This paper will argue in favor of legalizing euthanasia in the United States. There are two basic types of euthanasia. The first, known as passive euthanasia, involves the withholding of medical treatment. With passive euthanasia, the terminally ill patient is simply allowed to die. The second type, known as active euthanasia, occurs when a doctor or other health care practitioner takes active steps toward terminating the patient's life. With active euthanasia, the doctor might give a lethal injection or use other means to kill the patient. In certain cases, passive euthanasia is legally accepted in the United States. However, at the present time, active euthanasia is never accepted.
The American Medical Association takes the point of view that passive euthanasia is sometimes acceptable. Specifically, the AMA considers the practice ethical if: "(1) the life of the body is being preserved by extraordinary means, (2) there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is imminent, and (3) the patient and/or the family consents" (Beauchamp and Childress, 1989, p. 86). By contrast, the official position of the AMA is strictly opposed to the idea of active euthanasia. Although there are cases in which a doctor may agree to withhold treatment, it is felt that "it is never permissible to take direct action to kill the patient" (Rachels, 1989, p. 78).
The legal profession in the United States takes a similar view to that which is expressed by the AMA. Thus, the Supreme Court has passed decisions which support the use of passive euthanasia in certain instances. In this regard, it has been determined that a competent person "has a constitutionally protected liberty interest in refusing unwanted medical treatment" (Lawton, 1990, p. 38). Many states have passed legislation permitting passive euthanasia in specific cases. These state laws "all establish the right of a competent adult to refuse extraordinary measures to sustai...