Regulate And Reform Euthanasia Essays - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Regulate and Reform Euthanasia One of the landmark cases that involve euthanasia is that of Karen Ann Quinlan. Quinlan, a twenty-one year old New Jersey resident, overdosed on pills and alcohol in 1975. She was rushed to the hospital where her physical condition gradually deteriorated to a vegetative state. The doctors determined she had no chance of recovery. Before the coma Karen said that if anything ever happened that would leave her physically and mentally incompetent, without any chance of recovery, she would not want to be kept alive by "extraordinary medical procedures," notes Derek Humphry. Karen's parents sought religious counsel from their priest. They were told that the Catholic religion allows the removal of extraordinary care if the patient was in a terminal condition. Karen's parents requested she be removed from the respirator. The hospital denied their request. The Quinlans then directed their request to the court. The superior court denied their request. They took their request to the New Jersey Supreme court where the decision was reversed. Karen was removed from the respirator. To everyone's surprise, Karen began breathing on her own and lived another ten years (Humphry 107). The Quinlan case brought to the forefront patients' desire to die a proud, quiet death. It also brought to the forefront the complications caused by the advancement of medical technology ("Euthanasia"27). Euthanasia has been practiced in Eastern and Western culture since the beginning of civilization. The capability of medical technology to extend life (as demonstrated by the Quinlan case) has made the issue of euthanasia more complicated. Individuals should be allowed to "die with dignity" in the event of terminal illness if he or she wants it. Terminating a patient's life is much more merciful than allowing him or her to die a slow painful death from illness. Those who oppose legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide say that this could lead to involuntary killing of the aged and infirm. I agree that there may be danger of abuse and that the vulnerable need to be protected; therefore, I support passing legislation that monitors and regulates physician assisted suicide. The demand for legislation in support of legalized euthanasia for the terminally ill has been an issue since the beginning of the century. According to Derek Humphry in Ohio in 1906, a Bill proposing to legalize euthanasia was presented to the Ohio legislature. The bill was defeated by nearly 80% of those voting. Opponents said the bill would have presented away for doctors to cover up their mistakes. Opponents also say that the bill would have provided a means for families to get rid of relatives who were a nuisance and give fortune seekers a shortcut to inheritance. Although the bill was defeated, the idea it generated still lives on (Humphry 12). Opponents of euthanasia often refer to the atrocities and attitudes in Nazi Germany for reasons not to support euthanasia. An article in the Progressive describes the essay "Permitting the Destruction of Unworthy Life" written in Germany in 1920, by Alfred Hoche. In the essay he proposes getting rid of the "'dead weight existence of incurables in Germany.'" By "'incurable'" he meant those who were mentally and emotionally disabled (Who 34). When the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933, as explained in "Euthanasia and the Third Reich" an article in HISTORY TODAY, they took Alfred Hoche's concept of euthanasia and used it to rationalize sterilization of those with "hereditary" illnesses. They also used the "euthanasia programme" to kill mentally and physically handicapped children and adults. Eventually they used this policy as justification for killing Jews, homosexuals, and others (Burleigh 11). Many believe that this kind of murder can happen again if euthanasia is legalized. However, the senseless, atrocious killings in Germany cannot be compared to carefully regulated policies that will allow euthanasia in selective cases. Such an extreme comparison should not prevent a merciful euthanasia policy for the terminally ill in unbearable pain who request it. As people began forgetting World War II and the atrocities of Nazi Germany, interest in "assisted suicide" and euthanasia was restored. To understand the controversy of euthanasia and assisted suicide, one must understand the difference between the two terms. Euthanasia involves the administering of the life taking measure; whereas, assisted suicide provides the means or instructions to the patient who intends to kill him or herself. Physicians who are used to saving lives are being asked to end patients lives. The request for "death with dignity" is very popular. In a 1991 Gallop Poll, nearly 60 percent of those interviewed said that a person has the "moral right" to end his or her life when the person "has a