Euthanasia: Compassion, not murder

This topic came to me as I was browsing the internet on "stumbleupon.com". I had read an article explaining the case in favor of euthanasia. I read this article with an open mind, mainly because I have never really formulated an opinion on the topic. As I read, the author provided a scenario in which an elderly woman was dying of cancer and in an extreme amount of pain. Doctors informed family members it was only a matter of time. The woman asked her supervising physician if he could "put her out of her misery". The doctor said by law he wasn't allowed to do so. The family urged him to reconsider, but said it was out of his hands.

I feel for this woman. She wanted to die. She wanted the pain to end. So is it really murder if they ask for it? I think not.

At this point, anyone reading this against euthanasia is probably on the verge of commenting and telling me what a disgusting human being I am. "How could you let someone kill themselves?" or "Who are you to play God?".

I'm not playing God. I'm being compassionate, just as God would have been. Tell me, what's the difference when someone prays for an end to their suffering and when someone asks a doctor to do so? The way I see it, there is none. The person praying wants to die just as much as the person asking their doctor.

Although I support legalizing euthanasia in this country, I do think it should have its limits, much like abortion. Some abortion procedures, particularly partial-birth, is illegal to perform. Legalizing euthanasia should have similiar restrictions, such as not allowing the right for suicide unless stricken with a terminal illness.

As human beings, we have an obligation to help people, whether it be menial things such as offering to rake your elderly neighbors leaves, or signifcant things like rescuing someone from a burning building. We shouldn't just let people kill themselves. If we can help them, we should.

But, it's different when someone has a terminal illness, and they wish to die quickly with as less pain as possible. They should have that right. Is it right to see someone suffering and keeping them alive to further deal with it? That's not compassionate. Helping their suffering end is compassionate.

All in all, euthanasia should be legalized for those individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and are experiencing massive amounts of pain. But it should be up to the person, and not the government. Government's job regarding this issue is to create the environment where individuals can choose to do so.