Bio Ethics Phi 324

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"A few years ago, Larry McAfee, a young man in Georgia who is a quadriplegic and permanently dependent on a ventilator, wished to remove the ventilator because in his judgment it resulted in more burden than benefit. Because death would result indirectly as a result of removing the ventilator, he and his family were forced to go to court to gain legal approval for the proposed removal. In reporting the decision of Judge Edward Johnson, one newspaper headline stated, 'Judge Gives Quadriplegic Permission to Commit Suicide'; another stated, 'Judge Rules Quad Free to End His Own Life.'

The reporting of this case reminds us of the importance of making accurate distinctions when making an ethical analysis. Indeed, much of the disagreement and misunderstanding with regard to ethical decisions often seems to stem from a lack of clear distinctions" (O'Rourke, Health Care Ethics, 13).