To many people euthanasia is murder, the intentional ending of a life that has the possibility of continuing. That a person could determine the termination of a life is against the doctrine of many religions that claim this right belongs to a higher power. Substances used in all forms of euthanasia, such as sodium pentobarbital, are considered controlled substances and are heavily regulated. However, euthanasia is a better alternative than living in constant pain with death constantly present in one’s mind.
"Euthanasia" comes from the Greek "eu," meaning good, and "thanatos," meaning death. This literally means someone dies a "good death," as opposed to dying slowly. Euthanasia is typically a quick death, as opposed to slow wasting by removing a feeding tube.
There are certain myths surrounding euthanasia that do not hold up. Euthanasia has been compared to Hitler’s "Final Solution," in which mass killings were referred to as "euthanasia." People who are enduring suffering and want to die are not the equivalent of those in concentration camps who were killed against their will. Another myth is the "slippery slope" argument that, if euthenasia was legalized, eventually nursing homes would be liquidated and hospitalized people disposed of. No such thing has happened in places where euthanasia is legal, such as Oregon or the Netherlands.
Religious arguments against euthanasia in the United States are based on God having control over who dies or lives, and suffering as often an intrinsic part of God’s plan. Relying on this argument alone disregards the religious beliefs and circumstances of everyone else. Not everyone wants to endure suffering like that of Jesus and it does not necessarily mean one becomes stronger. People may actually lose their faith in the suffering they have to live with. Is it really morally correct to have someone suffer until they die to prove a point about God and the divinity of suffering? No matter what, we cannot allow the religious views of a few determine the policy of an entire nation.
"Right to die" is the ability for a terminally ill or incurable patient to be able to refuse treatment from a doctor. The basic reasoning behind this is a person has a right to control his or her body and should determine his or her own path in life, which includes ending it under certain circumstances. A 2005 Pew Research Center survey revealed the majority of Americans support right to die laws and believe people have a moral right to die if they are hopelessly suffering great pain or have an incurable disease. The Supreme Court also ruled in Cruzan v. Director that people have a right to die from the Due Process Clause but the government has not recognized assisted suicide as constitutional.
In America we protect the choice to live our lives the best we can and set a course for what we do with our lives within the parameters of the law. This includes the right to dictate if we want to end our lives when our physical health is under severe duress with no possibility of recovering. If animals can die with dignity and not suffer, why can’t we?
Corgey, a political science junior, can be reached via [email protected].
