Do you get the point that I'm trying to make? You may be opposed to Euthanasia but until you are in a situation where your vitality has been arrested and replaced by torpor and distaste to everything then what would you do? There have been countless stories of people who tried to go beyond the social approval to legal approval of euthanasia or assistant suicide to preserve their dignity. Every case to date has been denied in Canada. Sadly some turn to the only means to an end that is legal: killing themselves, a much less dignified choice. To say the least.
Here is the beginning of our presentation I wrote to get the audience's attention:
"Euthanasia...one of the most disputed topics in Western society today. We are here to present an explanation of where Euthanasia started from, how it has evolved and why such advocacy exists yet is challenged by strong opposition.
We start with Ancient Rome, where Cicero, a philosopher, lawyer and statesman promoted that the nature of death should be a good death than otherwise where one should drift into a pleasing environment as they fall asleep. “A good death is the ideal way to leave earth. It respects natural law, public order, dignity and tranquility.” Euthanasia in Greek means “Good Death”. It is a practice of ending life so that overwhelming pain and suffering are relieved.
Sir Thomas More in 1516 published a book titled “Utopia”. This book promoted euthanasia to end suffering. More insisted that: if an incurable disease is accompanied by chronic pain and anguish, life should be allowed to end to remove the world of torture and incarceration.
The 17th Century is where euthanasia is first used in a medical context. Sir Francis Bacon, a philosopher and scientist said it is “a physician’s responsibility to alleviate the physical sufferings of the body” and he included this concept of euthanasia, to make it a right; to let the soul be free of suffering. This may have been silently agreed upon by the people of his time but not publicly.
David Hume, an 18th century Scottish philosopher, historian and economist is known for his essay on Suicide. Here he argues that life is meant to be enjoyed, it must include free-will, even when a persons wishes for their life to end. A precious life should not be wasted if it becomes faulty, miserable and defective. Basically Hume suggested we should all avoid a poor quality life especially during the dying process. He justified a premature death if: you are being a significant burden to others, living a deteriorated state incapable of normal daily activities, having to be placed into a hospital until death, or being dependent on an intrusive medical apparatus to continue living.
In the 1870s we begin to see a split in moral acceptance of death. This split separated suicide or the intention to take ones own life, and euthanasian homicide which was then defined as an act (including an omission) of one person which ends the life of another. Both suicide and euthanasian homicide could be viewed as a rightful death because the intention was to relieve intractable suffering.
We now fast forward to 1994 where Margaret Battin a professor of Philosophy and Internal Medicine, a division of Medical Ethics at the University of Utah states that Euthanasia to reduce suffering must have 2 components in order for it to be valid.
1) It must avoid future pain and suffering
2) It must end current pain and suffering.
The assumption with Battin’s argument is: the existing pain must be intolerable and interminable.
In the present day we understand Euthanasia to have two sides. One for and one against the act.
If you are an advocate for euthanasia you would understand the critical elements of autonomy, individual liberty, the right to maintain human dignity, the reduction of suffering and promotion of justice ...to one’s vitality. Autonomy is a right and this includes the right to a good and appropriate death. The other elements are based on moral, religious, and cultural views on human life. You believe Euthanasia aids to avoid botched suicides, exerts control on existing practices we see today and supports the notion that people can make reasonable decisions even when they are suffering or are terminally ill.
If you oppose Euthanasia, you would encourage that the sanctity of human life is far too precious to end unnaturally. Death is irrevocable. Death is final. What happens when a diagnosis of a curable disease is mistaken for an incurable one? You may also believe that it is most difficult to determine the competent and rational decision making of a sick person, that choosing death could be for the wrong reasons, an undiagnosed clinical depression could underlay one’s perception of his or her reality; a physicians erosion of confidence could cloud and mislead an sick persons choice in life or death. Prohibiting Euthanasia protects the weak and incompetent or disadvantaged. Plus, the option of suicide is always available.
Over time different reasons for validating the different viewpoints of Euthanasia called for several types of Euthanasia to be defined. Currently we categorize euthanasia into 3 different types: Voluntary, Non-voluntary and involuntary.
Voluntary euthanasia is quite simple to explain. The patient gives consent to his or her death and the bringing about of their death is assisted by another person. This is also known as assisted suicide, or physician assisted suicide.
