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Euthanasia or Assisted Death

Student’s Name

Institution

Introduction

Life has its different stages. In each and every stage, a human being needs someone to help him or her out of situations and problems. Many people have shown interest in the topic, and each and every person gives different views. The most interesting part is that each and every person has justification for his or her position which leaves one confused which side to support and which not to.

My position on the topic I chose

I believe that each and every person has a purpose in this world. The existence of every human being is not an accident. There are different roles that people play when they are alive, and their deaths play a role in shaping and influencing the lives of those who have been left alive. It is the belief of each and every person, despite their culture, that life is a gift from the Supreme Being. The giver of the life should always be the taker (ProCon. Org, 2016). No one has the right to take anyone’s life no matter the circumstances. No one decided to exist, and nature made it possible. Planning to take one’s life is against nature. People have different beliefs, and my belief is that everyone plays a part in shaping this world, whether healthy or sick. Miracles can happen, and they can happen at the last minute. To ensure that such miracles are of benefit to any patient, it is logical to let that person live to the very last moment of his or her life.

Three premises from Procon.org website that support my position and why I selected them

i) Suicide is not permitted

As much as people advocate for Euthanasia, it is a form of suicide. In 1997, the Supreme Court made a ruling concerning suicide. No one is allowed to take his or her life. Taking one’s life is illegal and punishable. Each and every person should live to his or her last day.

ii) Legalized murder

Euthanasia is the same as committing murder the only difference is that it is done differently and nonviolently. Logically murder is inhuman as well as illegal. The fact that people commit murder in the name of saving others does not make any sense or add up. There have been questions about why euthanasia is selective. If it were genuinely a way of saving lives, then it would be a strategy that applied to all patients.

iii) Government involvement in end life decisions

The government does not give life and therefore it should not be involved in end life decisions. The constitution has provided each and every person with the right to life and, therefore, the government championing for the taking of life is as well as going against its rules (ProCon. Org (2016).

Three premises opposing my position from Procon.org website

i) Patient suffering at end life

The European Declaration of Human Rights states that patient should have rights not to suffer. There are terminal illnesses that do not have a cure. The best way to help patients with such diseases is by taking away their lives.

ii) Palliative care

Assisting death is perceived as inhuman by many but it is not. A physician should be able to go beyond limitations to make life easy for his patients. By helping a person who is going through pain to take his or her life is not murdering him or her but rather relieving him or her heavy burdens that he would not have relieved himself.

iii) Freedom of choice under circumstances

Each and every person has been given the right to choice (Nordqvist, 2016). People choose to take foods and other supplements that have deadly effects in life, which is not perceived as suicidal. Therefore, people should be given the right to decide about their lives when the situation puts them in that position.

Two types of biases that I experienced as I evaluated the premises

i) Projection bias

As I evaluated the premises, both pros, and cons, I was carried away by different positions. At times I found myself agreeing with my position whereas at times I found myself agreeing with the points against my position.

ii) Status quo bias

Changing my initial position became difficult at last. Even after going through different points that supported and opposed my position, I stuck to my earlier position.

The effects of my enculturation or group identification that may have influenced my biases

My biases were affected by my culture and group identification in some ways. In my culture, we believe that the right to take any life belongs to the creator (Nordqvist, 2016). We believe so much in miracles. Despite the pain that a patient might be going through, we believe that he or she has been put in that condition because of reasons that we might not understand and therefore no one has the right to take his or her life. Status quo bias was influenced by my culture and beliefs. Projection bias was influenced by group identification. The people that I relate with and I believe that it is good to listen to others take their stand and view issues from their perspective. However, that does not mean that you agree with them totally. If what they believe in is contrary to your beliefs then you have the right to take a view of issues from your perspective.

Whether my thinking about the topic has changed after playing the believing game even if my position on the issue has stayed the same

My thinking about the issue has not changed even after playing the believing game. I still hold on firmly to my initial position. The only change that has taken place is that now I know much about what people say about the topic.

Conclusion

The topic on Euthanasia has remained to be a puzzle that many have not been successful in solving. Many people have given different opinions and views around the globe, but their views have not been robust enough to change the general perception. With everyone believing that they are right it has become harder to know who is right and who is wrong. However, the discussion has always been viewed from the wrong perspective. Many people who contribute to the topic are healthy people whereas the problem affects the sick.

References

Nordqvist C. (2016). Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182951.php on October 14, 2016

ProCon. Org (2016). Top 10 Pros and Cons. Retrieved from

http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000126 on October 14, 2016