Euthanasia

1. Euthanasia The Giver

2. What is Euthanasia? • Self-assisted suicide • The term euthanasia...originally meant only 'good death,' but in modern society it has come to mean a death free of any anxiety and pain, often brought about through the use of medication. Most recently, it has come to mean 'mercy killing' -- deliberately putting an end to someone's life in order to spare the individual's suffering.

3. Pro Euthanasia • Proponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) contend that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering with a quick, dignified, and compassionate death. They argue that the right to die is protected by the same constitutional safeguards that guarantee such rights as marriage, procreation, and the refusal or termination of life-saving medical treatment.

4. Con Euthanasia • Opponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide contend that doctors have a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive as reflected by the Hippocratic Oath. They argue there may be a "slippery slope" from euthanasia to murder, and that legalizing euthanasia will unfairly target the poor and disabled and create incentives for insurance companies to terminate lives in order to save money.

5. Legally… • The law is not clear, but morally is a decision among doctors, families and the patient • Living Wills • Palliative Care • DNR

6. Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is legal in some countries and in some U.S. states. Non-voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all countries. Involuntary euthanasia is usually considered murder.

7. Topics • Religious concerns • Dr. Jack Kevorkian • Terry Schiavo • Ill fetuses and newborns

8. The Giver and Euthanasia • Release of the smaller twin • Baby injected with needle in the forehead • Father kills the baby • Father packs up the baby and sends it down the chute • Rosemary chose to inject herself…WHY??? • NO EMOTIONS!