Free Essays on EUTHANASIA

â€Å"Love: The Right Chemistry† In this article I think that the paragraphs are divided well. I have noticed that in most of the paragraphs that the last sentenced is usually what the topic is about in the following paragraph. I think that it helps the reader to anticipate what he/she will be reading next and it also helps the paragraphs flow together. I also like the way the author gives a definition of all the chemical terms that she is using. It helps me as a reader get a better understanding of what the author is trying to say. I found that in starting new paragraphs the author uses the word â€Å"still† and â€Å"above all† in new paragraphs. That helps me because the author isn’t switching form a new topic to another without some sort of transition.. The way that the author writes about love is helpful. She has used many statistics and examples. The order that she used those statistics and examples was interesting. She didn’t start the article out with any facts, it seemed like she was using many of her own observations about the subject : love. I really likes reading this article, I found that the way she wrote is was very successful. I think the paragraphs flowed very smooth, everything was clear and defined and they were many facts and examples.... Free Essays on Euthanasia Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia, which is also known as assisted suicide, is the painless inducement of death† (Weir 281). â€Å"The term â€Å"euthanasia† is derived from the Ancient Greek, and means â€Å"good Death† (Torr 12). â€Å"Euthanasia is a broad term for mercy killing-taking a life of a hopelessly ill or injured individual in order to end his or her suffering† (12). Euthanasia is done one of two ways. It is either done actively or passively. Passive euthanasia is when someone disconnects a respirator or removes a feeding tube from someone who is solely dependant upon it (Bender 13). Active euthanasia is giving a patient an overdose of pills or perhaps a deathly injection of a substance (13). While passive euthanasia has become acceptable, active euthanasia is very controversial issue. Euthanasia is not a new idea to our culture. â€Å"In ancient Greece, the government gave hemlock to those who wanted it (13). Though, individuals’ opposing the idea of euthanasia is not anything new. In 1868, over half of the thirty-seven states prohibited the act of euthanasia (13). In the United States Oregon is the only state where euthanasia has been legalized. Those who have been told that euthanasia means dying peacefully have actually been fed a lie. â€Å"For example, immediately following the passage of Oregon’s Measure 16, those who had said that it would enable people to die peacefully with pills, did an immediate about face and admitted that it would permit the types of activities carried out by Jack Kevorkian. They also said that, if pills were used, a plastic bag should also be used to ensure death† (Torr 57). The fact of the matter is that a murder done out of compassion is still a murder. While the state of Oregon supports and has legalized euthanasia, it is absolutely appalling. Those who support euthanasia argue the fact that it is ethical. Those who find euthanasia to be ethical claim that it is just... Free Essays on Euthanasia When a person commits an act of euthanasia, he/she brings about the death of another person because he/she believes that the latter’s present existence is so bad that he/she would be better off dead. The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means â€Å"good† and thanatos means â€Å"death†. The meaning of euthanasia is â€Å"the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies† (Religious Tolerance). However, euthanasia has many different meanings, which tends to create confusion. It is important to differentiate between the various terms used in discussing euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia refers to removing some form of life support which allows nature to take its course. Forms of life support include: removing life support machines, stopping medical procedures and medications, stopping food and water, or not delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Active Euthanasia refers to causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from the person. Physician Assisted Suicide refers to a physician supplying information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person, so that he/she can easily end his/her own life. This may also be referred to as voluntary passive euthanasia. Involuntary Euthanasia refers to the killing of a person in opposition to their wishes. It is basically a form of murder (Religious Tolerance, 2-3). Euthanasia has been accepted both legally and morally during the times of ancient societies. For example, the Romans and the Greeks both believed that â€Å"dying decently and rationally mattered immensely† (Hamel, 20). The Greeks and Romans were sympathetic to active voluntary euthanasia provided that the acts were done for the right reasons, such as, to end the suffering of a terminal illness. As a result â€Å"of this moral acceptance of active voluntary euthanasia under certain circumstances, Greek and Roman physicians ty pically did not ... Free Essays on Euthanasia When a person commits an act of euthanasia, he/she brings about the death of another person because he/she believes that the latter’s present existence is so bad that he/she would be better off dead. The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means â€Å"good† and thanatos means â€Å"death†. The meaning of euthanasia is â€Å"the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies† (Religious Tolerance). However, euthanasia has many different meanings, which tends to create confusion. It is important to differentiate between the various terms used in discussing euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia refers to removing some form of life support which allows nature to take its course. Forms of life support include: removing life support machines, stopping medical procedures and medications, stopping food and water, or not delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Active Euthanasia refers to causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from the person. Physician Assisted Suicide refers to a physician supplying information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person, so that he/she can easily end his/her own life. This may also be referred to as voluntary passive euthanasia. Involuntary Euthanasia refers to the killing of a person in opposition to their wishes. It is basically a form of murder (Religious Tolerance, 2-3). Euthanasia has been accepted both legally and morally during the times of ancient societies. For example, the Romans and the Greeks both believed that â€Å"dying decently and rationally mattered immensely† (Hamel, 20). The Greeks and Romans were sympathetic to active voluntary euthanasia provided that the acts were done for the right reasons, such as, to end the suffering of a terminal illness. As a result â€Å"of this moral acceptance of active voluntary euthanasia under certain circumstances, Greek and Roman physicians ty pically did not ... