Imagine for a moment that you have just been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS. If you don’t know already, you’ll know soon that nerves affecting your muscles will slowly deteriorate until you are paralyzed. You’ll know that sooner or later you won’t be able to walk, sit up by yourself, speak, or even swallow. Eventually, you’re going to have to accept that this cruel disease has no cure and that death is inevitable (which, by the way, is a death via suffocation) (Petrou). Now that you’re done imagining, feel free to be thankful that you don’t have this horrible disease and hope that you never will. Although, if you did have this disease (or any of the numerous incurable ones out there like it), wouldn’t you want an alternative way to die? Well, that alternative can be found in what is known as active voluntary euthanasia. You probably know it better as “mercy killing,” but regardless of what it is called, it is the action of “putting to death painlessly” with medication (Random House 462). Unfortunately, this action of mercy is absurdly considered a criminal offense and is punishable by law (Skene). Active voluntary euthanasia should be legalized because it is necessary to secure our right to ask for such an end. In addition, those compassionate enough to supply us with the means and “assistance” should not be at risk of criminal charges.
In order to fully understand the concept of euthanasia, you have to know that there are two different types that can be practiced. The first I have already mentioned as being active voluntary euthanasia. This is euthanasia in which a doctor prescribes or administers a lethal injection to a patient who is in pain and has expressed the desire to die (Skene) and is widely considered to be a criminal offense on the part of the doctor. The other type of euthanasia is known as passive. This is where a doctor withdraws treatment or life-sustaining...