EuthanasiaandPhysicianAssistedSuicide

SummerGartner
Mr.Heugh
5thHour
3/9/15
1

FinalOutlineEuthanasiaandPhysicianAssistedSuicide

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

Introduction
A. StoryofDerekHumphry
B. ThesisStatement
Euthanasia
A. TypesofEuthanasia(2)
1. Voluntary
2. Nonvoluntary
B. PassiveEuthanasia
Procedures
A. HowItWorks
B. Guidelines

MoralDistinction
A. History
B. UnitedStates
1. Legalization
2. Supporters

Conclusion

SearchStory

HaveyoueverheardofDerekHumphry?Hewasthefounderandpresidentofthe
HemlockSocietyandtheauthorofFinalExit.In1974,hiswifewasdiagnosedwithstage4bone
cancer.Thisbroughtintoquestionthedecisionofeuthanasiaorphysicianassistedsuicidetoend
thiseverlastingpain.Helovedhiswifeandtookintoconsiderationthepainshewasenduring.
Ashiswifewasalreadynearingherlastfewmonthsofherlife,shehadrequestedtoproceed
withtheassistedsuicideroute.Humphryagreedandgottheconsentofadoctorandpsychiatrist
andhiswifepassedawayquicklyandpainlessly.Thiswasntanactofkilling,hediditoutof
loveandcompassion.Euthanasiaandphysicianassistedsuicidearetwowaysofrelieving
terminallyillpatientsoftheirsuffering.Physicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiashouldbe
allowedforpatientswithterminalillnessesorseriousmentalconditions.
IfoundphysicianassistedsuicideveryinterestingwhenIwasgoingthroughmyoptions.
WhenIfirstheardaboutthisproject,Iwasalreadyhopingitwouldpassbyquickly.AtfirstI
thoughtresearchwasallaboutlookingupmytopicongoogleandthenputtingtheresultsintoa
paper.But,nowIthinkresearchisallabouttime,organization,andlotsandlotsofinterest.
Surprisingly,Istartedtobecomeratherintriguedwithpeoplesrightstoliveordie.AsIbegan
myresearch,aboutthethirddayintonotetaking,Ihadtotakethreedaysoffbecausemybrother
hadagraduationfrombasictraininginGeorgia.Thisputmebehindbecausethenwehadwinter
breakplussomesnowdays.So,IwasntcaughtupwithallmynotecardsuntilItookabout
twentymorethanIhadbefore.Thisaddeduptoaboutthirtyfivenotecards,whichstillwasnt
fifty.AlthoughIdidntfinishallmynotesIhadallmysources.IwasgladthatMr.Heughtoldus

weonlyhadtohaveaboutthreenotecardsorfactsinourbodyparagraphs.ThismeantIhad
enoughnotes.Theresearchpartoftheprojectwasagonizingandverystressful.Yet,Ienjoyed
lookingbackonitandIlikedthefeelingofprideItookinknowingmypaperwouldbefantastic.
EventhoughInevergotmytrapperkeeperformyresearchsuppliesIkepteverythingorganized
andpinnednicelytogether.Ididnthaveanyproblemswithlosingsuppliesorpiecesofpaper
myteacherhandedoutduringthewholeprocess.Overall,theprojectwasfun,exceptthe
stressfulnessoftheresearchportion.

PollProcess

ThereasonIchoseapolloveraninterviewisbecausefindingpeopletoquestionwas
simpleasmanypeoplewerewillingtogivemetheiropiniononmytopic.Iinterviewedpeople
becauseIthinkitisimportanttohearotherspositionsindebatesconcerningpeopleslives.After
Icameupwithmypollquestions,Ifound10peopletoanswerthem.Somepeopletoldmeto
excludetheirnamessoImnotincludinganynames,theywillremainanonymous.WhenIwas
finishedwithmyquestions,Ibegantoaskmyfamilymembers,teachers,andfriendswherethey
stand.IgotavarietyofopinionsbasedonthetypeofpeopleIasked.WhenIgothomethatdayI
polledmyparentsandthenIwenttoschoolandaskedafewofmyfriendsandteacherswhat
theythought.IaskedthemmyquestionsandmyresultswerejustasIhadimaginedtheywould
be.NinetypercentofpeopleIpolledtoldmetheydisagreethatphysicianassistedsuicideshould
bepunishableandconsideredmurder.Also,foroneofmyotherquestions,ninetypercenttold
metheyagreethatphysicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiashouldbelegalizedintheUnited

Statesforterminallyillpatients.Mostpeopleagreethatphysicianassistedsuicideand
euthanasiashouldbeallowedandnotpunishable.

