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Active Euthanasia In The United States

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Depending on the situations, voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia can be looked upon as voluntary manslaughter (someone kills another person, but situation can somewhat justify their actions) or murder. Euthanasia is divided into two different categories, passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. This paper is to briefly explore euthanasia and the different definitions, and to explore whether active euthanasia should be practiced in the United States or abroad.

CRITICAL ISSUES

The concern of human life and pleasure, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” (Thomas Jefferson.) Advancement in current medical technologies have served to disagree with individual’s choice to end their life. …show more content…
“Passive euthanasia includes omitting to provide (withholding or withdrawing) life-prolonging treatment” (MY BooK). Included methods of death would include removing life support, the stopping any medical procedures, elimination of food and water, and abstaining from use of CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Legal issues hardly arise from passive euthanasia. Physicians have the right to withhold the patient’s food and water if the patient is comatose which means that swallowing is very dangerous. Overseers’, guardians and powers of attorney’s regularly sign DNR (Do not resuscitate) requests that give medical officials the right to refrain from resuscitating a patient. “There are obvious uncertainties in both active and passive euthanasia. Doctors should try to save lives and not to terminate their patient life. Even when their patient seems to be hard to cure, they still should try not to make euthanasia a choice. Doctors do not have the right to decide whether their patient should live or die. Problems arise when doctors disagree over a medical prognosis. For example, a patient might be so depressed by serve pain that one day that individual may want to terminate their life while the next day that induvial has the strength to live. I believe that as long as the patient is alive, there is a chance that he or she will be cured and that they will live. There are a lot of medical

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