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia I’m sure everyone here has heard of Dr. Kevorkian a.k.a. Dr,Death. He has helped 120 people die. Recently, in April of 1999, he was convicted of murder for helping a man with a terminal illness die. Should he have been convicted? In my opinion NO! Why? I firmly believe that in certain cases where suffering from a terminal illness, (alzheimer’s, Multiple sclerosis, car accident leaving the person like a vegetable, cancer) should be able to make the choice to die with dignity. I know I would not want to live a life of constant suffering in pain. Would you? I will explain what Euthanasia is. The word Euthanasia comes from the Greek language; eu means â€Å"good† and thantos means â€Å"death†. The meaning of the word evolved from â€Å"good death†, and it refers to the act of ending another person’s life, at their request, in order to minimize suffering. There are two forms, one is Passive Euthanasia and the other is Active Euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia is the quick death of a person by, removing life support equipment (respirator,etc.), or stopping medical procedures, medications, or stopping food and water and allowing the person to dehydrate or starve to death. These procedures are performed on terminally ill patients, or suffering persons so that natural death will occur sooner. It also is done on people who have massive brain damage who are in a coma from which they will never recover. Active Euthanasia is the causingof the death of a person through a direct action, like injecting a lethal drug to help the person end his or her own life. Active Euthanasia is presently illegal, many professionals claim that it is practiced secretly on a regular basis. Active Ethanasia is very controversial, its argued that the patients are not informed of what steps are being done to them or are forced into agreeing to the act. Assisted suicide refers to a situation in which information and o... Free Essays on EUTHANASIA â€Å"Euthanasia The Great Debate Over Legalization† Over the past decade in the United States the most argued over, debated about issue has been a patient’s right to choose to end their life by means of euthanasia. Euthanasia has been and still remains an extremely controversial issue. With each debate or argument that takes place in regards to legalizing euthanasia there are many questions that have yet to be answered and no clear answers for these questions. Should euthanasia be legalized? Will it open the doors for abuse? Can safeguards be put in place and affectively enforced? Are there any ethical or moral reasons for choosing to die? And is it really painless and peaceful? These are just a few of the concerns that protestors have. However is it not the patients right to end their life? Do they now have the choice to die exactly the way they want? Supporters of legalizing euthanasia present these questions and more. The question at hand is whether euthanasia should be legalized and if it is can there be clear and strict safeguards put in place to reduce the opportunity for abuse. Before trying to answer the questions at hand, understanding what the meaning of euthanasia is and where it comes from is the first step. â€Å"The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: Eu means â€Å"good† and Thanatos means â€Å"death†. The meaning of the word is â€Å"the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who wishes to die.†(Robinson) Simply meaning that the person who wishes to commit suicide must be the one to initiate the act or request. The meaning or interpretation of this word can be like many â€Å"moral/ethical/religious terms†(Robinson) and have many meanings. Resulting in mass confusion when trying to distinguish a clear meaning and understanding for putting in place propitiate guidelines and regulations for both the patient and the doctor. â€Å"Killing in the name ... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable or painful diseases. The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language which when translated means: Eu- â€Å"Good† and Thanatos-â€Å"Death† and is commonly called mercy killing. A distinction is made between active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a terminally ill person for the purpose of ending the suffering of that person while passive euthanasia is defined as the withholding of life preserving procedures and treatments that would prolong the life of one who is incurably and terminally ill and couldn't survive without them. I will be presenting the claims and views on this issue made by James Rachels and Richard Doerflinger. I will conclude by stating my position on the issue of euthanasia based on the views presented by the two writers. According to Rachels, the most common argument in support of euthanasia is one that we may call â€Å"the argument from mercy†. The argument from mercy says â€Å"euthanasia is justified because it puts an end to that† (Rachels p.175). Following his introduction, Rachels presents a supporting belief by adding a utilitarian view. He states several points about the Utilitarian view and is also careful to cover why it is not entirely viable when applied to euthanasia. He then goes on to state a modified utilitarian view of which he says is â€Å"sound and proves that active euthanasia can be justified†. He states that: (1) If an action promotes the best interests of everyone concerned and violates no one’s rights, then that action is morally acceptable. (2) In at least some cases, active euthanasia promotes the best interests of everyone concerned and violates no one’s rights (3) Therefore, in at least some cases, active euthanasia is morally accep table. Doerflinger’s argument stands in contrast to Rachels. The body of his argument addresses several issues surround... