Euthanasia

Ethan Kong
Ms. Abad
 Research Question
● Why is euthanasia looked upon so badly by society?

● What are some reasons people want to receive euthanasia?

● Why is euthanasia legal in some states in the U.S.?

Doctors should be allowed to perform euthanasia on specific patients with incurable diseases and
immense pain within medical facilities.
What is Euthanasia?
● Hastening of death of a patient to prevent further

sufferings

● Administering of fatal drug to patient at his/her

request
 Passive
● Stops receiving life-sustaining treatment or equipment

Do you know the difference between passive

and active euthanasia?
Active
● A third party is included
● Help assist the patient in recieving euthanasia
American Law
● Dated of
Belief back
one’s
to ancient
authority/law
Greeksis God’s= Natural law
● Antigone
John Locke (Natural Laws←→ Natural Rights)
● Antigone
“All men are
on her brother
endowed
NATURAL LAW
disobey
created
Creon’s
equal,rule
thatby
they
sprinkling
are dirt
by their Creator unalienable Rights, that
● Creon’s these
among law/authority
are Life, were
Liberty,
“God’s
and Laws”
pursuit of
Happiness”
● Right of Privacy Credit: Art
Do you believe the government should be allowed to take our right to our life away by
making euthanasia illegal?
Right to Privacy
● Not mentioned in Constitution

● But Supreme Court claims several amendments

create this right

“Other amendments protect our freedom to make certain decisions

about our bodies and our private lives without interference from the
government”
Elizabeth Bouvia
● Suffered from paralyzes from cerebral palsy with
only slight control of one hand and parts of her
face
● Also suffered from degenerative arthritis
● Checked into Riverside General Hospital (starve
to death)
● Force fed through feeding tubes
● 1996 court ruled in favor of her decision Credit: WordPress
If you were in a vegetable state would you allow for someone to speak
on your behalf about receiving euthanasia?
Terri Schiavo
● Vegetative state for eight years
● Husband argued & petitioned to have
feeding tube removed in 1998
● Parents took husband to court to gain
rights over their daughter
● Parents lost case and feeding tube was
removed in October 2003 Credit: CBS News
Against Euthanasia
● AMA (American Medical Association)

● Pain & Psychological discomfort influence a person’s decision

● Physicians are taught advanced pain management techniques so there is

no need for Euthanasia

● Those who ask mainly ask due to circumstances (ex. Family burden, Debt)

● Creates a Ripple Effect

Dr. Kevorkian
● Known as Dr. Death
● 131 patients illegally
● Self made machine called “Mercitron” or the
“Thanatron”
● Never consulted with his patients
● Didn’t follow the “standards” he publicly claimed he
had
Credit: Biography

“Convicted of second-degree murder in the death of the last of about 130

ailing patients whose lives he had helped end”
For Euthanasia
● If relieving suffering or sustaining life is no longer an option physicians

should respect a patient’s wish to end life-sustaining treatment

● Peter Saul

● Percy Bridgman
Peter Saul
“we started using expressions like
‘lifesaving’. I really do apologize to
everybody for doing that. . . prolong
people’s lives, and delay death, and
redirect death, but we can’t strictly
speaking, save a person’s lives on any
Credit: TED Talk
sort of permanent basis”
Percy Bridgman
“crippled in both legs, with increasingly

intense
“It pain and
isn’t decent great fatigue.
for Society to make. . intractable
a man do

this cancer of majorProbably

thing himself. bones, which
this iswould
the last

inevitably prove
day I will be fatal in adomatter
able to of months
it myself.”

or a year”
Credit: NNDB
 If youeuthanasia/physician-assisted
Should were diagnosed with a terminalsuicide
illnessbewould you want
legalized in thetoUS?
have
the option of ending your life?
 Physical Project
Physical Project: Advocacy Mentors: Mr. Milton & Ms. Abad

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