Euthanasia IN America: Should we allow it?

 

I will argue for euthanasia in America in this paper. Euthanasia is also known as assisted suicide for patients who have decided that they want to end their lives on their terms instead of waiting for their time to be up. I am in support of euthanasia because I am a firm believer in people having the right to their bodies and their lives. Some people argue that letting medical patients have the option of euthanasia is immoral due to them terminate their lives earlier with the help of medicine instead of letting nature take its course. I disagree with this argument because it would mean keep a patient alive against their wishes. There are instances where patients have medical issues where they developed an illness or condition that would put them in constant unbearable pain that they would have to live with. It is immoral to force the patient to go through with their lives knowing that every day and every second of their lives they would have to live with excruciating pain. 

Author John Stuart Mill wrote Mill’s Utilitarianism describing what he identified as an “essential core of moral theory” (2018, 97). Mill’s Utilitarianism said that any action is correct if the outcome of those actions produces more happiness than unhappiness, and that self-happiness is also important (Mill 2018, 97). In this instance, euthanasia would look like the wrong action to take for a person because their family would mourn the loss of a family member. But if the patient were to keep living, it would be at the expense of themselves instead of their family members. I argue that this is not necessarily true. Even though the family would be grieving for their loved one due to their choice of euthanasia, making the patient live against their wishes would cause more unhappiness than happiness. 

For instance, a patient had a medical condition that causes them to have joints that hold their body together dislocate often due to the joints having a relaxed connection to each other. This would mean that on very often occasions the patients would have to go through feelings of unbearable and constant pain. Seeing a family member struggle through this kind of pain every day and knowing that there is nothing that they could ever do to ease that pain has a long-lasting effect on the family and the patient themselves. In this situation, euthanasia would not be immoral and would follow the Greatest Happiness Principle. Although the family mourns, the family does not have to witness a constant struggle of the person dealing with that kind of medical condition. There would be no prolonging of the suffering of the family, or the person diagnosed with the illness.

Continuing with this example, if the person were to continue living for the sake of the family, it would cause more suffering for the person living and the family members. Garret Hardin had the argument that went against helping the poor in the developing nations because he believed that helping them would cause more suffering. He believed that if we were to feed the poor, prolonging their lives would cause them more suffering because the countries that they live in are unstable and provide no basic supplies that would help them out of their situation (Narveson 2018, 248). Though this situation is different than euthanasia, they have similar elements. The poor are suffering because they do not have enough food to live. People who seek euthanasia are suffering from the medical conditions that they are forced to live with. 

Some people have argued that assisted suicide is a sin and that it goes against God, it disrespects him therefore it is an immoral act. This brings us to the question of, “is God and morality intertwined if without one there is not the other?” Robert C. Mortimer, an Anglican Bishop, believes that morality came from God’s command (Mortimer 1950). That without God there would not be morality, that God’s will is just and moral. But in a place where God and his will are known, there were still times in history that condoned slavery and racism. However, it is also known that those acts immoral. It brings the conversation Socrates had with Euthyphro’s in which he questioned if actions are just because God commanded them to be or does God commands acts because they are just (Plato 2018, 75- 76). A lot of people believe that God's will is absolute and is the pillar of morality, but there are instances in history that show quite the opposite. What is there to say that assisted suicide is not just? Many choose euthanasia because their physical and emotional condition is just not something that they can live with. Just because God will’s something does not necessarily mean that it will be moral and just. An organization called End of Life Washington, Tacoma assists terminally ill patients by providing information, service, partnerships, and resources. They believe that patients who are diagnosed with a terminal illness have a right to make their own decision on how they want to go through with their life (End of Life Washington 2021). They help work with patients who opt for the “death with dignity” in which the patient uses a type of medication that would end their lives for them (End of Life Washington 2021). Though they do not promote or encourage euthanasia, they are still advocating for patients and their right to control their lives. The organization's mission is to “upholds your right to the full range of end-of-life choices, including Death with Dignity through advocacy, education, and support.” (End of Life Washington 2021). 

