THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY

 Here you have my oral presentation. It is about euthanasia. I know it is a very delicate issue and with a lot of controversies. I do not pretend that you agree with me. My only purpose is that you try to understand those who are in favour of euthanasia. Thank you in advance.

EUTHANASIA: THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY

                Today there are a great number of comatose patients in long term care facilities. There are countless elderly people in care facilities that have repeatedly expressed a desire to die. There are countless terminally ill patients that have also begged for death. Should these people be allowed to die or should they be forced to keep on living?

                In some countries, courts permit the administration of lethal injections to terminally ill patients. To many people, this is a barbaric practice. To others, it is the only human thing to do. When a person is dying of a terminal illness with no hope of recovery, that person should be allowed to die if they wish. Deliberately keeping them alive to endure the pain and suffering from their illness is the barbaric practice. If they wish death, death should be given to them. I firmly believe that the Right to Die is as sacred as the Right to Life.

                Aside from offering freedom from pain an undignified death that is prolonged and difficult for the patients and their families, the other serious issue that is a factor is that of freedom. We pride ourselves on the wide range of freedoms that impact our daily lives-- the right to speak freely, the right to live without threats, the right to pursue our own happiness—but what is happiness for someone with a terminal condition who is forced to live through the pain because the same government that allows other freedoms denies this one?

For some reason the ability to make a valid argument about euthanasia is stunted when the right to die is involved. In order to preserve our rights as human beings, it is necessary to stand up for this one because it is a matter of preservation of someone’s right to choose their own course, Happiness and ultimate fate.

                One of the controversies over the right to die is: Who should choose? If the patient is comatose or unable to make rational judgments, should the doctor or a family member permitted to make the final decision? If family members were allowed to make the final decision they could get away with the murder of a relative just because that person can’t make up their own mind.

However, there is a simple answer to this problem. Every person should have a “Living Will” which simply states that that person wishes death if they’re fatally injured or become terminally ill. A “Living Will” would permit people to make their own decisions about life and death with no possibility of being misunderstood.

                There are a huge number of people who are suffering from pain caused from terminal conditions yet that are forced to live out the rest of their lives in an undignified and unwanted way. I do not know why advocates of the Right to Life insist on keeping people who are suffering alive, but I do know they have no right to dictate a person whether or not they have the right to die.

I can understand their concern that euthanasia might be used for unethical killings but if euthanasia was strictly regulated to include those who had specifically asked for euthanasia, or those who had asked for it in living wills, then this kind of unethical practice could be prevented.

            When someone is suffering extreme pain from an injury or a terrible disease, do we deny tem drugs to make them more comfortable? Of course not. That’s why, I see no reason to deny the same suffering and dying people the comfort of death. I strongly believe helping them achieve a good death is a must for all of us.