Rebutting Arguments to Legalize Euthanasia or Assisted...

Rebutting Arguments to Legalize Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide This essay focuses on several of the most common arguments in favor of the legalization of euthanasia or assisted suicide - and rebuts them. The language is simple, or, as they say, in laymans terms so as to be easily understandable. The sources are from professional journals, internet websites, and news outlets. The first common argument favoring euthanasia or assisted suicide is this: Since euthanasia and assisted suicide take place anyway, isnt it better to legalize them so theyll be practiced under careful guidelines and so that doctors will have to report these activities? That sounds good but it doesnt work. Physicians who do not follow the†¦show more content†¦According to the third annual report issued by OHD, physicians were present at only 52% of reported deaths.(Oregon Feb.21) In the Netherlands, prior to enactment of the 2001 law, physicians were assured that they would not be prosecuted for euthanasia or assisted suicide as long as they followed guidelines and filed a report after the patients death. However, official surveys of Dutch doctors, in which physicians were granted both immunity and anonymity, revealed that only 41% of euthanasia and assisted suicide deaths were reported.(Van) Cases which failed to meet practice guidelines were most likely to go unreported.(Id. 1710) Another popular argument in favor of legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide is this: Isnt euthanasia or assisted suicide sometimes the only way to relieve excruciating pain? Quite the contrary. Euthanasia activists exploit the natural fear people have of suffering and dying. They often claim that, without euthanasia or assisted suicide, people will be forced to endure unbearable pain: During a radio debate, T. Patrick Hill (who was then an official of Choice in Dying and currently serves on the board of directors of the New York Citizens Committee on Health CareShow MoreRelatedThe Concept and Origin of the Assisted Suicide Movement3079 Words   |  12 PagesOne of the most contentious issues in the entire field of healthcare and end-of-life care is the notion of assisted suicide, wherein the individual who wishes to end his or her own life is assisted by someone else, usually a physician. As Werner (2005, p. 135) notes, straightforward answers to the difficult questions concerning the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide are not yet available, but one can at least have a more robust conception of the issues history, which in turn allows one