        Though they do not completely support my stance on euthanasia, they believe in the rights of the patients. This is one of the reasons why I believe that euthanasia should be an option for patients who want it due to their medical conditions. No patient should have to be forced to go through a medical procedure or treatment when they do not want to, this includes treatments and procedures that could save their lives. For example, many personal stories had chosen to go through Death with Dignity. This is when the patient decides when they want to die, a lethal medication would be used to help the patient pass on peacefully without suffering. 

        One patient who was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time had decided that she wanted to go through with Death with Dignity so she could have control of her life again. She said that cancer is something that takes over your life, every aspect of it. The medication she was taking caused her to suffer greatly. She decided that Death with Dignity was something that could bring back some control and peace for her. She had hoped that her story would help minimize the idea that death with dignity was something to be guilty about (End of Life Washington 2021).  

       Another told the story from the perspective of the daughter whose father decided that he wanted to take his last moments of life into his own hands. The father was diagnosed with cancer and treatment was no longer working. The daughter tried to help her father fulfill his last wishes but went through a lot of difficulties even though death with dignity was legal in Washington state. Many doctors and medical professionals did not believe in the practice and would not help her. Her mission now is to be an advocate for people who seek this treatment and need it due to their illness. She wants people to have access to this and that she believes everyone should be able to make their own choices in life (End of Life Washington 2021). 

        When patients want to go through with this option there is a lot of paperwork and processes that they would need to go through so that they are aware of what they are doing. Along with the bureaucracy, so many people have stigmas and beliefs that keep them from giving help to those who need it. Although everyone has different values and beliefs, to implement that onto others without considering their thoughts is unjust and immoral. It was unfortunate that the daughter went through so many problems trying to help her father with his final chapters. That within itself is very traumatizing, having to deal with her emotions of losing her father and having health providers constantly denying her any help. 

         An article called Dignity, Death, and Dilemmas: A Study of Washington Hospices and Physician-Assisted Death by Courtney S Campbell and Margaret A. Black was a study on the legalization of assisted deaths in hospice programs (2014). They had found some difficult situations when patients request death with dignity. There was a patient with no family who requested assisted death, but the physicians that were caring for him had declined the request which was within the right of the doctor. This caused the hospice to play the role of advocacy for the patient to find a physician to help administer the medication (Campbell 2014). In times like this, it is unfortunate that patients who have no family or help must go through these kinds of barriers (Campbell 2014). As medical providers, they are obligated to follow their patients' wishes. If one physician declines, then they must find a physician that will go through with the patients' wishes. 

        Another article called Euthanasia and other end of life in patients suffering from dementia by Gabriele Cipriani and Mario Di Fiorino talks about patients who suffer from dementia who are not able to have access to this option due to having mental incapacity to be sane enough to make the decision (2018). Many people who fear developing dementia would try and sign papers for future treatment so that when they reach a stage of dementia where their suffering increases, they would be able to have death with dignity without worry. However, many physicians are declining the treatment because the patient is unable to communicate during these stages of illness (Cipriani 2018). Though the worries of the physician are understandable, it causes many people to be worried about future treatments when they reach a stage of dementia where they are unable to communicate with anyone or do anything. 

Bibliography

Campbell Courtney S. Black Margaret A. "Dignity, Death and Dilemmas: A study of Washington Hospices and Physician- Assisted Death" Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 47 (2014): 137-157. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.02.024

Cipriani, Gabriele and Fiorino, Di Mario. "Euthanasia and other end of life in patients suffering from dementia." Legal Medicine. 40 (2019): 54-59. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2019.07.007

Mill, John S, "Utilitarianism" in The Ethical LIfe edited by Russ Shafer-Landau, 97-106. The University of Wisconsin at Madison, 2018.

Mortimer, Robert C. "Morality is based on God's Commands." Christian Ethics,                     1950. https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/readings/mortimer.html

Narveson, Jan, "Feeding the Hungry" in The Ethical LIfe edited by Russ Shafer-Landau, 238-251. The University of Wisconsin at Madison, 2018.

Plato, "Euthyphro" in The Ethical LIfe edited by Russ Shafer-Landau, 75-83. The University of Wisconsin at Madison, 2018.