Several citizens support death by euthanasia thus patients should have the right to request assisted suicide. The government usually considers changing or amending laws because of how a majority of people feel. According to a gallop poll taken in 1991 by the Toronto Star, 75% of Canadians say, “doctors should be allowed to end the life of an incurably ill patient through mercy killing” if the patient has made a formal request in writing. This is in contrast to, as little as 25 years ago; only 45% of Canadians said that they believed a suffering patient should be able to ask a doctor for help to die (Guy, 1993). This comparison shows that more and more Canadians are accepting euthanasia. Therefore, the government must realize this and reform the old laws to accommodate people and their needs of today. One of the reasons why Canadians are accepting euthanasia may be due to the realization of how much pain and suffering terminally ill patients go through. Thus, to save the patients from torment, more Canadians are being compassionate in allowing euthanasia for these people and to stop the intolerable pain and leave the patients in peace.
The most important argument in legalizing euthanasia is the fact that we must support people’s choices even if we disagree with them. Although people argue that palliative care should be offered before euthanasia should even be considered, there are some people who just don’t want life any longer; and no matter how much care and love one can give an individual, if they don’t want it there is nothing else one can do (Kerr, 1990). Palliative care is the active and loving care given to people who have a life threatening illness. It provides physical, emotional, spiritual, and informational support to help improve the quality of a person’s remaining life. The terminally ill are not just suffering physically, but mentally as well. Patients don’t want to have someone assist them to get out of bed, or someone help them go to the bathroom, or someone feed them, but these personal humilities are necessary in order for the person to continue living. Bernard and Leone (1989) argue that these people have nothing to look forward to in life, except for death. A good example of a terminally ill person is a 41 year old man from Long Island named Peter Cinque. Peter Cinque was a forty-one year old man dying in Freeport, Long Island. He was kept alive by a continuously operating kidney dialysis machine. He was blind, lost both legs, and suffered from ulcers and cardiovascular problems as well. Before asking doctors to stop treating him so he could die, he consulted several priests who convinced him that it did not violate Roman Catholic Doctrine. He believed that as a conscious, rational adult, he had the right to determine what should or should not be done to his body. The hospital sent two psychiatrists to test his competence before they could consider his request. Mr. Cinque signed the necessary legal forms, but this did not stop his agony. The hospital lawyers got the State Supreme Court to require Mr. Cinque to continue with the dialysis treatment. About a week later, Mr. Cinque stopped breathing, and suffered irreversible brain damage. He was now in a coma and unable to follow through with his request to die, but the hospital used the papers he signed to get the court to allow treatment to be discontinued. Peter Cinque soon died, and was thus put out of his misery (Why Doctor Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized, 2002). For this reason, euthanasia must be legalized in a way that individuals have a right to decide for themselves what should or should not be done to their bodies. That is, laws must be strengthened and guidelines must be set to ensure the right of euthanasia will not be denied to people.
With all the reasons in favor of euthanasia, there is no excuse for there not to be a reform within the Canadian laws to legalize euthanasia. Thus, there should be reform to the laws to allow the terminally ill patients to commit any form of euthanasia. Today, euthanasia is being secretly practiced, even though it is illegal. Considering it is accepted by many ill Canadians, we have to keep in mind they should have the right to chose as to what to do with their life. We must support people’s choices even if we disagree with them. After all, we don’t have a clue as to what they are feeling. With the legalization of euthanasia, Canadians no longer have to fear prolonged suffering before death. By legalizing euthanasia, it would provide comforting assurance to those who would want this right in the future.
Bibliography
Bernard, David, and Leone, Bruno. Euthanasia Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, C.A.: Greenhaven Press Inc., 1989.
Guy, Kathlyn. The Right to Die. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1993.
Kerr, Franklin. Death The Main Issue. New York: McNite Press, 1990.
Smith, Margaret. Euthanasia and Cessation of Treatment: Current Issues Review. Ottawa: Research Branch of Library of Parliament, 1993.
“Why Doctor-Assisted Suicide Should be Legalized.” On-Line. Internet. December 26, 2002. (URL http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Forum/Issues/Papers/Suicide-Lautz.html.)
