Euthanasia: Reasons It Should Be a Choice

Today, the development of technology makes it possible for medical treatment to cure many diseases which had been thought of as fatal in the past. Many people lead their lives without fear of death from disease. However, sometimes people face a situation in which even advanced medical care can’t successfully treat a disease and the patients have no possibility for recovering and may be in pain. In such a situation, ‘euthanasia’ comes to an issue among the people involved. Euthanasia, sometimes called mercy killing, is an act or practice of painlessly ending the lives of people suffering from incurable, painful, or distressful diseases or physical disorders (Thomasma, 2006). There are various opinions and arguments about euthanasia.

Euthanasia is often considered as either murder or suicide because the legal systems of most countries don’t take adequate measures for it. There are only two countries which have legalized euthanasia, the Netherlands in 2001 and Belgium in 2002, and a number of patients there have chosen euthanasia every year. Oregon has become the first state in the United States to allow physician-assisted suicide (Euthanasia, 2006). In other countries or states, physicians are not permitted to help the patients die, even in severe situations.

In fact, however, euthanasia has been carried out in many places by exploiting the gap in the laws since early times. There is always someone who desires to die even at this very moment. Should euthanasia be prohibited just because there is no law which approves it? Is the doctor who gives peaceful death to the patients who request it really a murderer? The answer is ‘No.’ Euthanasia should be a legitimate choice in case the patients and their doctors decide it is in the patients’ best interest.

It is natural that some people think that euthanasia is unethical and immoral, so it should never be done. As Ronald Otremba, the director of Hospice HealthEast at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, points out, everyone’s life is essentially valuable, and we must have maximum respect for it. Also, a doctor’s role is to save life, not take it (1995). In addition, there are some people who consider euthanasia as a great taboo for religious reasons. For example, most traditional Christians don’t accept euthanasia because of their belief that life is a gift from God, so they can’t allow doctors to take the lives of patients even if they want to die. They also attach a high value to the process of dying as a spiritual thing, so they think it is wrong to interfere with it (BBC, 2004a). As for Islam, Muslims suppose that euthanasia cannot be a reason to allow killing people because all human life, given by Allah, is sacred, and Allah decides how long each person will live (BBC, 2004b). Nobody should denigrate their ways of thinking on life and death.

While there are people for whom euthanasia is morally unacceptable, there are also people who don’t have such ideas. Ronald Dworkin, a law professor at New York University and Oxford University, says that death’s meaning differs according to the person, and we cannot accept the view unless we understand the person’s situation and his/her life. The value of death depends on one’s “own sense of integrity and critical interests” (1995, p.30). Each person has an original idea about life and even it might change depending on the situation. It is the patient, doctor and people directly effected who should choose whether the practice of euthanasia is ethical and acceptable for them or not. Therefore, it is wrong to simply label euthanasia unethical and make blind assumptions that it must be banned.

It goes without saying that nobody wants to die in normal circumstances. Even so, there are people who want to end their life by euthanasia. There must be strong reasons which make them decide so. First of all, great pain and suffering would be the biggest causes for choosing death. In the days prior to death, almost 75% of patients have difficulty tolerating physical symptoms, with some suffering from severe pain, severe shortness of breath, fatigue or severe confusion (Public Agenda, 2006). If there is clearly no chance to recover, continuing these agonies by administration of medicine or with medical equipment can do nothing but torment the patients.

In addition to that terminally ill, patients have a lot of concerns as well as physical suffering. According to a survey by the Oregon Department of Human Services, the end of life concerns include the followings: loss of autonomy, being less able to engage in activities making life enjoyable, loss of dignity, loss of control of bodily functions, fear of being burden on family, friends/caregivers, inadequate pain control or concern about it, and financial implications of treatment (2006, Table 4). As seen from this survey, patients think about their life seriously and are concerned not only about themselves but also the people who take care of them in such a situation. Through these distresses, they finally choose euthanasia. For them, euthanasia is the one and only hope.

