Running Head: A PROBLEM EXISTS 1 A PROBLEM EXISTS 5 EUTHANASIA EUTHANASIA Every human being has that one person that they love and care about, and the last thing that they want to do is to see them in pain. However, this doesn’t give anyone a right to take that person’s life, and if you choose to do it, it doesn’t make it right. This is why this paper is going to look at euthanasia. Euthanasia also famously known as mercy killing refers to the painless and deliberate killing of a patient who is known to be suffering from an incurable as well as painful disease or who is in a coma. To some, it may look like a good way of letting their loved one rest from all the pain, but the big question is it right? When you consider all the implications on the feelings of the various people involved, it shouldn’t be a consideration at all. This paper seeks to look at the history and background of euthanasia, its status and look at it as a problem from various perspectives. The debates concerning euthanasia and its existence range back to 5th Century BC in ancient Greece as well as Rome where there were debates concerning the ethics of euthanasia. When ether was developed, many physicians started advocating that there should be the use of anesthetics to relieve patients of their pains. In the year 1870, Samuel Williams gave the first proposition that anesthetics and morphine should be used to deliberately end the life of a patient. Since then, there have been major debates and arguments for and against euthanasia as a method of ending one’s life. Euthanasia is illegal in most of the countries. However, some have legalized it. According to ProCon (2016), there are two kinds of euthanasia that are considered, active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Most countries have made it clear that both of them are illegal and ought not to be practiced. However, some western countries, at least 8, have either legalized one or both types of practices. Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands are some of the countries that have legalized both practices. On the other hand, Canada, Finland, and Switzerland have legalized Physician Assisted Suicide. Colombia has legalized euthanasia only. This clearly shows that there just like any other argument, when it comes to euthanasia, there are those who are for it and those who are against it. There are various problems that are associated with euthanasia as a form of ending one’s life. When we consider the social problem, we know that euthanasia has various social implications to the society at large. As much as one may say that it is one’s decision or the next of kin or whoever has the person’s power of attorney to make that decision, it is beyond just personal. When we consider the society, we also consider those physicians or doctors who will carry out the act of euthanasia. All the students who attend medical school are taught the importance of life and that they shouldn’t be involved in killing their patients This val ...

1. Running Head: A PROBLEM EXISTS
1
A PROBLEM EXISTS
5
EUTHANASIA
EUTHANASIA
Every human being has that one person that they love and care
about, and the last thing that they want to do is to see them in
pain. However, this doesn’t give anyone a right to take that
person’s life, and if you choose to do it, it doesn’t make it right.
This is why this paper is going to look at euthanasia. Euthanasia
also famously known as mercy killing refers to the painless and
deliberate killing of a patient who is known to be suffering from
an incurable as well as painful disease or who is in a coma. To
some, it may look like a good way of letting their loved one rest
from all the pain, but the big question is it right? When you
consider all the implications on the feelings of the various
people involved, it shouldn’t be a consideration at all. This
paper seeks to look at the history and background of euthanasia,
its status and look at it as a problem from various perspectives.
The debates concerning euthanasia and its existence range back
to 5th Century BC in ancient Greece as well as Rome where
there were debates concerning the ethics of euthanasia. When
ether was developed, many physicians started advocating that
there should be the use of anesthetics to relieve patients of their
pains. In the year 1870, Samuel Williams gave the first
proposition that anesthetics and morphine should be used to
deliberately end the life of a patient. Since then, there have
been major debates and arguments for and against euthanasia as
a method of ending one’s life.

2. Euthanasia is illegal in most of the countries. However, some
have legalized it. According to ProCon (2016), there are two
kinds of euthanasia that are considered, active euthanasia and
physician-assisted suicide. Most countries have made it clear
that both of them are illegal and ought not to be practiced.
However, some western countries, at least 8, have either
legalized one or both types of practices. Belgium, Luxembourg,
The Netherlands are some of the countries that have legalized
both practices. On the other hand, Canada, Finland, and
Switzerland have legalized Physician Assisted Suicide.
Colombia has legalized euthanasia only. This clearly shows that
there just like any other argument, when it comes to euthanasia,
there are those who are for it and those who are against it.
There are various problems that are associated with euthanasia
as a form of ending one’s life. When we consider the social
problem, we know that euthanasia has various social
implications to the society at large. As much as one may say
that it is one’s decision or the next of kin or whoever has the
person’s power of attorney to make that decision, it is beyond
just personal. When we consider the society, we also consider
those physicians or doctors who will carry out the act of
euthanasia. All the students who attend medical school are
taught the importance of life and that they shouldn’t be
involved in killing their patients
This value is what maintains the trust between the doctors and
their patients and the doctors and the society. Legalizing
euthanasia distorts that clear line, and this has a direct impact
on the nurse or doctor’s obligation to protect as well as respect
a patient’s life. This then means that ensuring that euthanasia
remains illegal is not only trying to protect the life of the
patients but also trying to maintain the trust of the society at
large in their own physicians and in the medical field at large
(Somerville, 2009).
Secondly, the legalizing of euthanasia is an ethical problem.
There are various implications that come with it. One is that the
sanctity of line is weakened. The society will no longer see life

