Euthanasia - The Moral Debate

When people my age are asked the question, what are your views on euthanasia? Their first response is usually, what the hell is that? I can vouch for having asked myself that when first introduced to the issue. That was late last year and my immediate reaction was Pro-choice! Pro-choice! Pro-choice! But since then, I’ve had time to gather my thoughts, assess the issue for what it is, and develop an attitude towards it.


Let’s start at the top, what is euthanasia exactly? Euthanasia is the act of one assisting another in dying. It’s often referred to as assisted suicide because of the nature of it all; the helping of one who wants to end his or her life.


We were discussing it in class today, we being my year 11 English class, and I guess some arguments were somewhat plausible but others were just completely ineffective. Like, a friend of mine argued that animals had more rights than humans do. He said that because animals are put down when they are suffering, like when a horse breaks its leg and is shot, then they have more rights than we as humans do. Well, to that, I simply laughed [in a supportive manner of course!] but the argument just didn’t stand, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me [and I’m sure if you disagree with my viewpoint, then you’ll feel the same about some of my ideas, I’m okay with that]. For one, we as humans can voice our concerns and ideals and animals cannot. This is why they have organizations like RSPCA and other groups, whose sole existence is to maintain the ethics of animals and acting out when they are breached. Humans however, don’t need these organizations because we are able to voice our concerns to one another. So to say that animals have more rights than humans is absurd because it’s just not true. Although animals might not be able to communicate how they are feeling directly, there is a body of people responsible for ensuring that they are not exploited.


Now, onto my thoughts about Euthanasia. It’s a complex issue. If you’re not for it then you’re considered a heartless person who doesn’t care about the pain and suffering of individuals. Which is an unfair assumption in my mind. Simply because I am against the ideology that allows one to help another in dying does not mean that I am not both empathetic and sympathetic when it comes to those who are in pain or dying of a terminal illness. It doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I am ignorant about the situation as a whole. I acknowledge both the physical and psychological pain associated with having a terminal illness, but I could never willingly accept legalizing euthanasia.


As selfish as it may be, I don’t think I could accept that someone I loved would want to cut their life short. I mean, in regards to someone having a terminal illness, there are places available that exist to better the standard of life for someone dying of a terminal illness. The technology put into palliative care these days is amazing, but I’m more than aware that some people may view this as a way of putting people into places and simply waiting for them to die. Palliative care isn’t always the answer, I get that, but if it meant that I had a loved one a little longer than what I would be able to have them otherwise, then that’s okay with me. I’ve had grandparents who have passed as a result from terminal illnesses and who both refused treatment and if given the option may or may not have opted for euthanasia. Either way, I was kept from them for my own safety and so I could remember them ‘as they were’. Which is a fair argument given I was eight or so at the time. But I often wonder about the time I’d have had with them if I were able to see them and be around them. I often wonder what life was like for them too. I’m the type of person who likes being certain about things, I’d like to have known what things were like even if I wouldn’t have liked them, if it would have put the doubt to rest then that would have been enough for me. I mean hiding one from the truth only works for so long, as the saying goes the truth always has a way of coming out so dying to protect those who love and care about you just, wouldn’t really work.


Above all else, I guess I have a high regard for human life and that’s how it should be. Life should be held in the utmost highest importance and value and I guess whether you agree with that or not is going to depend on whether you’re religious or not. Raised a catholic, I was taught the teachings of god for the first ten or so years of my life and even after that, I always had my dad to reinstate those teachings, not force, but remind. He’s always said that life is sacred and to a lot of people it is. If there’s one thing I took from religion, that’d be it. In no way should a life be cut short whether it be willingly or unwillingly. If you believe that we all have purpose in life, than you could argue that no one is given the chance of life to simply die. I mean, we all die in the end, but to cut your life short of its time simply rejects the fact that life is precious and installs that vision that you are no longer grateful with your place in the world.


Reasons above are reasons why I am against the legalization of Euthanasia. That doesn’t mean I turn my nose at people who would support or consider euthanasia, no, it simply means what I stated. I wouldn’t willingly support legalization of euthanasia if given the choice.


I think half the problem with talking about such issues is the fact that people immediately think that because you say you’re against the legalization of say, euthanasia then they think that you’re completely against it too. Which for some may be true, but I think some people miss the point when it comes to discussing the legalization of something. People can be against legalization, yet be open to the issue. I don’t know if that takes away from the argument, but these are simply viewpoints and I am giving mine.


I began to write this with the intention of giving arguments, but as I wrote, I just couldn’t find the place to put them in. Not so much a debate as it is just a discussion or a way of wording my thinking.


I hope you made some sense out of the above and enjoyed reading.