Euthanasia

Imagine if every day you were in constant agony, slowly, painfully, dying. This is the fate
of many. Would you rather live like this, or be able to live but die in peace? Euthanasia is a way
to die with dignity. Euthanasia is a way to help save a life from a horrible end and should be
legal because it does not simply shorten life, it improves the quality of life, and it allows a
painless peaceful death.
Doctors worldwide are being jailed because they tried to put someone out of their misery.
Dr. Jack Kevorkian was one of these doctors. Dr. Kevorkian was jailed twice for his actions in
Euthanasia. He went on a hunger strike leaving him frail and weakened by the time he was
released. This is why I care because it is not right that doctors who risked their lives to save
someone and yet get a life sentence in jail. Permitting doctors to use euthanasia as a method of
assisting people to have a painless, peaceful death will improve the society we live in.
Although there are many positive benefits to euthanasia, there are some who oppose
euthanasia. Some people may argue that euthanasia is murder and inhumane. Another argument
from the opposing side on a religious aspect states that all life is god given and only god should
take it away. But, euthanasia provides a regular life for the person. Euthanasia improves the
quality of life by allowing people choice over the how and when of their death will occur, this is
guaranteeing theyll live what remaining life they have to the fullest, free from the pain of
anxiety. A fourteen-year-old Chilean girl named Valentine Maureira has been diagnosed with
Cystic Fibrosis. "She has already had five operations ... which have caused her a lot of suffering
and pain," her father reports. "It was promised that things would get better, but for her it was
worse." This is why he supports her completely in the decision she made. Valentine posted a

video and pleaded with President Michelle Bachelet to let herself die through Euthanasia. Would
you be able to turn down a young girls wish to end her suffering?
Euthanasia does not shorten life either. One of the big arguments against euthanasia is
that its irreversible. Once the patient is gone, you will never know if their unexpected recovery
was just around the corner, or if they might have gone on to lead full and happy lives despite
their illness. And, despite what hopeful dreams the opposing side believes, terminal illness is
usually the final stop before death.
In 1991, a Dutch report into euthanasia found that in 86 percent of cases, euthanasia
shortened life by a maximum of a week and usually only a few hours. In other words, it was a
last resortan escape hatch used by patients in unbearable agony who would rather that agony
ended now than in two days time. (Morris M. euthanasia activist)
In order to solve this problem, the United States Congress needs to pass a law allowing
euthanasia, thus revoking the law calling euthanasia murder. This can be achieved through
petitions and peaceful protests to legalize euthanasia.

If you don't have liberty and self-determination, youve got nothing, thats what this country
was built on. And thats why the ultimate self-determination is when you can determine how and
when youre going to die when youre suffering.
-Jack Kevorkian