Euthanasia in Australia Essay - 2597 Words

When we hear the phrase voluntary euthanasia people generally think of one of two things: the active termination of life at the patients or the Nazi extermination program of murder. Many people have beliefs about whether euthanasia is right or wrong, often without being able to define it clearly. Some people take an extreme view, while many fall somewhere between the two camps. The derivation means gentle and easy death coming from the Greek words, eu - thanatos. Euthanasia was formerly called quot;mercy killing,quot; euthanasia means intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. Put bluntly, euthanasia means killing in the name of compassion. Euthanasia is often confused with physician-assisted†¦show more content†¦Suicide is legal in all Australian states and territories. If you want to kill yourself, you can do so. No one has any right to stop you, unless they can show adequate proof of insanity. Various popular books are available which even give details of reliable methods in which to end ones life. If a person says he/she wishes to die, and is not immobilised by disease, yet continues to remain alive, he/she is clearly not serious about wishing to die, but has expressed a false wish. However, some people who wish to commit suicide are incapacitated to such an extent that they would be unable to commit suicide without assistance. Killing a person in these circumstances can be described as quot;voluntary euthanasiaquot;. Both mental and physical incapacity are relevant. Solutions, which have been proposed to address impediments preventing suicide, arising from various forms of incapacity, are listed below: 1) A person is mentally competent but physically incapacitated. Euthanasia laws would provide for the person to issue a formal request to be killed, and make it legal for some other person to do the killing. 2) Person is mentally incompetent to make decisions: Euthanasia laws would provide for a person who is mentally competent to issue a formal request stipulating that if he/she becomes incompetent and terminally ill, he/she is to have their life terminated. Or, alternatively,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Euthanasia in Australia1829 Words   |  8 PagesAlthough euthanasia is a complex and controversial subject, under certain conditions people should have the right to decide to end their own lives. Is euthanasia murder or mercy? We need to understand what Mercy, Murder and Euthanasia are before we c an form any opinion. (Oxford dictionary) Mercy / (say mersee) Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards: an offender, an enemy, or other person in ones power; compassion, pity, or benevolence. Murder / (say merduh) Unlawful killingRead MoreEuthanasi The Controversial Issue Of Euthanasia1650 Words   |  7 PagesAdelaide students think about legalising voluntary euthanasia in Australia? Introduction The purpose of this research is to seeking and analysing the opinions about legalising voluntary euthanasia within Adelaide students (aged 18-25 years old). With recent changes to legalisation of child euthanasia in Belgium, the controversial issue of euthanasia is currently being re-spotlighted all over the world. Ongoing active discussion on the legalisation of euthanasia mainly debates individual’s choices in endingRead MoreEuthanasia Is The Termination Of Life At A Patients883 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia is the termination of life at a patients request and is performed by a doctor (G. van Tol, Rietjens, van der Heide, 2012, p. 296) and is often confused with physician assisted suicide (PAS), which is where a physician prescribes a lethal dose of medication for the patient to take in their own time (Pereira, 2011, p. e38). The debate surrounding euthanasia is a long and tiresome one with no foreseeable end. Currently, euthanasia is legal in three countries and four US states and PAS isRead MoreEuthanasi Ethical And Legal Issues Within The Australian Context1550 Words   |  7 Pagesis more challenging to reconcile than that of euthanasia. The legalisation of euthanasia continues to be passionately debated. It has been a pertinent issue in human rights discourse as it affects ethical and legal issues pertaining to both the patient and the health care practitioner (Bartels Otlowski, 2010). The following essay will define euthanasia and make the distinction between active, passive, voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Relevant legalRead MoreShould Euthanazia Be Legalized in Australia? Essay614 Words   |  3 PagesEuthanasia, currently a very controversial topic of discussion throughout Australia. The question is â€Å"should euthanasia be legalised, and if so who is legible to be euthanised?† It is currently illegal in Australia to be euthanised, however 86% of the public agrees that euthanasia should be administered to people who are willing to if they are terminally ill, and a surprising 54% of practitioners agree also. Even though this is the case, why is it still illegal? What are the dangers of euthanasiaRead MoreThe Community in The Giver is Not a Better Alternative to Contemporary Australian Society883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Giver, by Lois Lowry, was published in 1993, and caused worldwide controversy over i ts views on conformity, communism, and euthanasia. It is about a character named Jonas, who lives in a conformist community where there is no colour, emotions, love, weather and most importantly, choice. This community is inferior to the modern day Australian community. The community in The Giver, which is led by a committee of Elders, does not allow for any choice, as in their eyes, choice is a risky, unnecessaryRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?977 Words   |  4 PagesEssay: Euthanasia Euthanasia is acknowledged as the practice of intentionally ending a life which liberates an individual from an incurable illness or unbearable misery. Euthanasia is known as mercy killing, perceived as an easy and painless death. Euthanasia is done from the request of a dying patient or that person’s legal representative. This is known as Voluntary Euthanasia. Not undertaking something to prevent or avoid someone’s death is recognised as passive or negative Euthanasia. When someoneRead MoreEuthanasia On A Personal Level1035 Words   |  5 Pagespeacefully, with dignity and pride? What if you were that terminally ill person? Good morning Mrs Arnold, Miss Shiels and fellow class mates, today I will be debating the topic of euthanasia on a personal level, a national level, and a global level. I sincerely believe that euthanasia should be legalised in Australia for terminally ill patients. 1st Argument†¨On November the 8th, 2015, David Attenborough told ‘the guardian’, â€Å"When you see poor people, poor in the sense of having some wretched diseaseRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Euthanasia1150 Words   |  5 PagesEuthanasia should not be legalised in Australia. Good morning 10C and Ms Leoni, Today I am here to talk about the controversial issue of euthanasia. This year, the Greens party has planned to introduce a ‘Rights of the Terminally Ill’ bill into state parliament. This has raised the issue of whether or not euthanasia should be legalised in Australia. Euthanasia is the practice of ending a person’s life in order to release them from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering. There are two typesRead MoreEuthanasia Is Not The Active Death Of A Patient1359 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia comes from the Greek words, Eu, meaning good, and thanatosis meaning death. This means ‘Good death,’ ‘Gentle and easy death.’ It is also the word has come to be used for ‘Mercy killing.’ In this sense Euthanasia means the active death of a patient. In today’s society euthanasia has become very controversial on whether or not it is classified as a good action to take for suffering patients of painful and incurable diseases or an irreversible coma. 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