Euthanasia in United States

Euthanasia in United States

Introduction

Survival is unquestionably dear to everyone but at times and under certain circumstances life totally becomes unbearable, painful and impossible (Dowbiggin, 2007). In that case survival seems nothing but like an abuse or curse. This is why euthanasia ever came into existence. Ever since its origin Euthanasia had been a hot topic of medical world. The issue has been scrutinized and criticized with every possible dimension. Dictionaries define Euthanasia as “painless killing of an individual suffering from painful and incurable illness or a never ending coma”. It's a Greek word that literally means “good death”. Of course, for fatality to be “good”, life would have to be worse than death. When life is not worth living several individuals are put to death through “mercy killing”. But can putting someone to death and calling it “mercy killing” ever be ethically and morally justified??

The fact that human life is the ever precious element makes Euthanasia the most dominant medical ethical issue of present times. With its increasing acceptance its negative and positive dimensions have been surfacing day by day. The document explores the legal and ethical dimensions of euthanasia in United States.

Discussion

Before starting up with an argument, it is better to shed light on euthanasia. A critical dimension to euthanasia is that it is an action of taking human life. The action is of course deliberate and intentional. Therefore it is basically the “intentional” killing of an apparently hopeless individual. The proposal that euthanasia must be legalized by edict raises ethical, philosophical, religious and a moral issue; on top of that it also questions the constitutional and legal position of various laws. Due to its nature as an irreversible process its significance is increased and it remains as a recurring issue in medical ethics.

Legal Aspects

Active euthanasia is legalized in Netherlands however in United States it is not legally permissible anywhere. Practically all of the states make euthanasia a legal crime. U.S Supreme Court has long held that a competent patient can refuse necessary life saving treatment, only one state has legalized euthanasia. However Supreme Court holds the notion that patients do not possess the right to desire for physician assisted suicide.

The grave threat that euthanasia can pose is its possibility of abuse. Individuals could feel pressurized by families that do not want to look after them into agreeing to get euthanized. Furthermore doctors could carry out involuntary euthanasia on individuals with irreversible come to use the medical resources for other patients. Alternatively patients who might feel depressed can plead for getting euthanized. The moral threats it poses to humanity can never be sidelined. Usually justification for involuntary and active euthanasia is given referring to the hopelessness of an individual. However who decides that the individual will never wake up from come? Who decides that the eventual end of the come would be patient's death? It is like predicting unforeseen things. No one can be sure regarding the actual outcome that might have resulted in case ...