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Law and ethics
Part 1
Jack Kevorkian is an American pathologist who was charged with second-degree murder for employing euthanasia in 130 cases in the 1990s. The doctor believed that assisted death is a right of every patient so he used euthanasia for ending the life of terminally-ill patients CITATION Mon07 \l 1033 (Davey, 2007). The imprisonment of Kevorkian reflects that his act of using lethal dose for ending lives of terminally ill patients was considered as unethical and illegal.
Active euthanasia involves killing terminally ill patients by using a lethal dose of medicine. The act of intentional killing is illegal in America. however, in Oregon,, it requires second medical opinion for using the option of ending the lives of terminally ill patients. Euthanasia is ethical because it provides relief to the patients who are suffering from extreme pain and their possibilities of survival are minimal. The states have considered euthanasia unethical because it is wrong to kill someone for illness or pain. Contrary beliefs prevail on the issue of euthanasia CITATION BFF15 \l 1033 (Fremgen, 2015).
Part 2
I think assisted suicide must be illegal because it will promote the culture of killing terminally ill patients for pain relief. It is also difficult to decide what patients qualify for assisted suicide or not. However, if the patient wants to end his life for extreme pain and in a disease where he is lacking possibilities of survival, passive euthanasia can be legalized. In extreme cases keeping patients alive only add to their suffering. So, it will be ethical to use passive euthanasia by withholding medical intervention. The patient will be allowed to die naturally by ending the supply of fluids. It is the right of a patient to decide in such situations if they want to live or die.
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY Davey, M. (2007). Kevorkian Speaks After His Release From Prison. Retrieved 04 17, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/us/04kevorkian.html
Fremgen, B. F. (2015). Medical Law and Ethics (5th Edition). Pearson.
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