Can We Handle Euthanasia essays

Can We Handle Euthanasia essays Euthanasia, though seen by many as murder, is nothing more than a way to help people who are in pain put an end to their times of sorrow and agony. The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: Eu means good and Thanatos means death. The meaning of the word is the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies (Robinson). This definition explains exactly what euthanasia should be, but there are still many meanings and types of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course (Robinson). Passive euthanasia would be removing life support equipment or stopping medication. Another form of euthanasia is active euthanasia, which involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person (Robinson). An excellent example of active euthanasia would be the well-known mercy killing by Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Involun tary euthanasia is a term used to describe the killing of a person who has not explicitly requested aid in dying (Robinson). Involuntary euthanasia is most often used for patients who are in a persistent vegetative state and will never recover consciousness. One other form of euthanasia is Physician Assisted Suicide where a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person so they can easily terminate their own life (Robinson). There is only a difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide in some countries. In the United States they seem to mean the same thing. Assisted suicide is generally seen as both voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. In Holland however, there is a difference. Euthanasia is used without sinister overtones to describe a doctor hastening the death of a terminally ill patient by administering a fatal dose of m...