Text 4 Euthanasia
The word euthanasia is of Greek origin and literally means “a good death.” The
American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “the act of killing a person painlessly
for reasons of mercy.” Such killing can be done through active means, such as
administering a lethal injection, or by passive means, such as withholding
medical care or food and water.
In recent years in the United States, there have been numerous cases of active
euthanasia in the news. They usually involve the deliberate killing of ill or
incapacitated persons by relatives or friends who plead that they can no longer
bear to see their loved ones suffer. Although such killings are a crime, the
perpetrators are often dealt with leniently by our legal system, and the media
usually portrays them as compassionate heroes who take personal risks to save
another from unbearable suffering. The seeming acceptance of active forms of
euthanasia is alarming, but we face a bigger, more insidious threat from passive
forms of euthanasia. Every year, in hospitals and nursing homes around the
country, there are growing numbers of documented deaths caused by caregivers
withholding lifesustaining care, including food and water, from vulnerable
patients who cannot speak for themselves.
While it is illegal to kill someone directly, for example with a gun or knife, in
many cases the law has put its stamp of approval on causing death by omitting
needed care. Further, many states have “living will” laws designed to protect
those who withhold treatment, and there have been numerous court rulings
which have approved of patients being denied care and even starved and
dehydrated to death.
Because such deaths occur quietly within the confines of hospitals and nursing
homes, they can be kept hidden from the public. Most euthanasia victims are old
or very ill, so their deaths might be attributed to a cause other than the denial of
care that really killed them. Further, it is often relatives of the patient who
request that care be withheld. In one court case, the court held that decisions to
withhold lifesustaining care may be made not only by close family members but
also by a number of third parties, and that such decisions need not be reviewed
by the judicial system if there is no disagreement between decision makers and
medical staff. The court went so far as to rule that a nursing home may not
refuse to participate in the fatal withdrawal of food and water from an
incompetent patient!
No one has the right to judge that another’s life is not worth living. The basic
right to life should not be abridged because someone decides that someone
else’s quality of life is too low. If we base the right to life on quality of life
standards, there is no logical place to draw the line.
To protect vulnerable patients, we must foster more positive attitudes towards
people with serious and incapacitating illnesses and conditions. Despite the
ravages of their diseases, they are still our fellow human beings and deserve our
care and respect. We must also enact positive legislation that will protect
vulnerable people from those who consider their lives sustaining care such as
food and water.
Adapted fromhttps://www.englishforeveryone.org/PDFs/Level_12_Passage_1.pdf
Questions:
I. Decide if the statements below are true or false. Justify your answer with
words/phrases from the passage.
1. In this passage, the writer is concerned with presenting a historical
overview of the practice of euthanasia in the United States.
2. Use of lethal injection and withholding of medical care are the only two
ways in which euthanasia is practised.
3. The press praises people who decide to put an end to the life of their
relatives who may be fatally ill.
4. According to the writer, passive euthanasia is more threatening than
active euthanasia.
5. In the writer’s opinion, no matter how terminally ill a person is, s/he
should be taken care of.
II. Answer the questions below according to the passage. Write complete
sentences and use your own words as much as possible.
1. What is the passage mainly about ?
2. Why do many cases of euthanasia go unnoticed ?
3. Explain the point behind the statement in paragraph 4 that, ‘the court went
so far as to rule that a nursing home may not refuse to participate in the
fatal withdrawal of food and water from an incompetent patient!’
4. What is the main idea of paragraph 6 ?
5. In the writer’s viewpoint, what is the role of law makers regarding the
issue of euthanasia.
6. Write a short but well-developed paragraph in which you express your
position regarding euthanasia.
