The Right to Die
If it ever came down to a choice to live or die we would choose to live but, what if it was not that simple. What if we were faced with impending death, lose of function or immeasurable pain we might not want to choose to live and suffer. We all should have the right to choose how we want to live or not live when there is no quality of life. While the US law feels that god should say whether you live or die, you should be able to choose to end your life if you are suffering and in pain because suffering is worse than euthanasia, the law is there to protect us not judge, and it should be no one’s choice but your own.
Euthanasia is the intentional ending of another person's life either by intervention called active euthanasia or by withholding life-prolonging measures and resources called passive euthanasia, either at the express or implied request of that person which is voluntary euthanasia, or in the absence of such approval which is non-voluntary euthanasia (Vaknin, n.d.). These types of euthanasia whether they are done in a medical setting or at home are considered “killing”.
Active euthanasia is when medical professional or another person intentionally does something that causes the patient to die. This can be done by giving a lethal dose of drugs or medicine with the primary intent of ending the person’s life. This is often thought of as a “mercy killing”, and is illegal in most states. Passive euthanasia is when a person dies because medical attention is not given to keep the person alive. This could be by switching off life support, disconnecting a feeding tube, stopping medication and drugs needed to sustain life, or not doing a life-extending operation. This type of euthanasia is legal in most states.
Many people believe there is a moral difference between active and passive euthanasia. They think that it is acceptable to allow a patient die a slow death rather than actively having a hand in the killing. Most...