SearchFindings(BodyParagraphs)

Tohelpfurthertheunderstandingofphysicianassistedsuicide,itsnecessarytoexplain
whateuthanasiais.Therearetwotypes,voluntaryandnonvoluntary.Voluntaryreferstowhen
thepersonthatiskilledhadpreviouslyaskedforthat,itwastotallyhis/herdecision(Haigh).
Nonvoluntaryresultsinkillingapersonwithouthis/herconsent,butalsofortheirbenefitandin
mostcasestheresponsibilityforthisdecisionisonthedoctororthefamilymembersofthe
patient(Haigh).Notalldeathsarecausedbythesefewtypesofeuthanasia,butthereisasmall
percentageofdeathsthatarecausedbythis.Twopercentofalldeathsarecauseddueto
voluntaryeuthanasiaandonepercentarenonvoluntary(Sulmasy).Asyoucansee,thereisa
slightdifferenceinpercentagesbutonepercentisalotwhenconsideringpeopleslives.Allowing
someonetodiebynotactingiscalledpassiveeuthanasia(Opposing).Allowingsomeonetodie
shouldneverbeconsideredmurderifthepatientisrequestingitastheirlastwish.Passive
euthanasiaoccurswhenthepatientdiesbecausetheyrenotreceivingthemedicaltreatment
requiredfortheirlifetobesustained(Haigh).Thisisonlybyrequestofthepatientwhichisnot
againstthelaw,anddefinitelyshouldnotbeconsideredmurder.
Theproceduresandguidelinesthatdoctorshavetofollowforphysicianassistedsuicide
andeuthanasiaareeffective.Usually,forphysicianassistedsuicide,aphysicianprovidesa
prescriptionforafataldoseofdrugsthatthepatienttakesindependentlyfromthedoctor

(Opposing).Beingwiththeirfamilyintheirlastfewdaysisimportantanditsthemost
comfortingwaytopassaway.IntheNetherlands,physicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiais
notprosecutedifthedoctorsfollowspecificguidelines(Mark).Withmoralandmedical
guidelinesthereisasafewaytocarryoutassisteddying.Theseguidelinesconsistofonly
applyingassisteddyingtoterminallyill,mentallycompetentadultsandrequiresthemto
selfadministerlifeendingdrugs(Scamehorn).Itsagreeablethatthisonlyappliestoadultswho
arecapableofbeingreviewedbydoctorswhomakeprofessionaldecisionsthatgivethepatient
permissiontoproceed.
Manypeopledontknowwheretodrawthelinewhentheybegintocallthiskillingor
murder,themoraldistinctionofphysicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiaisusuallyignored
whenitshouldntbe.InAncientRome,suicidewasnotpunishableifitwascausedby
impatienceofpainorsickness(Mark).Thereisaverymeaningfuldistinctionbetweenkilling
andallowingtodie,whichmeanstheyretwodifferentthingscompletely.Killingiswithoutthe
permissionoftheperson,whileallowingtodieisbyrequest.Supportersofphysicianassisted
suicidearguethatpeoplearealreadyallowedtodenymedicaltreatment(Opposing).Tenstates
havenolawsthatcriminalizeassistedsuicide(Scamehorn).Inotherwords,itslegalintenUS
statesandisnotpunishableorconsideredmurder.TwothirdsofAmericansandwestern
Europeanssupportlegalizationofphysicianassistedsuicide(Mark).Althoughitcanget
confusing,physicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiaisnotmurder,itsonlyputtinganendto
onessufferingattheirrequest.
Inmyopinion,assisteddyingandeuthanasiaisnotanactofkilling.Theproceduresand
guidelinesthatarefollowedareveryconfusing,butthereisalsoalinethatisdrawnwhenit

comesdowntodeterminingwhetherornotitsmurder.Iwillalwaysbelievethatpeoplehavea
righttosaywhetherornottheywouldliketocontinuelivingwiththeirillnessoriftheywould
liketoendit.UnitedStatesisafreecountryforareason,peoplemaketheirowndecisionsbased
ontheirbeliefsystems.Physicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasiashouldbelegalizedinthe
UnitedStatesforterminallyillpatients.

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