Non-Voluntary and Involuntary are two more complex methods to explain.
Non-voluntary Euthanasia is where the patient does not give consent because they are unable to give consent. This could be when the person has become or always has been incompetent or has left no living will. Child Euthanasia for example is illegal worldwide but some cases can be decriminalized because the purpose of euthanasia is intended to ease the pain of parents who are enduring hopeless and unbearable suffering.
Involuntary Euthanasia is conducted against a persons will. It was quite a prevalent method of ending life up to the 1940s where a physician could legally euthanize people deemed ‘idiots, imbeciles and congenital monstrosities (disease originating from birth leaving the person in a very abnormal state). In present day, involuntary euthanasia occurs when a physician gives a lethal injection to a person who is in the final stages of a terminal illness. Another example is when a son gives his sick father a lethal dose of his cancer medication and the father does no want this level of dose.
Another way of looking at Euthanasia is in a passive or active perspective. Passive means a person gives informed consent to withdrawal any treatment and this withdrawal would deliberately end their life. Active means that something is done to end one’s life such as using an injection of a noxious substance like potassium-chloride, sleeping medication or pain killers , forcing death.
Currently Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US State of Oregon and Washington. Not Canada.
Australia's short-lived legal Euthanasia system from 1996 to 1997 and had a euthanizing machine as its method to induce death to someone legally approved to die. This machine contained a lethal amount of a poisonous substance. The physician would hook this up to a patient and it was the patients free will at that moment on to end his or her life by responding to a question on the computer screen. By pushing one button.
Physician Assisted suicide is not classified as Euthanasia in Oregon and Washington. Rather, it is classified under their Death with Dignity Act.
The Canadian Medical Association chooses not to define euthanasia as wrong or right. They leave it up to society’s view of human life as it is ever-changing. The Canadian Senate Committee however does promote a “compassionate suicide” act. To date it would remain illegal and charges would still be assumed but with a lighter penalty compared to the charges of homicide which have frequently been handed down to those assisting in euthanasia.
Canada currently has an act called the Health Care Consent Act of 1996. It recognizes living wills that request refrain of heroic measures to preserve life if one become incapable of communicating.
The Criminal Code of Canada section 241 says that any person who counsels a person or aids a person to commit suicide whether the suicide is successful or not is guilty of a serious and criminal act and is subject to charges that relate to first and second degree murder or homicide.
Please look and listen to the following examples of cases on Euthanasia.”
We start with Ancient Rome, where Cicero, a philosopher, lawyer and statesman promoted that the nature of death should be a good death than otherwise where one should drift into a pleasing environment as they fall asleep. “A good death is the ideal way to leave earth. It respects natural law, public order, dignity and tranquility.” Euthanasia in Greek means “Good Death”. It is a practice of ending life so that overwhelming pain and suffering are relieved.
Sir Thomas More in 1516 published a book titled “Utopia”. This book promoted euthanasia to end suffering. More insisted that: if an incurable disease is accompanied by chronic pain and anguish, life should be allowed to end to remove the world of torture and incarceration.
The 17th Century is where euthanasia is first used in a medical context. Sir Francis Bacon, a philosopher and scientist said it is “a physician’s responsibility to alleviate the physical sufferings of the body” and he included this concept of euthanasia, to make it a right; to let the soul be free of suffering. This may have been silently agreed upon by the people of his time but not publicly.
David Hume, an 18th century Scottish philosopher, historian and economist is known for his essay on Suicide. Here he argues that life is meant to be enjoyed, it must include free-will, even when a persons wishes for their life to end. A precious life should not be wasted if it becomes faulty, miserable and defective. Basically Hume suggested we should all avoid a poor quality life especially during the dying process. He justified a premature death if: you are being a significant burden to others, living a deteriorated state incapable of normal daily activities, having to be placed into a hospital until death, or being dependent on an intrusive medical apparatus to continue living.
In the 1870s we begin to see a split in moral acceptance of death. This split separated suicide or the intention to take ones own life, and euthanasian homicide which was then defined as an act (including an omission) of one person which ends the life of another. Both suicide and euthanasian homicide could be viewed as a rightful death because the intention was to relieve intractable suffering.
