The Legalization of Euthanasia in the United States

In this regard, it has been determined that a sk minacioused person "has a constitutionally protected self-sufficiency interest in refusing unwanted medical treatment" (Lawton, 1990, p. 38). galore(postnominal) states have passed legislation permitting passive euthanasia in specialised cases. These state laws "all establish the right of a competent adult to refuse extraordinary measures to sustain life in the even upt of terminal mishapness, and give legal immunity to physicians and institutions honor such a refusal" (Ogg, 1989, p. 66). An important aspect of these laws is the "living will." A living will is a document which is signed by the terminally ill patient role. It instructs doctors to utilize passive euthanasia if the patient's delimitate becomes hopeless. All of the state laws regarding passive euthanasia require the creative activity of a living will before the act stick out be carried out (p. 66). Although passive euthanasia is legal in certain circumstances, alert euthanasia is completely illegal passim the United States. Thus, "all 50 states have either a criminal or common law sanction against pay heed suicide" (Belkin, 1989, p. A25).

It is ironic that passive euthanasia is sometimes real but progressive euthanasia is not. There are numerous cases in which active euthanasia would actually be more than humane than passive euthanasia. James Rachels, a philosophy professor at the University of Alabama, has argued

Based on this view, many experts advocate that active euthanasia, as well as passive euthanasia, should be legalized. Dr. Ernle Young of the Stanford University Hospital has claimed that, at the truly least, the legal penalties for a doctor assisting in a patient's finish should be minimal. Young notes that there are various degrees to which a doctor squeeze out help a terminally ill patient to die. For example, the doctor can provide discipline regarding slipway in which the patient can end his or her sustain life. Another way a doctor can assist in a patient's death is by providing lethal drugs which can be self-administered. The highest level of doctor involvement in active euthanasia takes place when the doctor actually helps the patient lease out the act.

Young's view is "that encouragement or the provision of information ought not to be subject to legal penalties, that helping someone to accomplish his own death or actually to exhaust him (at his request) ought to be subject to legal penalties of a lesser affable" (Young, 1989, p. 121). Other experts in the field believe that there should be no penalties for doctors who perform active euthanasia in amity with the patient's wishes.

Belkin, Lisa. (1989, May 24). Doctors debate helping the terminally ill die. sore York Times, p. A1+.

that there is essentially no difference between the active and passive forms of euthanasia. According to Rachels, the ratiocination to allow a patient to die slowly is pretty much the same as the decision to terminate the patient's life quickly. Passive euthanasia is evaluate by many medical and professional experts because it enables the terminally ill patient to bring an end to his or her suffering. Rachels points out that it is even more merciful to bring an end to that suffering quickly through active euthanasia. Rachels feels that once the patient has made the decision to die, it is better to fulfill the act as soon as possible. In this regard: "If one simply withholds treatm
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