How would society change after euthanasia became an official choice for terminally ill patients? Some argue it could be negatively affected by that somehow. However, permitting the practice of euthanasia by law wouldn’t cause any harm. It is likely to be thought that if euthanasia is legalized, it would lead to abuses because it seems to make killing easy. However, when the patients and their doctors follow proper procedure, such abuse rarely happens. For instance, Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act contains very stringent guidelines. It requires the patients’ capability to make and communicate their health decisions, and a diagnosis which shows the terminal illness will lead to death within six months. Also several steps must be fulfilled: two oral requests at least fifteen days apart, and a witnessed written request to their physician, the physician’s confirmation of the diagnosis and prognosis, determination whether the patient is capable by the physician, and informing the patient of any feasibilities which can be alternatives to assisted suicide. Furthermore, physicians are obligated to report all prescription for lethal medication to the Department of Human Service (2006). The physician-assisted suicide can be executed only when these requirements are met. Actually, the number of terminally ill patients choosing death under the Act has remained small, which helps prove that legalizing euthanasia doesn’t involve confusion over death, and that terminally ill patients make this decision very carefully.

Legalization of assisted death by physician could spread help physicians to develop more expertise in palliative care. Roger S. Magnusson, an associate professor at the University of Sydney Law School in Australia, remarks that legalizing euthanasia could improve the level of palliative care by providing more financing for it, and arouse the availability of palliative care service (2006). If patients choose euthanasia, physicians and their families can do the best for them until death rather than when they keep lengthy and uncertain treatments. Authorizing euthanasia supports the development of care until death, and at the same time, gives new alternatives for both physicians and patients.

The acceptance of euthanasia is deeply related to the idea of personal freedom. The choice of how to live and what to do depends on the individual, and society should respect this autonomy. Albert R. Jonsen, Professor Emeritus of Ethics in Medicine at the School of Medicine, University of Washington, claims the importance of autonomy by insisting that it is obviously patients who decide which treatment proposed by doctors they receive, and that respecting each person’s self-determination means to recognize the person’s right to live based on personal values and beliefs (2005). These ideas should be paid serious attention in order to consider each patient’s humanity, especially while facing death. If society respects patients’ autonomy, the right to refuse useless or excessively burdensome treatment would naturally be allowed. That directly leads to the discussion of the right to die. S. B. Chetwynd, a professor at the University of Warwick, argues that the right to die, which is implied by the right to life, should be a positive right which allows deciding and doing what we want to with our lives (2004). Patients have a clear right to choose their way of living and dying. They can hope to stay alive as long as possible with medication. At the same time, they can choose to sleep forever by asking a doctor for a fatal dose of drugs, so long as safeguards, such as those found in the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, are followed.

Nobody but the actual terminally ill patients can imagine or understand their pain or profound anguish. The patients have a right to decide how and when their life will end, including choosing euthanasia, which leads to a painless and peaceful death. When the patient truly wants to be put to death and the doctor and people around them judge that the situation is despairing, euthanasia is a positive way for everyone. For such a possible occasion, euthanasia should be an official choice available for everyone, though, of course, people who don’t agree with it would not have to consider it as an alternative. When there is a sufficient system for performance of euthanasia, it would work successfully without any fear of abuse. Society must not disregard the value of every human life, but the choice of peaceful death should be available for patients who sincerely want it. To legalize the practice of euthanasia would never a burden for anyone, but would provide a great possibility to help doctors, patients and their families.



Reference:

British Broadcasting Corporation. (2004a). Religion & ethics- Christianity. In Religion & ethics. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/euthanasia_1.shtml

British Broadcasting Corporation. (2004b). Religion & ethics- Islam. In Religion & ethics. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/islamethics/euthanasia.shtml

Chetwynd, S. B. (2004). Right to life, right to die and assisted suicide. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 21(2), 173-182. Retrieved November 27, 2006, from Academic Search Premier (AN 13678641).

Department of Human Services. (2006). Eighth annual report on Oregon’s death with dignity act. In Oregon.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2006, from http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year8.pdf

Dworkin, R. (1995). Individuals must choose for themselves whether euthanasia is ethical. In C. Wekesser (Ed.), Euthanasia: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 24-30). San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Euthanasia. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 14, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9033299

Jonsen, A.R. (2005). Bioethics beyond the headlines: Who lives? who dies? who decides? Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Magnusson, R. S. (2004). Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would reduce harm to society. In H. Cothran (Ed.), Euthanasia: opposing viewpoints (pp. 85-95). San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Otremba, R. (1995). Euthanasia is unethical. In C. Wekesser (Ed.), Euthanasia: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 21-23). San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Public Agenda. (2006). Pain and suffering common at end of life. In Right to die: fact file. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/factfiles_detail.cfm?issue_type=right2die&list=7

Thomasma, D. C. (2006). Euthanasia. In The world book encyclopedia (Vol. 6, p. 421). Chicago: World Book, Inc.

