“Voluntary Euthanasia” is the act if terminating the life of somebody painlessly on his or her request, or on the request of his or her legal representative. Under the present law, voluntary euthanasia is considered illegal.
However, a significant number of organisations are campaigning at present for this law to be reconsidered. Organisations supporting the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia were established in Britain in 1935 and in the United States in 1938. These organisations claim that every human being should have the right to choose when and how they die. They have gained some public support, but have so far been unable to achieve their goal in either nation. In the past few decades, Western laws against passive and voluntary euthanasia have slowly been eased, although serious moral and legal questions still exist.
I myself disagree with the legalisation of euthanasia. Although I recognise that some people feel they have the right to decide how and when they die, I personally feel that life is a precious gift from God and only he has the right to take it away. This aside there are also many practical arguments against the legalisation of euthanasia.
In the Netherlands voluntary euthanasia has been legalised through a democratic vote within the country. Many governments argue that the significant increase in the country’s overall death rate since is almost certainly because of this legalisation.
In addition there is a hospice movement within many European countries, including Ireland. This movement aims to increase the value of human life by showing us how sacred it really is. Hospices throughout the world care for people who are terminally ill. They allow them to die with dignity in a loving and caring environment.
I myself have had some experience with the hospice movement. This experience taught me how hospices offer compassion, care and love to their patients and in effect decrease the need for the legalisation of euthanasia.
Critics also point out the so-called euthanasia committees in Nazi Germany that were empowered to condemn and execute anyone found to be a burden to the state. This instance of abuse of the power of life and death has long served as a warning to some against allowing the practice of euthanasia.
Other arguments against the legalisation of euthanasia include that many drugs such as morphine control pain and in effect reduce suffering. Also as the disease progresses a patient may decide against euthanasia but be unable to express themselves because of the effects of their illness. Also many people often recover after being “written off” by their doctors. Another danger of legalising euthanasia is that elderly people may feel they are a burden to society and opt for euthanasia, when in their hearts they want to continue living.
In conclusion I would like to stress that euthanasia devalues human life, making it disposable. I fear that if euthanasia is legalised that it could be first step on a slippery slope.