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia: Should it be Legalized? A few years ago, there was a young woman who had been in a coma for years. The husband of this woman finally decided it was time for her to go. But her parents thought that since she was still breathing, she was still ‘with us’. But the doctors confronted them, saying that the young woman may never come out of the coma. And they had full permission from the government to let her go if all the family members agreed on it. But the family refused to have their daughter ‘murdered’ and said that she stays hooked up, and she will awake. After months of trying to get the parents to except it, let her move on, and having many hearts to heart with the husband, with a very heavy heart, they finally turn off her machines. This is an example of one of the many kinds of euthanasia. It does, like most things in life, have its good parts and it’s bad. But what we haven’t decided yet is, are we ready for euthanasia to be legalized? Euthanasia has been looked at in numerous ways. The meaning has been altered and twisted in some peoples minds, and all they can think about when the word euthanasia comes up is, a depressed person asking help in committing suicide or killing people because they serve no purpose in life. .† In ancient times, euthanasia meant an ‘easy death’ without suffering. In today’s society, euthanasia defined as the â€Å"[†¦] mercy [of] killing, or intentionally ending the life of someone who is hopelessly sick or injured in order to save them from suffering†(3). There 3 specific types of euthanasia, voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary euthanasia. Within each of these three, there are two categories, passive euthanasia, which refers to removing or withholding treatment that is critical to keep a person alive, and active euthanasia, which refers to someone actually administering a drug or performing an action that causes death. Some examples of passive euthanasia woul... Free Essays on Euthanasia In today's society, one of the most controversial issues is physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Many people feel that it is wrong for people, regardless of their health condition, to ask their health care provider to end their life; while others feel it is their right to be able to choose how and when they die. When a physician is asked to help a patient into death, they have many responsibilities that come along with that single question. Among those responsibilities are: providing valid information as to the terminal illness the patient is suffering, educating the patient as to what their final options may be, making the decision of whether or not to help the patient into death, and also if they do decide to help, providing the lethal dose of medication that will end the patient's life. For those who believe physician-assisted suicide should be their choice, they feel it should be legalized because: they don't want to go through the suffering caused by the terminal i llness; they fear the loss of their autonomy (independence); becoming a burden to their family or friends, and also the fear of dying alone. One the other hand those opposed to assisted suicide feel it goes against religious beliefs and medical ethics. They also believe that there is always the possibility that a miracle will occur and the patient will overcome the illness and also that the doctor could have provided the wrong prognosis/diagnosis to the patient. The strongest reason against physician-assisted suicide has been the idea that if assisted suicide becomes legal, it will get out of hand and target certain people in society, such as those with disabilities, or certain races. In 1990, physician-assisted suicide became better known to the public when Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, helped to assist his first patient into death (Landau 80). Kevorkian had created a machine, known as the "suicide machine", which was made up of three g... Free Essays on Euthanasia Sexual intercourse with one’s partner is to some a way to express your emotions and to some a way to take the relationship to another level. In some cases the results of sexual intercourse can be unexpected such as pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. There are however many ways in which to help prevent such mishaps. Pre-marital sex is a topic that is heavily discussed among teenagers. Some teens engage in sexual intercourse with their boyfriend or girlfriend and some are quite promiscuous and have sex with a number of partners. In some cases people do not see anything wrong with pre-marital sex as long as the correct precautions are taken so as not to have unanticipated consequences. Others prefer to abstain from sex until marriage. There are a number of different opinions on sexual intercourse before marriage. The practice of sex before marriage by teenagers should be discouraged. Premarital sex is an act that can result in unanticipated pregnancies and marriages among teens. A number of teenagers have sexual urges, and while some can withstand these temptations, others give in. Some choose to fall for the statement â€Å"everyone is doing it† and choose to engage in the activity to fit in. Most do not think about the consequences they can face because of sexual intercourse. It is because of their mis-education and lack of knowledge why there are a number of unintended teenage pregnancies. Many people talk about the pleasures of sex but fail to inform people that sex outside of marriage is heavily laden with repercussions, especially for girls and women. A woman’s first child should be a great joy but out of premarital intercourse becomes a burden. Sometimes this consequence forces the girl to drop out of school and in most cases the father of the child continues living his life, suffering little to no consequences. Weddings are in a numb er of instances, not joyful because they are forced. Marriages that sho... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia: The Right to die Webster’s defines Euthanasia as â€Å"An easy, painless death; the putting of a person to death painlessly, esp. one in a hopeless condition.