Euthanasia is a term used to mean mercy killing or assisted suicide. It is derived from two Greek words, eu and thanasia, which mean good and death respectively. It is a painless termination of human life for patients suffering from terminal diseases or those undergoing a lot of pain. Assisted suicide can only be done on patients who, in their right sense of mind, willingly authorize the procedure to be done on them. This procedure is usually done from a humane motive point of view to help the patient end suffering and pain. In most countries all over the world, assisted suicide is illegal because they consider it a violation of the human right to life.
Even though doctors usually take an oath to protect life and avoid taking part in assisted suicide, some countries allow this practice. For example, in USA, the states of Oregon and Washington allow euthanasia. Other nations that have legalized assisted suicide include; Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands. However, this practice is only allowed on basis of specific conditions. The practice must be authorized by the patient and the family. The issue of whether assisted suicide should be legalized continues to be a contentious issue all over the world. Proponents and opponents of the practice have come up with their own reasons to oppose or support the topic. However, in my view, I do not support euthanasia. The practice should remain illegal at all costs, and the proponents of assisted suicide should be made aware of the disadvantages of mercy killing in society.
Opponents of mercy killing usually base their arguments on morality and ethics. Mercy killing of people, regardless of the condition they are, is morally wrong and should be disallowed and outlawed completely. Taking away lives of other people intentionally is equal to murder or homicide. It should never be allowed in society under any conditions. If allowed, it will portray such a society as one where murder is legal and people can take away their lives at will. Allowing mercy killing could even lead to some people misusing this practice to take away lives of other people. Conspiracies in families could result in some people deciding to use this loop hole in the law to kill some family members. Therefore, assisted suicide is against human morality and should be forbidden altogether.
Human life is considered sacred in many religions and societies. We all believe that human life should be respected, protected and given exceptional security. This implies that human life is sensitive and must not be tempered with at all. The advancement of medical technology has enabled experts to enhance the lifespan and quality of human life. Therefore, we should not temper with human life by using simple excuses as pain or suffering. Instead of taking away lives at will, experts should use the available technology positively by making such patients lead comfortable and painless lives till they meet their natural death. Rehabilitation and palliative care centers should be used as better options to help patients and the disabled lead comfortable lives rather than take away their lives.
Legalizing euthanasia would be a big mistake because it would lead to infringement on human life at any slight opportunity. One such instance would be that some families would coerce or influence patients into authorizing mercy killing. Most people would do this for personal gains, especially where they are seeking to inherit property and other material things from the would-be deceased. In such cases, one can never be sure if a decision by a patient to authorize mercy killing is voluntary or coerced. To avoid such scenarios, it is advisable to outlaw mercy killing altogether.
Mercy killing should not be legalized because it could result in the “slippery slope effect”. This is a situation whereby the weak and voiceless in society are killed without their consent. People may take advantage of such provisions to take away the lives of senile people, babies or individuals who are in coma. Such a scenario would result in the deterioration of health care services in many countries. It could also result in the victimization of vulnerable groups in society. Therefore, legalizing assisted suicide would be like changing the statement ‘the right to life’ to ‘the right to kill’.
Death comes as an untimely event. No one can predict exactly when another person will die, not even the most experienced and well trained doctors. Based on this fact, euthanasia should never be legalized. This is because there is no way we can firmly predict the death period or whether there is a chance of saving a life if advanced treatment is administered. Therefore, legalization of mercy killing would lead to countless illegal deaths, which could have otherwise been saved. Legalizing euthanasia would equip law breakers to continue taking away innocent lies. It will also increase suspicion and mistrust between patients and doctors.
Most, if not all, religions in the world believe that life must be preserved at all costs. They view euthanasia as a way of murdering people. Life in religious settings is holy, no one has the authority to end life or decide what step to take in another person’s life. Therefore, physicians and other health care specialists should concentrate their efforts on saving lives rather than taking away lives. These specialists take an oath when they take up their jobs that they will work diligently to protect lives. They should concentrate on this objective. Furthermore, legalizing assisted suicide will cause a rift and misunderstanding between health care experts. Some doctors may not be willing to perform mercy killing because their conscience does not allow it. This may be a major problem; especially if a patient wishes the procedure to be done yet no physician agrees to conduct the process.
Lastly, mercy killing should remain illegal because there is no distinct way of assessing and determining accurately which diseases and disorders qualify for mercy killing. We cannot determine the minimum or maximum thresholds of pain or suffering that warrant mercy killing. We can also not know whether a patient’s wish to die is as a result of logical decision or unbalanced thought. It may also turn out that a patient opts for assisted suicide but his or her family does not agree. Therefore, legalizing mercy killing could result in so many contentious issues between patients, family and health care workers.
In conclusion, euthanasia may seem a good option to many at first; it has so many downsides that make it undesirable and unacceptable. It may seem bad to watch our friends and relatives suffer in pain due to terminal diseases yet euthanasia can be used to relieve them from suffering. However, the moral, ethical and human point of view of euthanasia makes it not an option. Euthanasia should not be legalized because it may lead to evil, conspiracy, mistrust and in some cases victimization of the weak in society.
References
Humphry, D., & Wickett, A. (1987). The Right to Die: Understanding Euthanasia (reprint ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
Russell, O. (1977). Freedom to die: moral and legal aspects of euthanasia. Michigan: Human Sciences Press.
Sather, T. (2012). Pros and Cons: A Debater's Handbook (18, revised ed.). New York: Routledge.
