Euthanasia: The Right To Die

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issue of increasing attention because of Dr.
Jack Kevorkian's assisted suicides. As of October 21 Kevorkian has
assisted in nineteen suicides. Because of the increasing number of suicides
in Michigan, Gov. Engler signed an anti-suicide law in late February that
made doctor-assisted suicides a felony. During the 21-month trial period
of the new law anyone assisting in a suicide can be sentenced to up to four
years in prison and fined more than $2,000 (Reuters, 1993).
With the passing of this law I thought that most people would be
against the right-to-die, not so. In a poll cited in a 1991 issue of USA
Today eighty percent of Americans think sometimes there are circumstances
when a patient should be allowed to die, compared to only fifteen percent
think doctors and nurses should always do everything possible to save a
person's life. It also showed that eight in ten adults approve of state
laws that allow medical care for the terminally ill to be removed or
withheld, if that ...

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supported by many reasons. Those
who oppose euthanasia argue that the medical profession must always be on
the side of "preserving life" (Schofield, 1988, p. 24). Another reason is
euthanasia will lead to the "devaluation of life" (Low, 1989, p. 37). Also
they think it will force doctors and family members to "judge the value of
a patient's life". Critics also say that acceptance will spread from the
terminally ill to the less serious ill, the handicapped, or the mentally
retarded. (Russ, 1989, p. 117)
One reason that just about everyone who favors euthanasia agrees with
is that a person has the right to a death with dignity. Another reason is
a person should be allowed a ...

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