Thanksgiving☆

The Thanksgiving holiday had been flying by. My first Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Last Thursday, I went to my friendship family’s house, and spend a traditional Thanksgiving Day. We watched Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the national dog show, and a football game on TV. I was surprised at the TV commercials, because they said most stores would open from 5 am in next morning for the thanksgiving sale. I gave up going shopping because it’s impossible for me to wake up so early.

Before the dinner became ready, the daughter of the family and I began to make a candy turkey. It was easy but fun and I recalled my childhood. We were pleased our good job because the turkeys were so cute J

We had excellent dinner; roast turkey with cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, gravy sauce, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I was amazed at the big size of the turkey. Though I got full in the middle of the dinner, I kept eating because they were so delicious! While having the dinner, the father told me that Thanksgiving Day is the only truly ‘American’ traditional holiday. I was happy to experience such a special day with my friendship family.

After that, we watched a movie “The Lake House,” whose story is about a woman and a man who live in a same house but in 2006 and 2004. They exchange letters through a marvelous post, and get attracted to each other gradually. Sometimes the story was too tricky to understand perfectly, but it was interesting. The day became one of my memorable days :D

Euthanasia Shoud Be a Choice

Today, the development of technology makes it possible for medical treatment to cure many diseases which had been thought of as fatal in the past. Many people lead their lives without fear of death from disease. However, sometimes people face the situation in which even advanced medical care can’t successfully treat a disease and the patients have no possibility for recovering and may be in pain. In such a situation, the patients don’t have any hope for the future. Therefore, if the patients wish to die, the doctor should be allowed to assist them to die and relieve them from their hopeless pain.

Some people consider euthanasia as murder and deny it to patients on legal and moral grounds. It is true that euthanasia means the doctor takes the patient’s life on purpose, and that might be hard for some people to accept. However, that is different from the murders that are broadcast on the daily news. Doctors can keep the patients alive, sometimes in great pain by life-prolonging treatment, but that is occasionally crueler than giving them a peaceful death. The patients might hope for the latter. To give death is to bring the patients out of suffering in certain cases, and it is one of the choices the patients should have.

The first aspect that should be considered is the terminally ill patient’s situation. Being kept alive with massive amounts of medication in a bed with medical equipment a hospital is not natural for humans. The patients might not be able to find any joy or hope in such a situation. It is sometimes difficult to regard them as really “alive.” On such occasions, euthanasia can be the only ray of hope for the patients.

Patients have a clear right to choose their way of living and dying. They can hope to stay alive as long as possible with medication, and at the same time, they can choose to sleep forever by asking a doctor for a fatal dose of drugs. In addition, terminally ill patients might think about the family members who must keep helping them, both mentally and psychologically, and feel really sorry to burden the family even though they don’t have a chance of recovery. The will to die in comfort should be respected if the patients are in a desperate situation.

Finally, the strongest argument for euthanasia is the freedom from oppression. Nobody can imagine how hard it is for the terminally ill patients who are feeling pain. Moreover, the patients might be fighting against the fear of death every day. The choice of euthanasia means to remove the fear of dying in agony as well as to get rid of the pain.

For the above reasons, doctors should not be deprived of the chance to give their patients a choice of euthanasia. The patients have a right to choose euthanasia, which is painless and peaceful death. The most important point is whether the patient him or herself desires euthanasia. When the patient truly wants euthanasia and the doctor and people around them judge that the situation is despairing, euthanasia is a positive way for everyone. If they help the patients to die in such a situation, they can be not seen as murderers but heroes for the patients.

Cooking☆

Last Saturday I baked brownies with my friends. My roommate is really good at making sweets. She can make various kinds of cakes, breads, pies and anything, and I get them from her every time. They are sooooo yummy! So we asked her to teach us how to make a brownie.

Before the day, we went to Fred Meyer to buy ingredients of it. We struggled to gather them up because the store is large and we don’t get used to American placement yet. In addition, we are not familiar with making sweet, so many times discussions were needed like “What’s the difference between this and that sugar?” or “Which cocoa powder is better for brownies?” Anyway, we completed our mission finally, and it was fun time.

