Mercy Killing vs Natural Death

Would you end a person’s life to take away their suffering? Even if there was a
chance that they would be better. That they just had to endure the pain. There are other
ways to relieve pain that does not end in death. There are always possibilities that a
person may recover and should we not hold on to that chance? Is life not better than
death? Euthanasia takes people’s suffering along with their lives. Euthanasia is often
seen as “Mercy Killing” but is it really mercy if it ends with “killing.” Voluntary or
involuntary euthanasia is a way of taking a person's life.

Euthanasia, predominantly, is when a doctor is legally authorized to terminate a

person’s life by painless means, as long as a patient or family member grants it. There
are different types of euthanasia, some of them being voluntary, involuntary, and
non-voluntary. Voluntary is when euthanasia is executed with consent. Involuntary
euthanasia is when a person is able to consent it but does not, either because they do
not wish it or were not asked; this is murder, the majority of the time it is against the
patient’s will. Non-voluntary is when the patient is not in the right state of mind and is
unable to make a decision; in this case, a family member decides.

Euthanasia can be classified as active or passive. Passive is when

life-supporting treatments are retained. Many do not see this as passive or even as
euthanasia since there is no desire to take life. Active euthanasia is when more deadly
means are used to end someone’s life. Physician-assisted suicide is similar to
euthanasia; it is when a doctor helps a patient commit suicide with their permission.
Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is a debate that has been going on in the U.S
since the early 1800s.

The process of euthanasia may not be in the patient’s best interest. The process may
be wrong and the patient may not be mentally competent to make a decision. They
could be depressed and think that they are not worth living. The patient may be scared
of the pain that will come and they may feel vulnerable. A major problem is the guilt that
most patients carry. They might believe they are being a burden to others, especially to
their families. So if a patient chooses to die and is not mentally capable, what does that
make us? Are we saying that it is okay for a person to commit physician-assisted
suicide; even if they are mentally ill? Many complications can occur while a patient is
making a choice; complications that a doctor might not be aware of.
 There are other ways of relieving pain, like palliative care, which makes
euthanasia unnecessary. Palliative care provides physical, emotional, and spiritual care
for patients. The World Health Organization states that palliative care asserts life. This
process does not hasten nor postpones death. It has been confirmed that patients in the
use of this care get more visits from their families. Although palliative care may not be
enough, the patient gets to spend more quality time with their families and resolve any
unfinished business. The spiritual care of this process can help patients find a purpose
in life again and encourage them to fight. Another reason patients can choose palliative
care is because euthanasia cannot be properly regulated. Good palliative care can
make a huge difference in someone’s life in many ways.

Euthanasia can cause conflicting problems with people, such as doctors; it can
also affect people religiously, or morally. All doctors say the Hippocratic oath which is "I
will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it nor will I make a suggestion
to this effect." Some doctors feel that with euthanasia they are compromising their job.
Euthanasia can be considered, in many faiths, as suicide. It is considered to be against
the will of God and that suffering is part of life. However, the idea that suffering has
value is also seen by non-religious people. Morally, more people will have less respect
for themselves and weaken the sanctity of life. Euthanasia can be controversial to what
people believe in.

The slippery slope is an argument that if the law is changed and voluntary euthanasia is
legal it will become out of control. If we accept this idea, today, it will not be long before
involuntary euthanasia starts to happen. People who request for death are very different
to those who are killed without their permission. People fear that later on, we won’t be
able to make a distinction. The slippery slope can also give doctors too much power
over a person’s life.

There is always a chance that a person survives their treatments and that the
doctor was wrong. Imagine a person who tolerated suffering and was told that against
all odds she was going to survive. Now think about what would have happened if that
person would have committed physician-assisted suicide. The doctor’s diagnosis can be
wrong, life is a mystery in that way. Would it not be better for the patient to go through
the pain if it meant that there might be a chance for them to get better? Nobody knows
how this happens, however, there is a possibility that a person might recover despite
their diagnosis.

Even though there are many reasons against euthanasia there are some that are
for it. Some arguments for euthanasia say that patients should have freedom of choice
and although that is true many patients can base their choice on depression or guilt and
be mentally-ill. It would not be the patient talking, on the contrary, it would be the
depression or illness talking. Though it is true that no one really knows the kind of pain a
person is going through, palliative care is always an option for those who don’t want to
suffer. Others argue that everyone should die with dignity, but wait if there was a
chance they could live? Most of those who choose euthanasia is because they think
they are worthless or don’t want to be a burden to their family. Palliative care helps
spiritually and brings the families closer. There are always better solutions than death.

All types of euthanasia end with the same thing: death. No matter which way you see it,
the fact remains. Euthanasia is murder. Out of the three types of euthanasia, only one is
voluntary. Does it count as voluntary? When research has shown that it is not always
sure if a patient is able to decide. What will happen if it does pass the law, what will that
say about us? That we are okay with suicide? With murder? Yes, euthanasia is
supposed to end a person’s suffering but should it be allowed even if that patient’s
illness is not terminal. Should we just let everybody who is suffering commit suicide?
First, we’ll start by allowing euthanasia, then murder. When will it stop? By the time
someone realizes something is wrong, it will be beyond our control. Our society, our
world will become chaos not only with each other but within ourselves, if euthanasia is
allowed.