Should Euthanasia Be Legalized In The United States?

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Euthanasia is the act of one taking his or her own life, generally conducted in order to end suffering. Instead of facing inexorable decline and lying helplessly on a hospital bed until the final moments of death, the patient can decide on the timing and setting while taking control of his or her life and the end of it (McCord). “He or she may prepare friends and family for the end, make reasonable provisions for the welfare of others, complete worldly duties, and take leave of loved ones in a dignified, truly human manner.” (McCord). In other words, the patient is able to make his or her own decision about life. Therefore, Human euthanasia should be legalized in the United States in order to respect the patient’s freedom of choice regarding life. …show more content…
In thirty-two states, patients are banned from refusing life sustaining treatment (McCord). In fifty-one states, the patient cannot make the choice to withdraw artificial feeding from tubes (McCord). These laws equate to the banning of passive euthanasia, in which the patient is allowed to die without medical intervention as they choose to unplug life sustaining machines or refuse to receive ineffective treatment (Sullivan). Is it not a foundational American belief that all people are born with the natural rights to life, liberty, and property? Then, by the same token, the natural right to life should include the right to make one’s own decisions regarding life. Consequently, these bans against human euthanasia should be lifted in our country of

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