Euthanasia is the deliberate assistance by medical staff to a terminally ill patient to end his life so as to end his or her suffering. Euthanasia should be made legal since the patient has a right to avoid the suffering he or she will undergo leading to death.
Under the Procon website, there are a few reasons that oppose euthanasia in the United States. They go contrary to my earlier view that euthanasia should be legalized in the United States. First, killing of patients by the medical staff is considered illegal under the Hippocratic Oath. Doctors take this oath when they are receiving their license. It does not make it right for a doctor to initiate euthanasia (Procon, 2013). The doctors are required to preserve life under the Hippocratic Oath. If I believed in this argument, I would notice that doctors should not be forced to go against their principles since it would be wrong (Elbow, 2006). This idea might be true in that the doctors’ main aim is the treatment and preservation of life. If euthanasia were made legal, the doctors would become murders.
Secondly, if euthanasia is made legal, there can be forms of unwilling euthanasia whereby a bothersome and uncooperative patient is euthanized. There might also be loopholes where the elderly undergo the same risk of being killed without their consent (Procon, 2013). The family of a patient who inures a big bill in the hospital might also decide to kill the individual to save their money. The argument here is that doctors should not be confined to practicing euthanasia on those who have consent only (Procon, 2013). I believe that doctors can find ways of practicing euthanasia on other patients who have not consented. The argument is valid because euthanasia might pave the way for other forms of direct euthanasia.
The third argument against euthanasia entails that the government protects its people by making euthanasia illegal (Procon, 2013). Some doctors who would abuse the chance if euthanasia was legalized. If I were to believe this argument, I would notice that the government does a lot regarding putting up laws for the protection of its citizens. The idea here would prove to be true because there have been a couple of psychotic doctors who have ended their patient's lives against their will. These doctors are considered serial killers, and it is up to these laws to protect us.
Using the believing game has made me think clearly and critically7 on the dangers of euthanasia. I have analyzed the arguments above and concluded that they are indeed right and are strong arguments against euthanasia.
References
Elbow, P. (2006). The believing game and how to make conflicting opinions more fruitful. Nurturing the Peacemakers in Our Students: A Guide to Teaching Peace, Empathy, and Understanding, 16-25.
Procon, (2013). Top 10 Pros and Cons - Euthanasia - ProCon.org. Euthanasia.procon.org. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000126
