Name: Shivam P.

Grade: 11
Course: English University

Summary For Mercys Sake

In the article, For Mercys Sake by Patrick Martin, the author clearly insists and agrees
that euthanasia under a medics care is fair. Euthanasia till this date is considered as a crime in
almost every country (including Canada). However the statistics from around the world shows
that the demand for euthanasia (good death) is in abundance. From USA to Australia, majority of
people as well as doctors believe in ending a patients life by any painless method if the patient
asks for it. In the Netherlands, one of the only countries where mercy killing is legal, out of
125,000 people dying that every year (nation-wide), 16% choose to use the practise for a gentle
death. Also Dying with Dignity (member-based charity organization) reports a number of calls
from suffers seeking for advice every week, and documents many cases of euthanasia. Most of
the calls received are by patients suffering from AIDS. As there has been no cure found for
AIDS, people suffering from it wants to skip the terrible pain that they might have to experience
in the future. Studies show AIDS patients tend to kill themselves 36 times more than victims of
any other disease. Not only AIDS has played a part in increasing the demand for quality death
but the advances in technology and medicine which has made it possible to elongate the lives of
patients have taken sufferers to a point where they want to discontinue the treatment and prefer
euthanasia as a comparatively better option. In Canada, discontinuing or withholding treatment
to die, also known as passive euthanasia, was concluded to be more permissible than active
euthanasia, which means taking measures to directly cause patients death, by a major study in
1982 by the Law Reform Commission of Canada, whereas in Netherlands, the parliaments
approach towards euthanasia is slightly different. Euthanasia is legal there but it cannot only be
received by any mentally incapable person even if the patient showed a desire for it prior to
mental instability. In addition, there should be a medical profession involved. The doctor has to
ensure that he or she provides/ reminds all the options available to try and avoid death as far as
possible. After everything is examined, the doctor has to act as an assistant in the mercy killing
in the gentlest way possible. Since in the end, euthanasia is one of the physicians duties and it
could be considered as a way of terminating the sufferings of the patient.