The word euthanasia was coined in the 17th century by Francis Bacon who defined it as “an easy, painless, and happy death.” Today, it refers to when a doctor 1) consents to help a critically ill patient commit suicide by injecting him or her with a drug that causes death; critically ill means that they have a disease or illness which will result in death.
Supporters of doctors who assist critically ill patients to die say that people have the right to end their lives in a painless and dignified way. One could say that a person’s right “to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” includes the right to decide to free oneself from a painful disease or illness. Doctors who support euthanasia 2) empahsize that the 3) criteria for 4) consent to help a patient die is that the patient is suffering from a terminal illness, has a poor quality of life, and has made a conscious decision to end his/her life.
Critics of euthanasia say that doctors take an oath to protect patients. Assisting them to end their lives goes against that promise. Opponents also 5) emphasize
the possibility of doctors taking this too far by helping the poor and disabled end their lives. Religious critics say that doctor-assisted suicide goes against God’s will. Others fear that a patient's age and inability to pay medical bills may be used as 6) criteria to determine who lives and who dies.
As of 2011, the Supreme Court has ruled against euthanasia, but many patients are still asking doctors for assistance. _________________________________________________________________________________
I strongly agree that doctors should be allowed to help a critically ill patient commit suicide. One of my main reason is that a patient has the right to relief himself of life no matter what circumstances arrive, because he has the right "to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness". This means that if ending his life would give him liberty or happiness then he has the right to end his life as long as he follows the criteria and emphasizes his consent to the doctor to help him do so. Also, if you were in horrible pain and knew you were going to die. Would you keep living and suffer the horrible horrfic pain of the illness/disease you have? I wouldnt i would decide to die and easy death instead of going through so much pain and agony. In conclusive, doctors should be allowed to help critically ill patients commit suicide, because its the patients right to have freedom to chose decisions that would make them liberty or happiness, aslong as the patient emphasizes his consent to the doctor and has it written.
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