At first, we combined cocoa powder and baking soda, and put melted butter, hot water, sugar, and eggs into it and stirred it. I was surprised at the amount of sugar we used. It made me understand why brownies are so sweet. After that we added flour, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. After pouring it to a pan and placing it in the oven, all we have to do was just waiting! 30 minutes passed before we noticed while chatting. The newly made brownie was too delicious for words. The sponge was warm and the chocolate chips were melting inside it. We distributed it to many friends.

I love American sweets because they make me happy. I'm going to learn how to make them more with my roommate during in America.

My daily life at L&C

2 months have passed since I came here, Lewis & Clark College. I’ve got used to new life here, and I’m enjoying it so much. So I’d like to introduce it briefly today.

I live in a dormitory named Stewart, whose policy is clean and quiet. I like my room because it’s clean and cozy. Only negative point is that it gets little sunlight, so it’s dark even during the daytime. Therefore, my roommate and I bought a lot of lights and our room has become brighter, yeah! :D Because it is likely to become messy, I always try to keep it clean. I’m happy that Stewart is closer to the cafeteria and classrooms.

The cafeteria called “Bon” is a place where I have almost every meal. They serve different menu every day, so I don’t get bored at all, (though some of my friend oppose to that, ha-ha :P) Especially, I love the handmade sweets, such as muffins, brownies, donuts, and cakes. There are also various kinds of ice cream, and they always delude me.

The class starts from 9:10 am. Most of my class is English course, and many international students are in my classes. Because each class assigns homework everyday, I go to the library very often. Late at night, Japanese students have a majority in there. I want more time to sleep…

But on weekend, I hang out with my friends. I go shopping, to watch movies, to eat Japanese food, or to parties. I often get headache because of too much playing, hehe. It’s a good way to relax away from study. I’m pleased with such a life, and looking for more fun at the same time!

Trick or Treat☆

In Japan, we don’t have the costom of Halloween. So I have been looking forward to it since before I came to America. Last Friday, I went to Halloween festival at an elementary school, where my friendship family’s mother works. Every kid was wearing various kinds of costumes, such as Spider-Man, Batman, witch, princess, and monster. They were sooooooo cute!! I wish I were an American child so that I could have dressed up like that. I played a lot of games there like throwing rubber chicken, and got many candies and toys :)

At that night, I went to “Haunted Maze” with my friends after I came back to the school. Because it was already 10 pm when we arrived there, it was so dark and cold. It was not just a maze. On the way to the goal, many people dressed in costumes of monsters tried to threaten us. I screamed many times by them, and I felt sorry for Asami, who was walking beside me. Though we faced dead ends and lost our way over and over, finally we reached the goal, and I felt really happy!

Moreover, I carved a pumpkin for the first time on last Sunday. It seemed very hard to carve a pumpkin before I started, but that was easier than I expected though the rind was hard to cut. It took almost 30 minutes to finish it. I carved a standard face and completely satisfied with it. Look at the picture :D

I’m going to my friendship family’s house tomorrow and join “answering the door party.” I’m excited now. I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!

Caving!!

Last Sunday, I went caving to Mt. Adams, Washington, as an activity of College Outdoors. Before I started caving, I imagined we were going to explore a cave like Japanese one, which is really safe and easy to walk because it has lights and wide path inside itself. So I said “No” with confidence when my friend asked me if I was scared about that. However, that was just a wishful thinking. The real cave was so dark that we couldn’t make our way without a headlamp. We sometimes had to creep because the paths were too narrow. There were big rocks along the way, so I felt like doing rock climbing. When my leg slipped, I felt the danger of my life! But, at the same time, it was so exiting!

In a dead end, we turned our headlamps off and tasted real darkness and silence. That was my first experience that I can’t watch nor hear anything. While silence, I recalled my past in Japan… I want to be back to my high school days!! Anyway, I thought I would go mad if I stayed there for a long time. I like sunlight and talking :)

Now I feel sore muscles all over my body I don’t use in daily life. At such a time, I really feel I’m getting old. Where is my power I had when I was young? I need more exercise and stamina!! After all, I enjoyed the caving which I can’t experience in Japan! Vive America! :D