Active Euthanasia
Active euthanasia or physician’s assisted suicide should be legal in the ethical process that the organization, Dignitas performs it. The process in summation, consists of a person who is terminally ill and in excruciating pain, contacting the organization, becoming a member by fee, and submitting medical documents with diagnosis from a medical professional including those from a therapist, to a Dignitas physician. The elected physician then decides whether or not the member is qualified for active euthanasia and a prescription for the drug sodium pentobarbital is written for the patient/member and administered in Zurich, Switzerland.
Any controversy or disagreements with the outlined process arise mostly from misconceptions by the public. Ludwig Minelli, founder of Dignitas states, “The whole issue is not in the public field. It is covered by a taboo, and we should speak about it. ” The topic of Active euthanasia should be further explored and dissected by those who disagree with it. Active euthanasia should be legalized because it gives those in unimaginable pain the chance to end their suffering, we are exposed to legal substances that already induce death, and the right to life should also mean the right to decide when to end that life.
When people approach death, they often cling to the idea of a peaceful death. Unfortunately, not everyone experiences a peaceful death. It is a gamble of luck in most instances, but what about in the case of an ALS patient? The person’s body is slowly deteriorating, they lose the ability to speak, swallow, move their body, and eventually communicate. If an ALS patient is dying before our eyes, they may look peaceful, but how can we be sure they’re not suffering in pure agony if they can’t communicate?
For people like Craig Ewert, a 59 year old ALS victim, the option of euthanasia should be on the table. He pleads, “What may look peaceful from the outside does not necessarily reflect the internal mental state of the person. Let’s face it, when you’re completely paralyzed,can’t talk,can’t move your eyes, can’t move your arms, how do you let somebody know you’re suffering? They look at you, and you’re still. And usually, we associate suffering with people kind of rolling around and going “Ow,ow,ow. ”.. There’s none of that. Gee, it must be peaceful. ”
