Eutanasia

Euthanasia
Name: Isaias Mogrovejo

Euthanasia is a term used to describe the decision to end a person’s life because of terminal illness or great suffering. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek word “euthanatos” that means easy death. The decision is commonly taken by the person’s request or by others, depending on the case. This situation can be carried out by a doctor, family member orit can be taken to a legal decision in case the patient is too ill to actually make a decision. There are other cases in which there is an encouragement to commit suicide and it is known as assisted suicide. A person that commonly undergoes euthanasia goes through terrible pain or an incurable disease, but there are cases where people just want their life to end.
For years, Euthanasia has gonethrough big debates about whether it is right or wrong. There are lots of questions and all of them are surrounded by religious, practical and ethical points of view. Religious arguments stipulate that only God can give or take life. Arguments based on rights say that people have the right to die, and practical arguments say if there is no harm to others death is just a private subject. There aredifferent arguments whether euthanasia it’s right or wrong. Moral ethics say that killing someone it’s wrong, but what if this someone is under terrible pain that makes them wish their death? Or is euthanasia justifiable under any circumstance? Is there a difference between letting someone die and killing? Is it not morally right to let someone die with dignity or without pain? There are people thatthink that euthanasia is morally right, but they go against it because it may be used to cover up a murder.

There are countries like the United Kingdom where euthanasia is against the law because it’s considered to help someone commit suicide. Both euthanasia and assisted suicide can lead to a 14 year prison sentence. There are other countries in which euthanasia is legal and can be acceptedby court.
There are different types of euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when a person deliberately injects sedatives over the necessary need, causing him death or practically. Passive euthanasia is where the patient is left out of the treatment that keeps him alive; by withdrawing or withholding treatment. Withdrawing treatment consists in turning off all machines that let a person live, so thathe or she can die because of its own disease. Withholding treatment is when doctors decide not to proceed on a surgery that will make the patient live a little bit longer.
Euthanasia can be classified as voluntary, non-voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person decides he or she wants his/her life to end, and can ask for help to do so. This person can consider stop usingtreatment by not eating or simply just stop wanting to live. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when the person is not capable of making a decision because he or she is in a coma or has a severe brain damage; this person is too young (for example a baby), is senile, or is mentally retarded.
Sometimes the patient is aware of what is happening. This person can decide if he does not want to live under thoseconditions and if he wants his family to let him die. Involuntary euthanasia is when someone takes the decision of ending a person’s life without consenting the patient’s wishes and this commonly is considered as murder. There is also what is called doctrine of double effect where the doctor gives drug to the patient to relief his pain even though this can cause death sooner. But its purpose isjust to relief pain. There are lots of arguments that specify that involuntary euthanasia can be considered as assisted suicide and it can be taken to jury and be declared as a murder.
Why is it that people search for euthanasia? There are studies that consider that not only people going through a terrible illness, like cancer or severe pain are the ones that seek for it. There are many other...