references

Debate.org, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.debate.org/euthanasia/ 22 September  2012.

P.K Stowers, Debate: Should we change the law to allow voluntary euthanasia?, 14 September 2012, New Zealand Herald, Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10833785  22 September  2012.

I. Davison,  Maggie Barry: Euthanasia not the answer, 16 August 2012, New Zealand Herald

Retrieved from  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10827268  22 September  2012.

C.G. Anstiss,  Dying without Dignity, 1 August 2012, New Zealand Herald

Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10662803 22 September  2012.

J. Savage, Man admits helping wife to die, 4 May 2012, New Zealand Herald

Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10803493 22 September  2012.

D. Coddington, Is euthanasia for the living or the dying?, 5 June 2012, New Zealand Herald

Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810704

22 September  2012.

Euthanasia, 13 September 2009, Hub page,

Retrieved from http://xxwalkmanxx.hubpages.com/hub/euthanasia-debate 22 September  2012.

Morphine kills pain not patient, 13 March 2007, CareNotKilling,

Retrieved from http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/articles/morphine-kills-pain-not-patients 22 September  2012/

Concluding with my point of view

In conclusion, I advocate voluntary euthanasia for many reasons and believe many of us would do if we just put ourselves in the patients’ shoes.  I understand why the patients and their family and friends want voluntary euthanasia. I believe once the ‘End of Life Choices’ bill passes, it would please many people even if they are not involved in these situations. Many argue it is human right to end our own suffering and voluntary euthanasia should be legal and I support this argument. I believe voluntary euthanasia should be legal but practised by specialists under some circumstance and in my opinion legalising voluntary euthanasia should not affect the opposers. As there are two different point of views to this issue, legalising voluntary euthanasia and also providing palliative care would satisfy both sides and which choice they make all depend on themselves. I also believe it is human right to end one’s own suffering and prolonging foreseen future is not the answer.

On one voluntary euthanasia debating website, 65% supports voluntary euthanasia and 35% are against this idea. Like this statistics, it shows euthanasia is greatly wanted and needed. Some people bring up the idea that idea of prematurely ending one’s life is immoral and against God’s words. They argue that it is just the way nature flows and human should not disturb it. There are two incidents of suicide in the bible. There is no comment made suicide is bad or good and does not state clearly if this action is against God’s words. Many religious people argue that it is sin to take one’s life or one’s own life without God’s permission, I think that whatever choice we want to make should not be focused on beliefs.

Legal VS Illegal

Many people have been convicted of helping their suffering family member to die. All of them said they could not bear watch their loved-ones in so much agony and it was the patients wish to make them comfortable and die with dignity. How many of us would be strong if someone who we really love begs saying it is their one last dying wish?

Labour MP Maryan Street is organising a bill ‘End of Life Choices’. This bill is to legalise voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand for the suffering community. 

On the other hand, National MP Maggie Barry is says euthanasia should not be considered as an alternative and her All Parliamentary Group on Palliative Care can work hard to provide a world-class palliative care for the patients who are suffering to die comfortably and with dignity. The reason why Maggie Barry contradicts so strongly is because her father who was diagnosed with cancer had been treated very well and she believes he passed away with dignity. She believes her father was comfortable in palliative care. Palliative care is free and is offered in 35 hospices, palliative care homes and in hospitals in New Zealand. 

Why Voluntary Euthanasia is needed

The reasons why so many patients with terminal illness want euthanasia to be legalised are obvious. Main reasons are, the endless unendurable pain, upsetting low quality of life, prognosis from specialists that there will be no improvement, burdening their family financially, physically and mentally. Patients who want voluntary euthanasia generally wish to end their life at home all prepared, next to their family and friends. By this way both the ones who are leaving and the ones who are left behind can stay strong as they were ready unlike the sudden passing away without any goodbyes.

It is hard to watch someone we love go through agony. This is the reason friends and family members of patient with terminal illness also support voluntary euthanasia. Many believe slow euthanasia is not enough and it is painful to watch them physically and mentally deteriorate. For example, the patients with chronic or life-threatening illness have to be given pain killer such as morphine regularly to help patients with pain but not enough is given as the right amount of morphine could end a patient’s life easily. If voluntary euthanasia is legalised in New Zealand, a high percentage of families and friends of patients would support this new law.

Introduction to Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a practice of painlessly ending a life prematurely of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful illness or in an irreversible coma. There are many controversies over euthanasia whether it should be legal or illegal. In New Zealand voluntary euthanasia is illegal and only slow euthanasia (treating dying patient’s pain using an opiate) is practised by doctors on one condition that it is not their intention to kill. The question is, is it really moral prolonging a person’s agony and make them die without dignity against their will.

I believe if future result is clear and the patient has to undergo a long and painful time, it would be more humane to help the pain as soon as possible.

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Link1. Dying without dignity

Dying with dignity is everyone’s wish including the patients who suffer from illness that has prognosis from specialists that there will be no improvent and low quality of life. Malcolm Stayner thinks his mother; Olive Stayner would have appreciated the choice of voluntary euthanasia if it had been available. Olive Stayner suffered from terminal kidney disease in 2005. She endured a long and painful death. Malcolm Stayner said his mother was not afraid of death and wished she could end her life at home. However as voluntary euthanasia was not provided in New Zealand and she went through agony of pain and mental deterioration. Stayner argues “prolonging a person’s suffering when they are terminally ill is inhumane.” Stayner is not the only one who had to watch as their loved-one suffer and die without dignity. The question is left unanswered if prolonging suffering and dying without dignity against the patient’s will is more immoral than voluntary euthanasia.


Link3. Maggie Barry: Euthanasia not the answer

National MP Maggie Barry says no to voluntary euthanasia as the standard of healthcare for New Zealanders with terminal and chronic illnesses is very high. She says world- class palliative care can provide comfortable care until the patient’s time and many advocates of euthanasia are unaware of this.

Link4. Is euthanasia for the living or the dying?

As the debate goes on if New Zealand should allow voluntary euthanasia and so, who is going to administer all the lethal injections? NZ Medical Associating oppose to this idea though supports “the concept of death with dignity and access to appropriate palliative care. Maryan Street has a bill ready for the ballot to allow New Zealanders to allow voluntary euthanasia and protect prosecutions of family members and health professionals for helping sufferers from pain. Palliative care may help with dying with dignity but it does not help with the pain the patient has to go through. Deborah Coddington argued in her story that it is her who would carry the burden of guilt for prematurely ending the life of her loved-one like a dog.

Link5. Man admits helping his wife to die

There are many cases where a family member or friends assist with suicide. A man was convicted and faces sentencing at the High Court at Auckland for helping his chronically-ill wife to die. Evan Mott researched and assembled a kit for his wife Rosemary Mott to kill herself. She suffered from aggressive form of Multiple sclerosis for many years and there is no cure for this illness.

Link15.Debate: Should we change the law to allow voluntary euthanasia?

One of the hot issues that government is having debate on is if New Zealand should allow voluntary euthanasia. Labour MP Maryan Street proposed a law change to permit voluntary Euthanasia under some circumstances. Slow euthanasia is provided by doctors however Maryan Street suggests more should be done and it is what the community wants and desire. At the moment when doctors withhold or withdraw treatment, court decisions imply if the treatment is sustaining life. Three facts are reviewed by the court. If qualified specialists are certain for there to be no improvement, and if the patient will suffer from very poor quality of life and lastly if the decision is what that patient would have wanted. However this debate on voluntary euthanasia goes on to provide more active assistance than just withdrawing or withholding the treatment.