Euthanasia

Suffering in the eyes of those who are terminally ill can only be experienced by those who undergo the pain, not by the loved ones or the medical staff. Yet, the question of who has the right to determine how much suffering an individual should endure and for how long is still considered controversial in our society. Although euthanasia is the Greek term for "good death," it has never been viewed or practiced as such in Western society. The term euthanasia itself is very conflicted and holds two meanings according to Keown: "to end the suffering and prolonged treatment of a terminally ill patient" or "to euthanize a patient by using a lethal injection" (2002). Furthermore, euthanasia can be categorized in three ways. There is "voluntary euthanasia," where the patient requests out of their own free will the process of euthanasia in order to help end their suffering. Then there is "non-voluntary euthanasia," where the act of euthanasia is performed on patients who are not competentto make an informed decision. Finally, there is "involuntary euthanasia," where euthanasia is performed against the demands of a fully competent patient (Keown, 2002).