Sukhpreet+On+Kevorkian+and+Euthanasia

Euthanasia, an “easy death”, isn’t as simple as the word suggests. For years, the Catholic Church, activists, and anti-activists have battled to show that they are correct on whether euthanasia should be legal or not. The act of killing or letting individuals die due to terminal illness has created chaos in and outside of the medical field worldwide. Disabled Rights Activists believe that allowing euthanasia to be legal will hurt disabled people worldwide, by informing them that their life has less value than an active human being. Additionally, the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to euthanasia, believing that humans should not play the role of God. While, on the opposite side are doctors such as Dr.Kevorkian, who believes the medical field should be obligated to help the patients who do not wish to suffer any longer and Dr. Admiral, a Dutch Doctor who actively participates in active euthanasia as it is legal in his city of Deft.

Disabled Rights activists are very adamant on not allowing euthanasia to be legalized or accepted in the society. They believe that allowing euthanasia to be accepted will devalue the lives of disabled individuals, making it more acceptable to not want to live. Disabled individuals have a right to live; they have the same amount of freedom as any other individual. However, limited to their activity, many lose hope in their lives. In the article, “Why Disability Rights Movements Do Not Support Euthanasia,” by Canadian doctor, Dr.Wolbring, he quotes the Disability Rights Movement’s beliefs, “We believe that the legalization of euthanasia will force people to be euthanized in a misbegotten effort to do the right thing: save their loved ones from financial ruin, remove family members from the care taker role, cease to be a burden on the state.” Disabled Rights activists strongly believe that euthanasia is not about mercy killing or seizing physical pain, it’s truly about fear, prejudice and the “negative perception of a characteristic.”

In the Catholic Church’s “Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” it is clearly stated that, “Everyone has the duty to lead his or her life in accordance with God’s plan.” Their belief that God has given every individual the right to live, is shown through their strong conviction that the ending of life, whether through suicide or euthanasia is a “rejection of God’s sovereignty and loving plan.” The Catholic Church says that those who ask for euthanasia are misunderstood. It is not the desire of death that they want; “it is a case of an anguished plea for help and love.” The church’s continued belief that technology is threatening their Christian way of living is displayed throughout the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Today it is very important to protect, at the moment of death, both the dignity of the human person and the Christian concept of life, against a technological attitude that threatens to become an abuse.” The Catholic views on euthanasia are strong and contribute to the battle to legalize euthanasia very heavily.

In “Listening and Helping to Die: The Dutch Way,” Dr.Admiraal, a Dutch doctor practices active euthanasia “openly and unashamedly,” in his city of Delft, where euthanasia stands legal. Dr.Admiraal with his team of qualified doctors, nurse, and one of the hospital’s spiritual caregivers decides which patient is qualified for euthanasia. His main argument is that euthanasia is “to fail the practice of voluntary euthanasia under some circumstances is to the fail the patient.” However, Dr.Admiraal does clarify that his team and him always hesitate because a patient’s request for the easy death may actually by a cry for help. Specialized in palliative care, he assures people that patients do not have any shortcomings in his hospital. Dr.Admiraal was convicted of actively assisting a patient, who suffered from ovarian cancer, in euthanasia. Dr.Admiraal says that, “as doctors we have two primary duties: to ensure the well-being of our patients, and to respect their autonomy. The first duty entails that we should seek to restore patients to health and, if we can’t, that we should try to reduce their suffering. The second duty entails that we listen closely to, and respect, the wishes of our patients.” He clarifies that he was correct in allowing his patient to die, as she was suffocated by her inability to do what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to be kept alive by machines and suffer everyday and her plea was to end her life, because anything doctors did was going to be futile.

Another such doctor is Dr.Kevorkian. Passionate about his beliefs and adamant enough to go to jail for them, he has actively participated in helping patients to die: 130 of them. Also known as Dr.Death, his strong beliefs that patients should have the final say in their life and death, he is a proponent of euthanasia and does not regret anything that he has done. Using lethal injections, he killed more than a hundred people and isn’t ashamed in doing so. Someone who is willing to unashamedly show to the world that helping patients die is correct must have solid beliefs to support him. In an interview with Sanjay Gupta M.D. Dr.Kevorkian said, “I have no regrets.” He believes that people have a say in their death just as they do in their life. For him, active euthanasia is a right and should not be infringed on.

All life is precious: every fetus, child, teenager, adult, or elder. At the beginning of the discussion of euthanasia, the idea itself disgusted me. I was appalled at how people could think it could be justified. However, as we looked into the views on both sides and read further into it, and I saw the reason WHY people were choosing to end their lives, my views changed. I’m a proponent of human rights and believe euthanasia is a right. We should have the option of choosing whether or not we can bear a pain, suffer any longer, or tolerate the injustice that’s been bestowed on us. I do believe euthanasia is morally wrong-but the reason for each individual who chooses this option is more significant than anything else. Ending someone’s life isn’t simple, but the reason needs to be justified. If an individual is asking for death, due to emotional imbalance, due to failure throughout his life, that’s not a patient. That’s a coward.

Reading Kevorkian’s interview with Sanjay Gupta M.D., I realized how passionate the old man is about his views, how he doesn’t regret anything that he’s done. And I see the reason why. In his eyes, he was right. A man who is justified doesn’t fear, so why should he fear?

It’s difficult to put yourself in that position of vulnerability, when all hope is lost. Recently, I asked my mom, over dinner of course, “If I was in a coma, and the doctors gave up on me and gave you the option of euthanasia, how would you feel? If I say now, I’d want euthanasia, what would you say?” As bluntly as a mother could, she said the following, “How could you think I would even let them? No matter what you say now, or what they say then, I wouldn’t let you die.” Appalled at her answer, I said, “What if I was in unbearable pain?” and she said, “The baby I gave birth to…I’m not going to kill that same baby with my own hands.” Trying to make dinner lighter, I simply laughed and changed the topic. A couple days later, my mom asked me, “Would you let me die if I was unable to speak for myself and the doctor’s gave up hope on me?” Unable to answer, I asked, “What would you want?” Her answer was simple and to the point: “Not let me die.” I shook my head and walked out of the kitchen.

I agree that euthanasia is morally wrong. How could we as humans kill other humans? But above that, I believe that every human has his own rights to choose what they believe is correct for them. Human rights are something we’ve been fighting for years, and now we are fighting for euthanasia, the end of all human rights. Paradox? Yes.

The Disabled Rights Activists and the Catholic Church stand strong on their beliefs that euthanasia should be prohibited and eliminated from the medical field. While, doctors such as Dr.Admiraal and Dr.Kevorkian view their work as noble. Both sides have evidence to support their views and believe they are correct in the standpoint. However, in the end, it is in the individual who should have the right to choose whether living or dying is the option they want to choose. Euthanasia should be an option and individuals should have the privilege and right to choose that form of dying.