† But for the family members of patients on life support it is definitely not an easy or painless decision to make. People like Dr. Kevorkian have reminded us all of our own mortality and our need to think carefully about the kind of society we want to live and to die in but is Euthanasia a moral way to ease the suffering of friends or family? It is no defense to point to the fact that a person has requested to be killed: "No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted upon him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibilities of any person by whom death may be inflicted upon the person by whom consent is given." claim the lobbyists against Euthanasia. This seems to mean that no one has a right to consent to have death inflicted on him or her because it is too close to playing god. In addition, if a person causes the death of another, the consent of the deceased does not provide the person who caused the death a defense to criminal responsibility. Is there a difference between a person who, at a dying person's request, prepares a poison and leaves it on the bedside for that person to take, and a person who helps the patient to drink it or who administers it directly at the request of a dying person who is unable to take it personally? Is there, in short, a real distinction between killing and le tting die? Well, this is the difference between passive and active euthanasia, and if you believe in euthanasia, you must decide which one is correct or even accept both to be correct depending upon the situation. We must carefully think through a number of conceptual issues. What is a person? What is death? How does the difference between active and passive function in arguments for and against euthanasia? Is there any d... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia is a controversial topic that features regularly in the news, but what is it? It is "mercy killing," the process of allowing an individual to die with dignity. Much of the arguments over this topic stem from whether we should give Doctors the right to assist their patients to death, or in fact to commit the deed themselves. This is the distinction between ‘euthanasia’ - the active process of ‘authorised murder,’ and ‘assisted suicide’ - where an individual will provide to the patient the means of commiting suicide, e.g. lethal drugs. Its use is mainly confined to people with terminal diseases, such a motor-neurone disease, AIDS or various cancers. Euthanasia is such a debated topic because it is not only about the patients right to die but also the doctors right to kill. The issue controversial because it deals intimately with death. Motor-neurone disease is just one of many examples of conditions that could be a justification for euthanasia, but is perhaps the most publicly raised as one of the greatest minds of this century, Stephen Hawking, has the disease. It is a horrific illness as it leaves the sufferers mind fully intact yet lets their bodies waste away, this must be unbelievably frustrating. There are several other recent cases such as Diane Pretty, who has the disease and also Phillip Such who went on a hunger strike, who are trying to attract the attention of the British government with the aim of changing the current laws prohibiting assisted suicide and euthanasia. However, the current laws are somewhat hazy. It is illegal, but at least 50 patients were allowed to die and not be resuscitated last year alone as a result of ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders. Medical personnel are calling for clearer guidelines. Despite this many people believe that terminally ill people should be given the right to end their own lives, with assistance. In fact over 80% of the public are willing the government to change ... Free Essays on Euthanasia ‘A person has the right to die if they wish’ Discuss In this discussion we are talking about euthanasia, this is killing someone who wishes to die but cannot perform the act themselves, or they can but feel that committing suicide would take away the dignity of dying in peace. Euthanasia is mainly debated due to people not agreeing about how someone can judge someone else’s quality of life. This is because your personal definition of quality of life could be the ability to get up and go to work every morning or being able to do what you please, but for someone who cannot walk very well it maybe simply seeing relatives and being in contact with other people. Some people would argue that people in a vegitive state have no quality of life and so euthanasia is acceptable here because they are only alive because of a life support machine and they do not know what goes on around them, they are just there. The problem with people in this state is we do not know if they wish to die or not because they are disabled and cannot give a sign either way. This is when living wills come into use, they are wills written while you are still at full health and when they no what they are doing. They state that if dying whether to resuscitate or not, this in some peoples eyes is not euthanasia just letting u die instead. But doctors are not supposed to do this because of the Hippocratic oath that was written in the 6th century which states that doctors should preserve life not destroy it. This is why Christians believe that euthanasia is wrong. Euthanasia is also done illegally by the help of doctors who help people who want to die but the problem with this is that if the doctor is caught they will be prosecuted and sent to jail. Some people believe they are doing good because they are ending peoples suffering and this is healing people in a way. The Christian point of view is that of using hospices instead of euthanasia. The point of hos... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia: The Right to die Webster’s defines Euthanasia as â€Å"An easy, painless death; the putting of a person to death painlessly, esp. one in a hopeless condition.