14 years old: No reason for euthanasia

Dec 7, 2011 – Free Press – Prince George: Recently in Langley there has been a court case on whether or not we should allow euthanasia. For the benefit of society I believe that we should not change the current laws. Before I go on, I should make clear what euthanasia is and is not. It is the taking away the life of someone instantly, with medical assistance. It is not the withdrawal of futile, overzealous care, and it is not related to palliative care, which deals with the abating of pain in medical patients.

I do not find the arguments for euthanasia compelling. They say that people who are terminally ill should have the right to die. After all, if they are ill their life will be miserable. However, people who are depressed feel that their life is miserable as well; would we encourage them to commit suicide also?

If we do support euthanasia, it is likely that we would end up like the Netherlands. In the past five years the rate of euthanasia cases has been growing. In 2010 they had 3,136 cases. They also allow kids as young as 12 to have the option of euthanasia, with parental consent.

For these reasons and many others, I believe that we should not support euthanasia. I do not see how it improves society. Therefore, I believe that we should keep the laws as they are. On the positive side, I think that we should support palliative care. I believe that it would benefit society far more than euthanasia.

Calvin Carrico