3. as something important since a human being can just decide
who lives and who dies. The implications will be that the
elderly, people with various disabilities and those of unsound
mind will be discriminated. They will-will see as a burden since
they have an option of ending their life by being in pain. They
will be considered less of human beings and their lives will be
termed worthless since they may seem not to be adding any
value and constantly need to be taken care of. This way, the
society will force them or in a way influence them to take an
option of ending their lives. This way, there will be no more
respect for human life (BBC, 2014).
Thirdly, when we consider the complexity of the issue of
euthanasia, we realize that it is a major problem. This is not
something that one wakes up one morning and decides to do; it
involves a lot of soul searching, and this is emotionally
draining. The fact that one has to think about it over and over
makes it a complex decision to make. Even to the professionals
who carry out this process, we know that it is complex. Most of
them are severely affected by it and have to go constantly for
therapy to recover. This makes it a complex issue and one that
shouldn’t be taken lightly. This clearly brings out the fact that
this issue should be well handled, and one’s life should be
respected. Life isn’t something to be taken for granted and
lightly and thus no one should be given the right to take it away
from another person for whatever reason.
It is clear from the above discussion that euthanasia has so
many implications. It is not something that has been introduced
now and from the history, we get that the arguments for and
against it have been there since time immemorial. The fact that
it is a social problem, ethical problem and is very complex
brings out the fact that it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The
implications that it leaves behind are things that are to be
dreaded, and that may change the society’s perspective on life
negatively and thus under no circumstances should it be
considered.
REFERENCES

4. BBC (2014). Anti-euthanasia arguments. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/against/against_1.shtml
on August 1, 2016
ProCon (2016). Euthanasia & Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)
around the World. Retrieved from
http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000
136 on August 1, 2016
Somerville M. (2009). Would euthanasia damage doctors?
Retrieved from
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/would_euthanasia_da
mage_doctors/6093 on August 1, 2016
ENG 215 – Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 1
Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 1
Reviewer’s Name: _
Date: __
Writer’s Assigned #: _
Course:____
Section:__
Assignment 3: Persuasive Paper Part 1: A Problem Exists
Peer reviews should provide feedback to a peer on the criteria
expected in the paper. Follow these instructions:
1) Receive a classmate’s paper from your professor (in class if
on-ground; by e-mail if online).
2) Copy the Peer Review Feedback Form from the Appendix.
3) Comment on all criteria, noting strengths and / or areas for
improvement on the feedback form.
4) Provide completed Peer Review Feedback Form and

5. classmate’s paper to your professor.
Note: On-ground students should submit the feedback form and
paper to the professor during the class meeting in which the
paper is reviewed; online students should submit the feedback
form and paper to the professor via the Assignment Tab in the
course shell.
Criteria
+ Strengths
Comments < Areas for Improvement
1. Provide an appropriate title and an interesting opening
paragraph to appeal to your stated audience (appeal with logic,
ethics, or emotion).
2. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first
paragraph. (With revised thesis statement.)
3. Describe the history and status of the issue and provide an
overview of the problem(s) that need to be addressed. This
should be one or two (1-2) paragraphs.
4. Explain the first problem (economic, social, political,
environmental, complexity, inequity, ethical/moral, etc.) and
provide support for your claims. This should be one or two (1-
2) paragraphs.
5. Explain the second problem (economic, social, political,
environmental, complexity, inequity, ethical/moral, etc.) and
provide support for your claims. This should be one or two (1-
2) paragraphs.

6. 6. Explain the third problem (economic, social, political,
environmental, complexity, inequity, ethical/moral, etc.) and
provide support for your claims. This should be one or two (1-
2) paragraphs.
7. Use effective transitional words, phrases, and sentences
throughout the paper.
8. Provide a concluding paragraph that summarizes the stated
problems and promises a solution.
9. Develop a coherently structured paper with an introduction,
body, and conclusion
10. Support claims with at least three (3) quality, relevant
references. Use credible, academic sources available through
Strayer University’s Resource Center.
11. Other