Why Is Euthanasia Wrong

Euthanasia is a Greek word that stems from the prefix eu- and noun thanatos. The word thanatos means death, and eu- means good. Therefore, euthanasia literally translates to “good death”. Currently, assisted suicide is only legal in the states of Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California, Colorado, and the District of Columbia. In Montana, assisted suicide is legal after there is a court ruling. (CNN Fast Facts Article) There are two types of euthanasia, active and passive. Active euthanasia occurs when a physician administers a lethal dose of medication at a patient’s request, whereas, passive euthanasia occurs when a doctor does not treat a disease or injury at the patient’s or family’s request.(Final Article) Doctors cannot legally assist

For example, on nine eleven people jumped from the windows when they knew that they were going to die because it was their way of choosing how to end their life, and controlling the situation. They chose to die with dignity rather than wait for death to consume them. The only difference between them and a terminally ill person is that the people at the World Trade Center were able to end their lives and, at the time, free from legal intervention to prevent them from doing so. (Last Article). Another reason people would rather choose assisted suicide is because of the the quality of life. The patient that is suffering from the pain, stress, and challenges of a terminal illness is most likely not living their life to the fullest potential. The same hardships occur for the family members as well. According to Aisha Dow(first art.) “Official statistics kept by the Oregon Health Authority show that about ninety percent of euthanasia patients were concerned about losing autonomy and not being able to engage in enjoyable activities. They also worried about loss of dignity (seventy-seven percent), losing control of bodily functions (forty-seven percent), and being a burden on their family and caregivers (forty-two percent).The hardships occur for the family members as well. Families often wonder if the treatment is worth the extra time and pain when, instead, they could die a “natural” death. For example, there are stories

This argument is flawed because there are multiple doctors that think euthanasia is ethical, and even more will participate in assisted suicide once it becomes legalized. In a survey completed by the American Medical Association, fifty-three percent of the public and twenty-nine percent of doctors think it should be legal for a physician to commit suicide. (Bar Graph) General practitioner, Dr. Simon Benson declared that he is prepared to participate in euthanasia. Benson states “I would be doing a person a service.” and “I would be treating them well and humanely”. (Dow, 2017). In Oregon, over eighteen years, there have been 336 physicians willing to write the deadly prescriptions. (Dow,