Euthanasia translates as 'good death' or 'dying well' but what is a 'good' death? One could describe it as peaceful and painless and with our loved ones present. So shouldn’t we all have the right to choose a good death? We are faced with choices every day; we are given the liberty to choose our religion, our jobs our friends and even our path in life so why isn’t death our own personal choice too? It should be the first right before anything else. It isn’t fair or logical to give us the authorisation to do all those things but deprive us from the choice on whether to live or die. No one can choose how you decide to live; everyone holds the key to their own lives, therefore, euthanasia should be granted to those who decide this option as a last resort. I believe that euthanasia is a better choice than suffering when the patient will die regardless. In some case like terminal cancer when the patient and people related would be in a lot of pain, it is in fact more humane to grant the person their wish to die a dignified death.
Some people may say that if euthanasia is legalised it could change society and the morals of our country if it starts to become the normal thing to do instead of as a last resort, but there is no reason why euthanasia cannot be thoroughly controlled by a proper regulation. For example, there should be a deeper investigation into the matter so it isn’t just a family decision and to avoid vulnerable patients being pressurised into dying. Hence, euthanasia could easily be made legal in our country without complications just as it is in Switzerland and the Netherlands.
However, to avoid complications, I believe only some forms of euthanasia should be allowed. Active euthanasia is when the medical professionals or another person does something deliberately to make the other person die, for example, giving them a lethal dose of medicine. This, in my opinion is immoral and wrong as it is in no way a natural or dignified death. What I do think should be legalised is passive euthanasia, which is when the medical professionals don’t do something that is essential to keep the patient alive for example, switching off life-support machines, giving the patient the chance to have a natural death. In 2005 we were introduced to the interesting case of Terri Schindler. She was diagnosed with a neurological disease and due to the lack of oxygen reaching the brain she was in an on-going state of severely impaired consciousness. She was able to breathe on her own but a feeding tube was necessary for her as it was what kept her alive in a permanent vegetative state for over fifteen years when it was finally removed and she died a natural death thirteen days afterwards. But why did it take fifteen years for the tube to be removed? Is that really what she wanted? Hopefully no one in this room will ever have to face the decision of whether it is the right time to let a family member go, but it is not too hard to imagine that one day, one of us may. By the end of this speech, I hope to have given you an understanding of the dispute that surrounds passive euthanasia and hopefully you will all understand my belief in its ethicalness.
The debate over euthanasia may be one that is never fully resolved to meet everybody's beliefs and viewpoints because it is so controversial. However, I continue to feel that passive euthanasia is a procedure that is ethical. Millions hope to die a natural death, and passive euthanasia provides terminally ill patients with that opportunity. It seems inhumane to force a terminally ill patient to suffer in pain and through medical procedures or to keep alive someone who cannot even eat on his own. The option of passive euthanasia in no way forces individuals to choose that path - it is the patient's willing choice, and they have the freedom to make that choice. Unless passive euthanasia suddenly does not require the permission of the patient, it will continue to be an ethical option for death. Just try to picture yourself as Terri Schindler, a terminally ill patient suffering through life in pain, what choice would you make?