Euthanasia should be legalized.

Topic: Euthanasia should be legal.

The mere fact that one would believe that euthanasia should be legalized is rather

inhumane and demoralizing than it being “empathetic/sympathetic”. According to Merriam-

Dictionary (February 15, 2023), euthanasia may be briefly defined as the practice or an act

permitting the death or killing of hopelessly injured or sick individuals (such as persons or

domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy/pity. Euthanasia is otherwise

known as assisted suicide and as a result, this research has prompted me to go against the topic

of the legalization of euthanasia being used in society. There are two types of euthanasia;

Positive form otherwise known as the active form, this type of euthanasia is used to describe acts

of mercilessly killing people with terminal illnesses or circumstances while the other is the

Passive form of euthanasia, which is when a patient is allowed to pass away, for instance by not

delivering antibiotics to a terminally ill patient who has pneumonia. Using a fatal dosage of

medication, for instance, to kill a terminally ill patient. Those who take euthanasia in the broader

spectrum are in favor of both active and passive euthanasia. Euthanasia can either be voluntary

where a patient who is an adult and competent requests or gives consent to a specific course of

treatment or non-treatment, such as patients who, in rational states of mind, directly take their

own lives or by refusing some form of treatment. This also includes situations in which people

allow their loved ones to make decisions about their lives on their behalf. Or, non-voluntary

where The term "decision about death" refers to situations in which the person who is going to

die does not make the decision. For example, when a patient is incapable of making their own

decisions because they are unconscious with irreparable brain damage and on mechanical life
Euthanasia should be legalized.

supports, or when they are in a comatose or vegetative state as a result of an accident or another

disease. This research on the topic of legalizing euthanasia will bring forth 3 points disagreeing

with the act. The case of Kaylan Dowdie, the Jamaican teen who was beaten by several women

at a party is a prime example of why this research does not support euthanasia. There are

susceptible forces that encourage euthanasia in a time of vulnerability this can leave a negative

psychological impact on the person(s) that has agreed to a patient being euthanized. Lastly,

euthanasia may be seen as a deontological act with no regard for God.

The story of 18-year-old Kaylan Dowdie is one of the strongest reasons I am against this

topic of research as this victim of abuse went from a 1 % chance of living to having a joyful life

and looking forward to going back to school after being hospitalized for 18 months. According to

reports from The Jamaica Gleaner (2021), the alleged attack included beating, kicking, and

stabbing the former student from Papine High School. According to reports, Dowdie was beaten

unconsciously after being accused of looking at a party guest by several women at the party she

attended on November 6, 2020. After this incident, Dowdie was taken to the hospital where she

was in a coma for 6 weeks, while she was asleep and required a pacemaker as she experienced

nine heart arrests. Upon taking Dowdie to the hospital and an examination was done, the doctors

gave Dowdie’s mother despairing news saying her daughter was not going to make it as she had

a 1% chance of surviving based on the impact of her assault. Though the mother understood that

her child was in a lot of pain, she did not consider giving up her child as 1% was hope enough

for a chance of her daughter being able to live again. This story has given me hope in avoiding

all possibilities of euthanasia as 0% would be death but 1% is a chance of hope that has the

possibility of turning into 100%. The Jamaican jargon states “wah nuh dead, nuh dash it weh”,

concurring with this statement, we can see how a living thing’s possibility to have life and heal
Euthanasia should be legalized.

should not just merely rely on man’s knowledge and feeling about euthanasia. Hence, in total

disagreement with euthanasia being legalized.

People contend that the majority of the time when they have an incurable illness, people

freely ask to end their life. We can't be certain that patients who ask to end their life mean

euthanasia since they may be confused, disoriented, have hearing issues, or suffer from

psychiatric disorders. They may also be too emotional, or they may be misinterpreting the

implications of their agreement. This is also a strenuous decision for the loved one of one who

believes they want to be euthanized and may impact family and friends in a negative

psychological manner trying to fathom the fact that they were involved in the “assisted suicide”

of a person. The psychological mind-wrenching terminologies upon briefing persons interested

in euthanasia may seem to soothe the persons that are in need of help but it does not give them

promising comfort if they go through with this decision.

The ideology and concept behind euthanasia are in my belief, scientists, technicians, and

doctors’ means of trying to play “God” by deception. When persons are in a very vulnerable

state, they do not make very wise decisions consciously. A person that is witnessing their loved

one suffering only thinks the wisest decision is to take that loved one out of their long suffering

by ending their life, especially if the person has been unconscious for a long duration of time. A

supporter of euthanasia typically explains how one can be certain of what God intends or has in

mind. God endowed us with intelligence to improve our lot in life. With his knowledge, man has

improved medicine to treat some diseases, but in this context, he believes that treating a

condition is against God's plan and one should not even attempt to do so. This is undoubtedly not

the case since euthanasia goes against the laws of nature. God gave us life as a gift, and we

should accept it as a blessing rather than choose to kill it if it gets too difficult.
Euthanasia should be legalized.

To conclude this topic of research, believe that euthanasia should not be legalized as

there are many cons to this situation. Euthanasia is classified as an unnatural death and everyone

deserves to die in a natural way, one that will at the end of the day, bring comfort to the believing

family and friends of the person at risk of being euthanized.

Euthanasia should be legalized.

Reference

“Euthanasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.

Teen beat by a gang, 2022, https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20211021/committal-

hearing-kaylan-dowdie-assault-case-set-december-1#:~:text=Dowdie%2C%20who%20is

%20now%2018,party%20in%20Barbican%2C%20St%20Andrew.

Types of Euthanasia. UKESSAYS-Euthanasia, August 2021,

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/philosophy/arguments-against-euthanasia-analysis-

philosophy-essay.php

Kaylan Dowdie- Jamaican Gleaner/loop news (2020),

https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/mothers-plight-kaylan-dowdies-41-million-hospital-bill-

646378

Euthanasia and deontology, 2022, https://www.ukessays.com/essays/philosophy/arguments-

against-euthanasia-analysis-philosophy-essay.php