† But for the family members of patients on life support it is definitely not an easy or painless decision to make. People like Dr. Kevorkian have reminded us all of our own mortality and our need to think carefully about the kind of society we want to live and to die in but is Euthanasia a moral way to ease the suffering of friends or family? It is no defense to point to the fact that a person has requested to be killed: "No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted upon him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibilities of any person by whom death may be inflicted upon the person by whom consent is given." claim the lobbyists against Euthanasia. This seems to mean that no one has a right to consent to have death inflicted on him or her because it is too close to playing god. In addition, if a person causes the death of another, the consent of the deceased does not provide the person who caused the death a defense to criminal responsibility. Is there a difference between a person who, at a dying person's request, prepares a poison and leaves it on the bedside for that person to take, and a person who helps the patient to drink it or who administers it directly at the request of a dying person who is unable to take it personally? Is there, in short, a real distinction between killing and le tting die? Well, this is the difference between passive and active euthanasia, and if you believe in euthanasia, you must decide which one is correct or even accept both to be correct depending upon the situation. We must carefully think through a number of conceptual issues. What is a person? What is death? How does the difference between active and passive function in arguments for and against euthanasia? Is there any d... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia is often called a merciful killing. It is intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. It is sometimes the act of ending someone’s life, who is terminally ill, or is suffering in severe pain. Euthanasia is mostly illegal in the world today. Euthanasia has a positive and also a negative side. Euthanasia is contradictory to human rights; however, it is actually the ultimate human right. In a democratic society, the prevalent one today, everyone has the right to pursue happiness. Euthanasia must be allowed because of dignity, or self-respect. Usually, patients with a terminal disease see everything they cherished fall apart. For example, a cancer patient who is in the last stage would feel pain so great that, when he dies, he would remember the world not full of love, but full of pain. The family would feel the same, seeing a loved one depart suffering. Thus, to remember one’s life as dignifying, one must have the right for euthanasia. The negative side of euthanasia is that it goes against ethics, because we do not let nature take its course. We are disturbing what is occurring or happening naturally to the person. Every person has a natural inclination to continue living. If euthanasia were to become legal, anyone would have an involvement in making a decision to end a person’s existence. If a person’s life is considered less valuable than another’s life, then euthanasia may rage out of control. People simply considered unworthy or invaluable of living would be extinguished, and that may lead to genocide. The United States was founded because people wanted to be free. Americans have fought for freedom ever since. If euthanasia is made illegal it will take away one of the founding freedoms, the freedom of choice, the freedom for a person to choose a death with dignity and free of pain and suffering for themselves and their families.... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia is often called â€Å"mercy killing†. It is intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. It is sometimes the act of ending someone’s life, who is terminally ill, or is suffering in severe pain. Euthanasia is mostly illegal in the world today. Euthanasia can be considered a form of suicide, if the person afflicted with the problem actively does it. The person volunteering to commit the act to that person can also consider it a form of murder. The negative side of euthanasia is that it goes against natural law ethics, because we do not let nature take its course. We are disturbing what is occurring or happening naturally to the person. Every person has a natural inclination to continue living. It is also said that euthanasia denies us the dignity of dying like human beings. If euthanasia were to become legal, it would form a downward spiral of society. For example, euthanasia would be self-inflicted by the individual, and then it would be administered and inflicted by others. Then others who simply have knowledge of the situation would administer the euthanasia. Finally, anyone would have an involvement in the euthanasia process making a decision to end a person’s existence. If a person’s life is deemed less valuable than another’s life, then euthanasia may rage out of control. People simply deemed unworthy or invaluable of living would be extinguished, and that may lead to genocide. Euthanasia goes against the six prima facie duties. There can be no duty of self-improvement if you prematurely end you existence. By not allowing yourself to die naturally, you deny yourself the final stages of growth in the dying process – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Dr. Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist, says that patients grow in the final stages, and finish all unfinished business. To administer euthanasia would deny a person this growth needed. Suicide is a tragic, ... Free Essays on Euthanasia The word `euthanasia ´ is a combination of the ancient Greek words `eu ´ and `thanatos ´, meaning `a good death ´ or `the bringing about of a gentle and easy death ´. Nowadays, the meaning of this word stands for mercy killing. In total, there are six different ways in which euthanasia can occur: Active euthanasia, which is the active intervention by a doctor to terminate a patient ´s life; Passive ethanasia, the deliberate withholding of the patient ´s medical treatment with the intention to terminate life; Voluntary euthanasia, on request of the terminally ill patient, asking to recieve medical treatment in order to die; Involuntary euthanasia, ending an able patient ´s life against their will, or just plain murder; Non-voluntary euthanasia, ending the life of a patient that is incapable of giving permission; and Physician-assisted suicide, almost the same as voluntary euthanasia, but instead the doctor only prescribes the lethal drug rather than giving it to the pa tient. Today, the support for legalising voluntary euthanasia increases with every year. And according to statistics, this sort of euthanasia is supported by the majority of people all over the world. Only a small minotity argues against this issue due to religious beliefs and moral or ethical disagreements. A current case arguing in favour of voluntary euthansia is the case of Diane Pretty, who suffers from the incurable motor neurone disease. She bids for an assisted suicide executed by her husband and has passed the first stage of the legal battle arguing in her favour. Now, her case has to be presented to the Director of Public Prosecusions, in order to prevent her husband from being prosecuted if he should assist her to terminate her life. Mary Warnock commented on this issue in `The Observer ´ of Sunday, September second. She was clearly able to distinguish between the moral and judicial aspects of euthanasia, giving her arguments in favour of Diane Pretty ´s case v... