Luke+H's+Letter

Mr. Wesley Smith, There comes a time in life when as a person, you realize that not all questions have a definitive answer. A time when you realize why your parents eventually answered, “Because I say so.” But with issues such as euthanasia answers such as “because I say so” will not work. Euthanasia is a topic that draws upon all the experiences in your life just to form an opinion. Before taking this bioethics class, I had no idea what my thoughts on euthanasia were because I had no knowledge or background on the matter in question. After reading essays and blogs from doctors, handicapped and bioethics professionals such as yourself, I have been able to fully understand both sides of the argument and establish a stance on euthanasia. Forming an opinion was not easy. Even after reading blogs and essays and watching video clips, I was still torn. To form that opinion, I drew upon my religious views, personal experience, and moral standpoint.

Euthanasia, one of the most controversial subjects of modern times. Should a human being with a terminal illness be given the choice to end his or her own life? Or should euthanasia be kept illegal? Should a doctor be able to administer life ending drugs to patients that wish to end there lives? Campaigners for the right to commit suicide state that everyone has the right to be master of their own destiny. Doctors of Dignitas would agree that life should be determined by its withholder. Chris Hill, Pieter Admiraal, and Dr. Kevorkian also support active euthanasia while Alison Davis, and Jerome Hamer claim that the value of life is of the upmost importance and passing any laws allowing terminally ill to commit suicide would lower the value of life for the terminally ill.

I believe that euthanasia is wrong. If you wish to kill yourself go ahead, but don't make someone else do it for you. Anyone who asks a loved one to kill them is a selfish coward. The amount of torment and damage that would be inflicted upon the person being asked would haunt them for the rest of their life. How could anyone ask someone to endure such pain for their sake? I think that if euthanasia was legalized in this country our culture would eventually turn in to a culture of death.

When I was first told of Dr. Kevorkian, I thought of a deranged insane man. Someone who had no value of human life. Dr. Kevorkian helps terminally ill individuals take their own lives. When given a chance to defend himself, Kevorkian gives a good argument. “My intent was to carry out my duty as a doctor, to end the suffering. Unfortunately, that entailed, in their cases, ending of the life.”-Kevorkian. Dr. Kevorkian believes that it is his duty as a doctor to help his terminally ill patients end their suffering, which in some cases means euthanasia. “My aim in helping the patient was not to cause death. My aim was to end suffering.”-Kevorkian. Kevorkian also points out that the ninth amendment states that we have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies. “If we are free people at all, then we must be free to choose the manner of our death.”-Kevorkian. Although I acknowledge Dr. Kevorkian’s sympathy towards those wishing to end their lives, I realize that I don’t want to live in a place where you can hop into any old van to get yourself killed. Although a Dutch Doctor by the name of Dr. Pieter Admiraal would applaud Dr. Kevorkian’s stand on euthanasia. “And I practice it unashamedly(euthanasia) because I regard it as sometimes morally right.”-Admiraal. Both Amdiraal and Kevorkian agree that most doctors are to worried about their wallets to help end their patient’s suffering. “To fail to practice voluntary euthanasia under some circumstances is to fail the patient.”-Admiraal. As doctors, Kevorkian and Admiraal claim that it is their duty to help their terminally ill patients end their suffering.

Chris Hill was paralyzed from the chest down after a hang gliding accident. After suffering several years with his condition, Chris committed suicide.Chris writes about why he is going to commit suicide and how fulfilling a life he has had and how he was completely ready to die. “All my pleasures had been stripped from me and replaced with a hellish nightmare.”-Hill. Chris Hill was a man who was ready to die. He had lived a happy life and appreciated everything he was given. “I had a full, rewarding and successful life by any measure, and in my last two weeks I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d always wanted to do but hadn’t yet done.” Although a man of God would say, you must live life the way God has made it for you. God also granted man with the right to choose. Chris Hill did not try to drag anyone into killing him, he wrote a wonderful letter justifying his position and made a choice. Luckily for Chris, he still had use of his two hands which allowed him to kill himself. “Every time I had to ask someone to do something for me, every time I was dragged up a damn step, was like thrusting a hot blade into the place my pride used to be.” Chris states, “People kill animals to put them out of there misery if they’re suffering even a tiny part of what I had to put up with, but I was never given the choice of a dignified death and I was very bitter about that.” I do not agree with Chris on this matter because we as human beings are more than any animal, we deserve a different kind of respect for ourselves and others. I salute Chris for having such courage and such responsibility to do what he did. This doesn't mean I think what he did was right, it means that Chris made a decision and followed through with it without involving others, and without trying to hurt the ones he loved. “I had one enormous regret, of course. I didn’t want to hurt anyone the way I know I have, I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I didn’t want to make those I love suffer, and the knowledge that I would bring awful grief to those I least wanted to hurt in the world compounded my own misery unbelievably.”

Alison Davis takes on another perspective to Euthanasia. Alison was born with myelomeningocele spina bifida, and is confined to a wheelchair. Alison is eternally grateful that she was given a chance to live. “...because I was fortunately born rather more tolerant times, I was given the chance to defy the odds and live.” How could someone who has such a high value of life be told that death is the better way? “...my parents were encouraged to leave me in the hospital and ‘go home and have another’ and I owe my life to the fact that they refused to accept the advice of experts.” Alison Davis has chosen the most healthy way of life, appreciate what you have. Alison hasn’t asked anyone for the easy way out of life, she hasn’t tried to press her parents into flying her to Dignitas. She thanks her parents for the kindness and love they have showed her.

Jerome Hamer, the Archbishop of Lorium interprets the Catholic point of view on euthanasia. “Everyone has the duty to lead his or her life in accordance to God’s plan.” I agree with the Archbishop, to throw away your own life is to slap God in the face. I also believe though, that man has been given the right to make his own decisions by God. We should try our best to help these people and communicate God’s message to them, but we cannot intervene with their choice. That is between God and the person. “Intentionally causing one’s own death, or suicide, is therefore equally as wrong as murder.” Suicide is murder, but it is not for us to judge, that is God’s job and if taking your life into your own hands is Gods job, then in either cause intervention is present. “For it is a question of the violation of the divine law an offence against the dignity of the human person, a crime against life, and an attack on humanity.”

Although I disagree with euthanasia, I understand that when life is taken by the beholder, it is a decision that is between them and God, we as bystanders have no say in the matter. It is when the suicidal ask others to take their life that I disagree, for they are putting the wrong on someone besides themselves and being completely selfish. We cannot as a country allow active euthanasia because it will not only decrease the value of life, but glorify death. Thank you for your time Mr. Smith.