Should euthanasia be legalized in the United States? According to www.medicalnewstoday.com in an article entitled, “What is euthanasia and assisted suicide?,” writer Christian Nordqvist stated, ” Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide refer to deliberate action taken with the intention of ending a life, in order to relieve persistent suffering.” Euthanasia is very rare because it is illegal in almost every state in America. Individuals can be sentenced to jail for performing euthanasia procedures. It is legal in Washington, D.C., Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Hawaii, and Washington state. It is more common in other countries than it is in the United States.
In most cases, people who decide to end their lives are critically ill. They are in so much pain that they consider a self-permitted death. People of all ages and ethnicities consider this procedure. According to an article on www.oddee.com entitled, “8 Most Controversial Cases of Euthanasia,” in 2015 a 14-year-old Chilean girl sent a video to the President of her country asking permission to end her life. She stated, “My name is Valentina Maureira. I am 14 and I suffer from Cystic Fibrosis. I need to speak urgently with the president because I am tired of living with this disease, and she can authorize an injection that will allow me to sleep forever.”
In my opinion, I think euthanasia should only be granted in certain situations. There are people who have illnesses that have no cure and suffer until they breathe their last breath. I honestly can’t say what I would do and what I think is wrong or right because I am not in a life-threatening situation. Many people may say that it shouldn’t be legalized based on their morals and beliefs. I understand that, but as humans there are many things we have done that we said we would never do. Naysayers constantly point out how certain decisions people make are sins. Coincidently, the people who always say religion is why they can’t support something are the same people who have pre-marital sex, have tattoos, and commit sins daily. Why is one sin smaller than others? Ultimately, a sin is a sin.
There are other people who might think that suffering is a good way to die. But in all honestly, who are we as people to validate what is a suitable death? So, someone who dies suffering is viewed as a hero whereas someone who decides to end their life on their own terms is not? I disagree. No one’s death should be seen as more important than others.
Another argument regarding the legalization of euthanasia has to do with individuals being diagnosed incorrectly or the possibility of new treatments. There have been several situations where doctors incorrectly diagnosed patients with illnesses. Sometimes, their condition is not as bad as they think, and other treatment options can be permitted.
In my opinion, every situation and every person is different. Some people may want to seek out other treatment options, but some people get tired of the medication they must take. They feel worse when they have treatments such as chemotherapy. There are arguments that some medications make patients feel worse or even slowly kill them. Some people would rather live their last days happy rather than have their last memories consisting of a hospital bed, medication, and harsh treatments.