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia is the practice of mercifully ending a person’s life, in order to release the individual from an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death (Encarta). The word â€Å"euthanasia† derives from Greek Eu, "good", and Thanatos, "death" and originally referred to intentional mercy killing (Encarta). Physicians may practice two forms of euthanasia: active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia means painlessly putting someone to death for merciful reasons by a doctor, who order a lethal dose of medication to the patient. Whereas, passive euthanasia involves not doing something to prevent death, for instance when doctors refrain from the use of an artificial respirator to keep a patient alive who is fatally ill. (Encarta) Euthanasia has been accepted by various societies trough history. In the ancient Greek and Rome it was acceptable to help others die or put them to death in some situations. Voluntary euthanasia was an approved custom for elderly who were suffering unknown or untreatable illnesses that was assumed lethal. Moreover, newborns with severe birth effects were put to death in the ancient Greek city of Sparta. However, as Christianity developed and grew powerful, euthanasia became morally and ethically abhorrent and was viewed as a violation of God’s gift of life. (Beauchamp, pp 102) Following the Christian tradition, laws generally treated the act of helping someone in dying as a form of punishable homicide (unlawful killing). However, those who wish to legalize euthanasia have argued that under the principles of liberty it is everybody’s legal right to choose the way of his or her own death. Therefore, organizations were formed in Great Britain and in The United States during the 1930’s. (Beauchamp, pp113) However, the Netherlands was the first countryand the only one sinceto legalize euthanasia. The Dutch practice of euthanasia provides a negative example to the ... Free Essays on Euthanasia â€Å"Love: The Right Chemistry† In this article I think that the paragraphs are divided well. I have noticed that in most of the paragraphs that the last sentenced is usually what the topic is about in the following paragraph. I think that it helps the reader to anticipate what he/she will be reading next and it also helps the paragraphs flow together. I also like the way the author gives a definition of all the chemical terms that she is using. It helps me as a reader get a better understanding of what the author is trying to say. I found that in starting new paragraphs the author uses the word â€Å"still† and â€Å"above all† in new paragraphs. That helps me because the author isn’t switching form a new topic to another without some sort of transition.. The way that the author writes about love is helpful. She has used many statistics and examples. The order that she used those statistics and examples was interesting. She didn’t start the article out with any facts, it seemed like she was using many of her own observations about the subject : love. I really likes reading this article, I found that the way she wrote is was very successful. I think the paragraphs flowed very smooth, everything was clear and defined and they were many facts and examples.... Free Essays on Euthanasia The nurse continuously assesses and intervenes on the patient’s behalf. Not only does the nurse protect patients from potential risks and complications, but the nurse also has the task of providing patients with comfort and support. This task is among one the most challenging of a nurse’s responsibilities. It is not simply a task that involves going back to the books to find a specific protocol that will work for all patients. The nurse needs to know which interventions will be most comforting to which patients. In addition to analgesics, therapeutic touch can help the nurse to provide patients with the care and support that they deserve. Contrary to the layman belief, therapeutic touch consists of more than simply hugging or touching someone’s shoulder. Therapeutic touch â€Å"is a healing modality that involves touching with the intent to help or heal. Therapeutic touch decreases anxiety, facilitates healing, and relieves pain† (Ignatavicius, Workman, & Mishler, 1999, 39). Therapeutic touch looks at the patient holistically and assumes that one is an energy field. TT mobilizes areas in the patient’s energy field that are not flowing correctly. The practitioner’s body is used to facilitate in redirecting the client’s energies (Ignatavicius et al., 1999, 39). The concept of TT is supported by Roger’s theory of unitary human beings. Nursing research provides the profession with ways in which the practice can be directed. However, drawing from nursing research and making applications to practice, makes it imperative that the nurse be able to analyze and critique a study. This ensures that the interventions that are carried out on patients actually work. There are many extraneous variables that need to be considered when reading a research article. The nurse should be able to read research and be able to determine if the study was conducted rigorously enough that its findings could be supported. Turner, Cla... Free Essays on Euthanasia â€Å"Euthanasia† is a broad term for mercy killing - taking the life of a hopelessly ill of injured individual in order to end his or her suffering (Torr p.12) . The term â€Å"euthanasia† is derived from ancient Greek, and means â€Å"good death†. While the debate over mercy killings has been going on for centuries, many people today believe that it is harder than ever before to achieve a good death. Advances in medicine have increased people’s health and life span, but they have also greatly affected the dying process. For example, in the beginning of the twentieth century the majority of Americans