Arguments Against Euthanasia In The United States

Euthanasia is the termination of an extremely ill person’s life in order to relieve them from the suffering the illness is causing. Euthanasia is usually only conducted on a person with an incurable condition, however there are other instances when euthanasia can be carried out. In many countries, such as the UK, it is illegal to assist anyone in killing themselves. Should a terminally ill patient in a great deal of pain and discomfort be allowed to terminate their life, if that is what the patient desires? And who has the right to deny a patient who is in complete suffering a less painful ending to their lives? These questions cause a huge amount of controversy, and have been strongly debated. Those in favor of euthanasia argue that it should

Many supporters of voluntary euthanasia believe that everyone has the right to control their body and life, and should be free to decide at what time, and in which manner they will die. The idea behind this is that unnecessary restraints on human rights should be avoided. It was said in an article in the Independent newspaper in March 2002, that; “In cases where there are no dependents who might exert pressure one way or the other, the right of the individual to choose should be paramount. So long as the patient is lucid, and his or her intent is clear beyond doubt, there need be no further questions.” Since the right to life gives a person the right to not be killed if they do not want to, proponents of euthanasia argue that respect for this right will prevent euthanasia being misused, as killing a patient without their permission would violate their human rights. It can also be argued that because death is a private matter, if there is no harm to any other people, there is no right to deny someone ‘s wish to die. Supporters of this believe that if euthanasia promotes the best interests of all the parties concerned, and no human rights are violated, then it is morally acceptable for voluntary euthanasia to take