Euthansia : A Question of Life and Death
Euthanasia. The act of helping someone to take their own life, or more commonly known as mercy killing. This has been an ongoing debate since modern times, trying to argue whether if it is justifiable or not but yielding no results.
Only a few countries in the world has allowed for euthanasia take place whilst a large majority of it remains very much against it. Often the reasons cited by countries for not allowing euthanasia ranges from the fundamental right to live to the more unsubstantiated argument that it would encourage suicide, and all the while letting people who desperately need it to suffer mercilessly.
One of the Universal rights that is recognized is that of the right to life, where no one can kill another and is enshrined in almost every constitution and the universal declaration of human rights. However strangely no one ever thought of the right to die, the right for a person to choose their own death when they want to. Of course this does not mean that the right to die must be afforded to everyone who has a death wish, if it is to be allowed it must be under a regulated framework.
Secondly there is no clear evidence linking euthanasia to encouraging suicide, and this argument seems more redundant since there is a good majority of countries that have decriminalized suicide which makes criminalizing euthanasia redundant. While people are allowed to commit suicide, it is sad to see that people who are severely paralyzed is not capable to even commit suicide without the help of another, who often faces prosecution if it is carried out. Luxury of suicide is afforded to those who can move but denied to those who can't. Furthermore, we are curtailing a more fundamental right, which is the right to decide on what we want, which could be translated to the right of expression.
Another argument put forward is that science will improve to accommodate such individuals and even reverse the effects of their illnesses but science is not going to improve at a rate to provide immediate cure for the patient. While science works as fast as possible to provide solutions faced by the population, it still would cause patients of this kind to suffer longer and some may even die before science catches up.
We often complicate the issue with religion, where there it is stated that there is retribution for a person committing suicide. While I admit life is a gift which must be cherished, what happens to life when a person is filled with so much pain and despair because of an illness that they can't continue to live life?
It is often easy for people not suffering from a chronic disease to vehemently oppose euthanasia however, it is not them that have to live through the pain.
This was put into context in the bollywood movie of Guzaarish. While it is ultimately a romance movie, it has a more powerful underlying subtext of a man, Ethan Mascarenhus potrayed by Hrithik Roshan, suffering from quadriplegic, being paralyzed from neck down. It showcases his daily life and he faces it with an upbeat confidence however, he files a petition in court requesting euthanasia. It really captures the emotions that a person of his predicament faces, it showcases the reaction of the public where ordinary people state how wrong it is and trying to convince others that he is mentally unfit. It's a window into a life a person going
through disabilities of the nature he is suffering and the helplessness that often engulfs them. I highly recommend watching this movie.
We can't dictate how people chose to live or die, we can't deny them of a humane death and a more merciful death. It is ludicrous that we shun them to a life pain leading to the slow deterioration of their health till their eventual death and would even seem to be torture.
Undoubtedly euthanasia should not be afforded to everyone who asks for it, it should be regulated to be provided only for people who suffer from severe illnesses but even then it should be provided for people who's degree of suffering is so great and with no improvement .
People deserve dignity, they deserve respect and that comes through respecting their wishes and enabling them to die how they so wish and not be condemned to live a life similar to a caged animal with no means of escape.
It's a right to live. Right to die.
Only a few countries in the world has allowed for euthanasia take place whilst a large majority of it remains very much against it. Often the reasons cited by countries for not allowing euthanasia ranges from the fundamental right to live to the more unsubstantiated argument that it would encourage suicide, and all the while letting people who desperately need it to suffer mercilessly.
One of the Universal rights that is recognized is that of the right to life, where no one can kill another and is enshrined in almost every constitution and the universal declaration of human rights. However strangely no one ever thought of the right to die, the right for a person to choose their own death when they want to. Of course this does not mean that the right to die must be afforded to everyone who has a death wish, if it is to be allowed it must be under a regulated framework.
Secondly there is no clear evidence linking euthanasia to encouraging suicide, and this argument seems more redundant since there is a good majority of countries that have decriminalized suicide which makes criminalizing euthanasia redundant. While people are allowed to commit suicide, it is sad to see that people who are severely paralyzed is not capable to even commit suicide without the help of another, who often faces prosecution if it is carried out. Luxury of suicide is afforded to those who can move but denied to those who can't. Furthermore, we are curtailing a more fundamental right, which is the right to decide on what we want, which could be translated to the right of expression.
Another argument put forward is that science will improve to accommodate such individuals and even reverse the effects of their illnesses but science is not going to improve at a rate to provide immediate cure for the patient. While science works as fast as possible to provide solutions faced by the population, it still would cause patients of this kind to suffer longer and some may even die before science catches up.
We often complicate the issue with religion, where there it is stated that there is retribution for a person committing suicide. While I admit life is a gift which must be cherished, what happens to life when a person is filled with so much pain and despair because of an illness that they can't continue to live life?
It is often easy for people not suffering from a chronic disease to vehemently oppose euthanasia however, it is not them that have to live through the pain.
This was put into context in the bollywood movie of Guzaarish. While it is ultimately a romance movie, it has a more powerful underlying subtext of a man, Ethan Mascarenhus potrayed by Hrithik Roshan, suffering from quadriplegic, being paralyzed from neck down. It showcases his daily life and he faces it with an upbeat confidence however, he files a petition in court requesting euthanasia. It really captures the emotions that a person of his predicament faces, it showcases the reaction of the public where ordinary people state how wrong it is and trying to convince others that he is mentally unfit. It's a window into a life a person going
through disabilities of the nature he is suffering and the helplessness that often engulfs them. I highly recommend watching this movie.
We can't dictate how people chose to live or die, we can't deny them of a humane death and a more merciful death. It is ludicrous that we shun them to a life pain leading to the slow deterioration of their health till their eventual death and would even seem to be torture.
Undoubtedly euthanasia should not be afforded to everyone who asks for it, it should be regulated to be provided only for people who suffer from severe illnesses but even then it should be provided for people who's degree of suffering is so great and with no improvement .
People deserve dignity, they deserve respect and that comes through respecting their wishes and enabling them to die how they so wish and not be condemned to live a life similar to a caged animal with no means of escape.
It's a right to live. Right to die.
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