Active euthanasia has become a popular topic of discussion in recent decades, especially in the late 1990’s when Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for assisting the suicides of several of his patients. When Kevorkian died in 2011, the topic became popular once again. Had Kevorkian been wrong in what he had done, or was he right to help end the lives of those who suffered. I argue that Kevorkian was right, and that active euthanasia in certain situations should be legalized.
“Active euthanasia is a type of euthanasia in which a person who is undergoing intense suffering, and who has no practical hope of recovery is induced to death. It is also known as mercy killing” (“Active Euthanasia Law and Legal Definition”). This definition tells us that active euthanasia is used to end a person’s life who is already likely to die from painful disease. If a person is truly suffering, and wants to die, isn’t it their choice? A person should be entitled to do what they want with their own life.
Dr. Kevorkian made it clear that he would only assist the suicides of patients who were so ill that they would be unable to recover from their illness, and death was a near certainty. Family members had to be on board with the patient’s decision as well, as Kevorkian did not want to cause any undue suffering to the patient’s family as a result of his assistance. To me, it seems that Kevorkian took every measure possible to eliminate suffering for all parties involved. It would have been less ethical for him to stand by and watch patients and families suffer when he could do something to end their suffering. Kevorkian explained:
I believe that there are people who are healthy and mentally competent enough to decide on suicide. People who are not depressed. Everyone has a right for suicide, because a person has a right to determine what will or will not be done to his body. There’s no place for people to turn today who really want to commit suicide. Teenagers, and the elderly especially, have nowhere to turn. But when they come to me, they will obey what I say because they know they’re talking to an honest doctor. I can talk a teenager out of suicide easily if he comes to me, because he knows if it’s justified I’ll help him do it (“Jack Kevorkian: A Glimpse into the Future of Euthanasia?”)
Here, Kevorkian showed that that he would only be willing to assist the suicide when a person was healthy and competent enough to make that decision. He would not help to end the life of someone who was not terminally ill and suffering, or someone who wanted to end their life due to depression. Kevorkian also points out that each person has a right to decide what to do with his own life and body. Kevorkian was not killing people just to kill, and he had their consent. I believe because of this, he was justified.
Many people argue against active euthanasia because they believe that killing is wrong, period. Some quote the Bible, stating “thou shalt not kill.” If you believe that killing is wrong with no exceptions, then mercy killing would still be wrong no matter how much a person was suffering. Some argue that even if a person has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, there is always a chance of recovery or a cure. Therefore, if you end that person’s life and the next day a cure for the disease is discovered, then the person’s life was unjustifiably ended.
The nursing profession does not agree with active euthanasia and nurses are not allowed to participate. According to the American Nurses Association:
The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes that the nurse should not participate in active euthanasia because such an act is in direct violation of the Code for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (Code for Nurses), the ethical traditions and goals of the profession, and its covenant with society. Nurses have an obligation to provide timely, humane, comprehensive and compassionate end-of-life care (“Retired Position Statement: Active Euthanasia.”)
The last sentence of this passage could be used to argue for or against active euthanasia. Assisting a suicide for a person who suffered great pain from their illness could also be considered “timely, humane, comprehensive and compassionate end-of-life care.”
Others who may agree that assisted suicide is permissible in certain situations may be concerned about the slippery slope argument. This is the theory that if assisted suicide is allowed in some instances, who is to say it won’t start to be allowed in other instances. For example, if a person suffers from great mental anguish caused from depression or other mental illness, could they make an argument that their suffering is as great as those suffering physical pain? Then people may consider allowing active euthanasia for the mentally ill, and so on. This is a valid argument, but I believe this is why there must be strict rules and in-depth screening of patients if active euthanasia is legalized.
In summary, I believe that active euthanasia should be legalized. That is not to say that just anybody can walk into a clinic and ask to end their life. However, in certain instances, it is ethically responsible to allow a person to end their own life, with the assistance of a trained professional. This professional should be a doctor of other medical professional, but should also have a developed screening process for patients wishing to end their lives. The screening process should determine whether or not the person is suffering from extreme physical pain, whether or not there is a likely chance of recovery from their disease, whether or not the patient is mentally competent enough to make the decision, and whether or not the family is supportive of the decision. If all of these items warrant a responsible assisted suicide, then I see no reason why active euthanasia should not be allowed and legalized.
Works Cited
“Active Euthanasia Law and Legal Definition.” USLegal.com. US Legal. n.d. Web. 23 July 2013.
“Jack Kevorkian: A Glimpse into the Future of Euthanasia?” CRI:Because Truth Matters. Christian Research Institute. N.d. 23 July 2013.
“Retired Position Statement: Active Euthanasia.” Nursing World. American Nursing Association. n.d. Web. 23 July 2013.