died at home, usually the victims of pneumonia or influenza. Today most people die in the hospital, often from degenerative diseases like cancer that cause a painful, lingering death (Manning, p 4). In our judicial system today there is an ongoing battle whether terminally ill people have the right to end their lives. The question is, if the quality of life has deteriorated is it our right to end it? Is assisting someone to commit suicide unethical behavior? Some would argue that it is not only unethical, but immoral. It is my belief that it is not unethical nor immoral. When death is inevitable and the quality of life has deteriorated, that person has the right to die with dignity. Jack Kevorkian, a proponent of euthanasia and assisted suicide has become a controversial figure in America. He believes individuals who have afflictions that are terminal have the right to end their lives. Using a â€Å"suicide machine† he developed, patients are allowed to administrate their own deaths by hitting a switch, and releasing a lethal amount of drugs into their system. Death would come quickly and painlessly. The pain suffered by patients with terminal diseases can last for years. If an individual’s quality of life has deteriorated and life has become painful, doesn’t he/she have the right to end it? People opp... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia is defined as â€Å"the act of killing an individual for reasons being considered merciful.† It is a planned self-deliverance from a painful and hopeless disease. Today’s society has many different names for it such as: suicide, self-deliverance, auto-euthanasia, aid-in-dying, assisted suicide, death with dignity, and playing God. I believe that no one or any one else has the right to decide when it is time for a person to give up on life. The first and most common reason for why someone might end their life is that an advanced terminal illness is causing unbearable suffering. Another reason is a severe physical handicap causing them to be completely dependent on those who care for them. This is rare though. I believe that life is precious and is worth fighting for. I am glad that assent-suicide is a crime in most places, including here. The word euthanasia comes for a Greek word meaning literally â€Å"good death.† â€Å"Disconnecting respiratory devices is not a acceptable method of euthanasia. It causes the patient to starve for oxygen and gasp for it, but when he/she cannot breathe, the body is starved for oxygen and suffocates. This is not merciful by any means, (Euthanasia).† There is also another point that has to be looked at which is future medical advances. It would reduce pressure on scientists to come up with cures and symptomatic treatments for those of us who do want to live, no matter the circumstances. It would have to be thought of through a different point of view, think about the past. If euthanasia had been legalized 40 years ago, there is a good chance that hospice care would not exist. I think that the improvement in terminal cared is directly effects how good treatments to minimize suffering. â€Å"If that suffering had been extinguished by extinguishing the patients who bore it, then we may never have known the ad... Free Essays on Euthanasia Assisted Suicide Thesis: We do not have the freedom of speech unless we have the freedom to refuse to speak. And we do not have the freedom of religion unless we have the freedom to not be religious. So then how do we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness unless we have the freedom to deny any of these? â€Å"Our Life Is Not Our Own If We Cannot Choose When To End It!† Euthanasia: the final analysis in America today many arguments are centered around the right to choose: the right for women to have and abortion, the right for gays to be allowed to raise children or to be legally married, and the right to physician assisted suicide. ( ) These arguments all have something to do with the individual having the right to make this choice, but what if they are unable to make this choice? Say for instance, a man was hit by an oncoming truck, and is being held alive by a machine, what will happen to him? Who will make the decision for him to live or to die? In most case’s it will be the physician. Well you may ask yourself why cant we choose, that is to die? If a person is terminally ill and has a quality of life so low that they do not have the will to go on, ( ) they are not given a choice. Why then are those people not allowed to seek out a painless alternative in their situation? ( ) Though it is illegal many seek out p hysician assisted suicide ( ) or assisted suicide. Most memorable are those involving Dr. Kevorkian. Known as â€Å"Dr. Death† as some headlines read, Dr. Kevorkian has become famous for his many assisted suicides and his suicide machine. ( ) This all may sound fine and dandy, but not everyone agrees with it. Many religions contend and advise against a person seeking suicide of any kind. ( ) In religious views, life is a gift from god and one not to be thrown away or wasted. ( ) It is viewed that by committing suicide of any kind we are di... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia Most people in the United States die what may be called a bad death. More often than not, patients die in pain, their desires concerning treatment neglected. Euthanasia and physician assented suicide have been one of the biggest disputes in U. S. for a very long time. The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means â€Å"good† and thanatos means â€Å"death†. One meaning given to the word is â€Å"the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies.