Deadly Compassion Essay

Euthanasia means â€Å"good death†. It must not be misunderstood to mean simply killing he elderly. The purpose of euthanasia is to relieve the terrible suffering and pain of a terminally ill person with an incurable disease. The cause of euthanasia is compassion. Deadly Compassion There are many ways to euthanize. Some of the more common ways in the recent past: * Suffocation with a plastic bag, most of the time (but not all of the time) drugging the patient first. * Gassing them to death with carbon monoxide: not even approved for putting down a dog or executing a convicted murderer * Lethal injection, but families are not usually allowed to watch because of what the cool poison does to a person as it slides down the bloodstream. True, many people experience pain, pain that I could not imagine. But at twelve years of age, I watched as cancer ravaged my father’s body. He died from advanced stage malignant melanoma, using the selfless care of hospice workers and the anesthetic effects of morphine to die with true dignity. Termanally ill patients DO NOT have to die a painful death. Modern technology has made the passing of millions much less painless than anytime in the past. Proponents of euthanasia exploit our natural fear of an excruciating death by ignoring this technology. This deadly compassion will end up giving the Grim Reaper one more tool, and in the hands of greedy relatives, uncaring doctors, and less-than-thorough legislatures, the choas demonstrated in the Netherlands will be mirrored in every country that gives doctors the power to end their patients’ lives. The causes of euthanasia are a desire to end suffering and the viewpoint of having mercy on the suffering person by ending his or her life. Euthanasia is when a person is assisted in suicide because he or she can no longer stand the suffering that he or she is incurring. Proponents for euthanasia believe that it is a merciful and humane way to end life, instead of watching someone suffer. Opponents to euthanasia believe that people’s lives should be respected to natural death and should not be taken prematurely. Euthanasia is assisted suicide. In animals, it is often referred to as â€Å"putting to sleep.† For people, it is a crime. I’m not sure what causes of euthanasia would be, exactly, since it isn’t a disease but rather an action. Someone would commit euthanasia, or help someone commit suicide, if that person were sick or dying. A famous example of this was Dr. Kevorkian. For animals, euthanasia happens when animals are sick or if an animal shelter ha s too many animals to care for. The effect of euthanasia is death. Euthanasia is a desperate act that comes in many forms according to the definitions below. Consider the motifs when considering causes. Each case has its own circumstances and many ethical, moral, and legal considerations are taken into account. The purpose is to relieve suffering of an individual or animal and a difficult judgement is at stake. There are many controversial issues in regard to religion also. Euthanasia: the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is â€Å"intentional†. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) Voluntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed has requested to be killed. Non-voluntary: When the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. Involuntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. Assisted suicide: Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called â€Å"physician assisted suicide.† Euthanasia By Action: Intentionally causing a person’s death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia By Omission: Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water.