We now fast forward to 1994 where Margaret Battin a professor of Philosophy and Internal Medicine, a division of Medical Ethics at the University of Utah states that Euthanasia to reduce suffering must have 2 components in order for it to be valid.
1) It must avoid future pain and suffering
2) It must end current pain and suffering.
The assumption with Battin’s argument is: the existing pain must be intolerable and interminable.
In the present day we understand Euthanasia to have two sides. One for and one against the act.
If you are an advocate for euthanasia you would understand the critical elements of autonomy, individual liberty, the right to maintain human dignity, the reduction of suffering and promotion of justice ...to one’s vitality. Autonomy is a right and this includes the right to a good and appropriate death. The other elements are based on moral, religious, and cultural views on human life. You believe Euthanasia aids to avoid botched suicides, exerts control on existing practices we see today and supports the notion that people can make reasonable decisions even when they are suffering or are terminally ill.
If you oppose Euthanasia, you would encourage that the sanctity of human life is far too precious to end unnaturally. Death is irrevocable. Death is final. What happens when a diagnosis of a curable disease is mistaken for an incurable one? You may also believe that it is most difficult to determine the competent and rational decision making of a sick person, that choosing death could be for the wrong reasons, an undiagnosed clinical depression could underlay one’s perception of his or her reality; a physicians erosion of confidence could cloud and mislead an sick persons choice in life or death. Prohibiting Euthanasia protects the weak and incompetent or disadvantaged. Plus, the option of suicide is always available.
Over time different reasons for validating the different viewpoints of Euthanasia called for several types of Euthanasia to be defined. Currently we categorize euthanasia into 3 different types: Voluntary, Non-voluntary and involuntary.
Voluntary euthanasia is quite simple to explain. The patient gives consent to his or her death and the bringing about of their death is assisted by another person. This is also known as assisted suicide, or physician assisted suicide.
Non-Voluntary and Involuntary are two more complex methods to explain.
Non-voluntary Euthanasia is where the patient does not give consent because they are unable to give consent. This could be when the person has become or always has been incompetent or has left no living will. Child Euthanasia for example is illegal worldwide but some cases can be decriminalized because the purpose of euthanasia is intended to ease the pain of parents who are enduring hopeless and unbearable suffering.
Involuntary Euthanasia is conducted against a persons will. It was quite a prevalent method of ending life up to the 1940s where a physician could legally euthanize people deemed ‘idiots, imbeciles and congenital monstrosities (disease originating from birth leaving the person in a very abnormal state). In present day, involuntary euthanasia occurs when a physician gives a lethal injection to a person who is in the final stages of a terminal illness. Another example is when a son gives his sick father a lethal dose of his cancer medication and the father does no want this level of dose.
Another way of looking at Euthanasia is in a passive or active perspective. Passive means a person gives informed consent to withdrawal any treatment and this withdrawal would deliberately end their life. Active means that something is done to end one’s life such as using an injection of a noxious substance like potassium-chloride, sleeping medication or pain killers , forcing death.
Currently Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US State of Oregon and Washington. Not Canada.
Australia's short-lived legal Euthanasia system from 1996 to 1997 and had a euthanizing machine as its method to induce death to someone legally approved to die. This machine contained a lethal amount of a poisonous substance. The physician would hook this up to a patient and it was the patients free will at that moment on to end his or her life by responding to a question on the computer screen. By pushing one button.
Physician Assisted suicide is not classified as Euthanasia in Oregon and Washington. Rather, it is classified under their Death with Dignity Act.
The Canadian Medical Association chooses not to define euthanasia as wrong or right. They leave it up to society’s view of human life as it is ever-changing. The Canadian Senate Committee however does promote a “compassionate suicide” act. To date it would remain illegal and charges would still be assumed but with a lighter penalty compared to the charges of homicide which have frequently been handed down to those assisting in euthanasia.
Canada currently has an act called the Health Care Consent Act of 1996. It recognizes living wills that request refrain of heroic measures to preserve life if one become incapable of communicating.
The Criminal Code of Canada section 241 says that any person who counsels a person or aids a person to commit suicide whether the suicide is successful or not is guilty of a serious and criminal act and is subject to charges that relate to first and second degree murder or homicide.
Please look and listen to the following examples of cases on Euthanasia.”
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