† That is, the term euthanasia normally implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. However, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life. Like so many moral, ethical, and religious terms, euthanasia has many meanings. The result is mass confusion. The different types of euthanasia are as follows: Passive Euthanasia Active Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide Involuntary Euthanasia Passive euthanasia hastens the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. For example: removing life support equipment, stopping medical procedures, stopping food and water, and not delivering CPR. The most common form of passive euthanasia is to give patients large doses of pain-killers to control pain; in spite of the likelihood that the pain-killer will cause death earlier than if nature would have taken its course. Administering such lethal doses of medication is regarded as ethical in most medical societies. Active euthanasia involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person. The most famous and well known example of mercy killings of patients was administered by Dr. Jack Kevorkian. His patients were frightened that advancing diseases and terminal illness would cause them to die a horrible death in the near future; they wanted q... Free Essays on Euthanasia The origin of the word euthanasia is from the Greek eu meaning â€Å"good† and thanos meaning â€Å"death† (â€Å"All†). Euthanasia has been traced as far back as ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. These ancient societies approved of voluntary euthanasia. Religion increased as time passed and life was viewed to be sacred. This caused euthanasia to be seen as wrong in all forms (Home). Euthanasia is the action of inducing the painless death of a person for reasons assumed to be merciful (â€Å"Death†). This usually means killing in the name of passion (â€Å"Frequently†). Euthanasia and assisted suicide are subject to much debate over whether it should be legal and whether it is ethical and moral to allow it to be done. There are many forms of euthanasia. They are passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, and involuntary euthanasia. The patients are not required to have to extend their lives for as long as possible (Battin 336). Allowing a person to die a natural death by withdrawing some form of support is passive euthanasia. Some examples are removing life support, stopping medical procedures and medications, not delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and depriving a patient of food and water (â€Å"All†). It is widely accepted for a mentally competent patient to refuse treatment (â€Å"Assisted). Technically, passive euthanasia is legal because the patient is dying of a natural disease (Cundiff 2-3). Causing the death of a patient through direct action is active euthanasia (â€Å"All†). The most common active euthanasia performed is an overdose of medication (Cundiff 3). Active euthanasia is considered murder, therefore is against the law (1). Involuntary euth! anasia is usually considered mercy killing, which is when someone kills a suffering individual who is unable to request or perform the act themselves (Thomasma 20). Some patients request something else besides euthanasia. They sometimes request assisted suic... Free Essays on Euthanasia What Is Euthanasia? By definition, euthanasia means â€Å"good death†, originated from the Greek-â€Å"eu†, meaning good and â€Å"thantos†, meaning death. It is generally defined as a method of causing a painless death to end suffering. There are three types of practices that are involved with euthanasia. The first one is voluntary, â€Å"active† euthanasia, where the person asks to be killed. This involves painlessly putting individuals to death for merciful reasons, as when a doctor administers a lethal dose of medication to a patient. The second practice that is involved with euthanasia is involuntary. This concerns the killing of persons who cannot express their wishes, because of immaturity (i.e. a newborn infant), mental retardation or coma. Here is it decided by others that that person would be better off dead. The third practice is passive euthanasia, where withdrawing some kind of medical support kills the patient and lets nature takes its course. For example this would include removing life support or stopping medical procedures which are unwanted. The Controversy of Euthanasia Euthanasia has been a topic of controversy within many societies, for some amount of time. In ancient Greece and Rome euthanasia was tolerated as long as the person received official permission and was logical. In fact the Greek magistrates kept supplies of poison for anyone who wish to die (Humphry). During the Renaissance, most enlightened people didn’t view it as wrong, but they met resistance from Catholic and Protestant Churches who condemned any form of suicide as a sin (Humphry). In modern time, the topic of euthanasia has turned into a very heated debate. By addressing the issues of refusing prolonging life medically, assisting suicide, or active euthanasia, we eventually confront our own society's fears toward death itself. Above others, our American culture breeds fear and dread of aging and dying into its people. It is not easy for... Free Essays on Euthanasia Euthanasia A considerable size of society is in favor of Euthanasia mostly because they feel that as a democratic country, we as free individuals, have the right to decide for ourselves whether or not it is our right to determine when to terminate someone's life. The stronger and more widely held opinion is against Euthanasia primarily because society feels that it is god's task to determine when one of his creations time has come, and we as human beings are in no position to behave as god and end someone's life. When humans take it upon themselves to shorten their lives or to have others to do it for them by withdrawing life-sustaining apparatus, they play god. They usurp the divine function, and interfere with the divine plan. Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable, painful, or distressing diseases or handicaps. It come from the Greek words for 'good' and 'death', and is commonly called mercy killing. Voluntary euthanasia may occur when incurably ill persons ask their physician, friend or relative, to put them to death. The patients or their relatives may ask a doctor to withhold treatment and let them die. Many critics of the medical profession contend that too often doctors play god on operating tables and in recovery rooms. They argue that no doctor should be allowed to decide who lives and who dies. The issue of euthanasia is having a tremendous impact on medicine in the United States today. It was only in the nineteenth century that the word came to be used in the sense of speeding up the process of dying and the destruction of so-called useless lives. Today it is defined as the deliberate ending of life of a person suffering from an incurable disease. A distinction is made between positive, or active, and negative, or passive, euthanasia. Positive euthanasia is the deliberate ending of life; an action taken to cause death in a person. Negative euthanasia is defined as the withhol...