in the patient's death. Physician-assisted suicide is a physician providing medication or other interventions to a patient with the understanding that the patient intends to use them to commit suicide (Boyd, 2005). Although there are many terms, confusion can abound.
With these many facets to euthanasia, WA: US Euthanasia experts to address Perth audience, discusses a medical ethics expert, Burke Balch, who helped draft US legislation in the hope of saving brain-damaged Florida woman Terri Schiavo from death. Terri Schiavo later died after doctors removed her life-sustaining feeding tube despite her parent’s appeal to keep her alive. This caused a media frenzy in the United States as well as all over the world. Balch was extensively quoted by the US Supreme Court in its’ 1997 decision that there is no constitutional right to assisted suicide. Balch is head of the US National Right to Life committee. Balch, along with Medical Ethics expert Robert Powell, will address the issue of the dangers of “killing by neglect” in hopes of influencing Australia to protect terminally ill patients from having their artificial life support turned off.
In addition the Attorney General Jim McGinty is seeking public comment about planned laws to let an adult of sound mind to make an advanced health directive, or "living will" that would allow them to die with dignity. Mr. McGinty is pro-euthanasia and said the planned laws would allow people to die with dignity, but emphasized the government was not considering and had no intention of introducing laws to allow euthanasia. "Adults of sound mind should be able to make a decision in advance about what treatment they do or do not want if they fall into a vegetative state and those wishes should be given proper legal status. We need to ensure health professionals can legally carry out the wishes of a dying or permanently unconscious patient who has previously indicated he or she does not want life-sustaining treatment," (a, 2005).
Today, Washington remains as the only state without laws that allow substitute decision-making in relation to health care through enduring powers of guardianship. Today, Oregon is the only state that allows assisted suicide. Perhaps with the expertise of these men, more legislations regarding euthanasia will be implemented.
References:
a. (2005). WA: US Euthanasia expert to address Perth audience. Retrieved September 19, 2005, from:
Boyd, A. (2005). Physician Assisted Suicide. Retrieved September 19, 2005, from:
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