Life is always valued. Every life is precious, a gift. But is that really true? What if the person considers life a burden? If the “life” isn’t a benefit? If you were basically a vegetable, an empty shell of a person, would you feel that life is a benefit to you? We need to give euthanasia to patients who feel that no life at all is better than their life.
There have been several successful Euthanasia bills. One is the Oregon Death with dignity act, which has been active for over 10 years. The act is extremely specific, with safeguards to prevent involuntary Euthanasia. The person must be competent and informed. The person must make oral and written requests separated by a period of time, normally 15 or more days. Those are just a few of the precautions. Acts like these prove Euthanasia can work, taking away pain and suffering, giving the person a more dignified death.
Every competent, informed person should have a right to avoid the excruciating pain and embarrassment that comes with a terminal illness. Americans should have the right guaranteed in the European Declaration of Human Rights- the right not to be forced to suffer. With new technology, we can extend life almost indefinitely, past it’s natural span. But who are we to play god, forcing a suffering patient to live longer than he or she would normally? When do we say its time to step back, and let nature take its course with a patient who wants to die? I’m not saying we shouldn’t treat people, but if a patient with an untreatable condition doesn’t want to live any longer, we should step back, and stop that person’s pain and suffering. Let the patient- the person- die with some dignity.
Euthanasia should be a patient’s and their family’s decision and right. Is this something we want our government interfering in? Euthanasia needs to be legal, to give patients the choice. If you believe euthanasia is wrong, don’t make the choice. But give the choice to people who want it. Our government should be about giving rights- never taking them away. It’s a personal decision, case by case, and it involves a person’s feelings. That can’t be measured by some objective standard. Should a Capitol Hill congressman who would rather talk about money for telephone wires decide thousands of futures?
People have said that Euthanasia is a slippery slope to murder. But we can take precautions, like the Oregon death with dignity act does. And what other slippery slopes are involved here? How much power are we giving our government? Laws against Euthanasia take away a persons ability to decide about their own life. If the government decided to ban euthanasia they would be condemning thousands of people to a life on a ventilator, in excruciating pain. The government guarantees people life, but they also guarantee that you will be allowed to pursue happiness. And if your happiness doesn’t include a life on life support, taking drugs, or being unable to function?
