Recent orders
Euthanasia also known referred to as compassionate killing
Euthanasia also known referred to as compassionate killing
Euthanasia, also known referred to as compassionate killing, is an issue that has generated plenty of debate in both medical and academic circles. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the matter, even when none of those taking part in the argument have experienced the euthanasia. While some believe that the euthanasia is a good medical practice, others hold the notion that it is not justifiable and should, therefore, be done away with (Barbra 73). In my perception, euthanasia is not justifiable, and for that reason is a problem to society. Not only is it wrong to kill a human being, taking the life of a helpless human being is an act that is beyond the definition of murder. To get more insight on the issue, I conducted two interviews, one with a doctor and the other with a philosophy professor to obtain clarification on the matter.
Accordingly, this paper presents two dialogues illustrating my complaint, which is the practice of euthanasia, its background, and the reason for this complaint. The dialogue also touches on some of the counter arguments for my complaint, as well as, the solution for the problem of euthanasia.
Dialogue with Doctor
Interviewer: In your definition of the act, What is euthanasia?
Doctor: Euthanasia is the process of inflicting death for mercy purposes (Barbra 74)
Interviewer: Please expound on that
Doctor: It is whereby medical practitioners, as well as, other qualified professionals inflict
death as a solution for patients who are suffering from terminal illnesses
Interviewer: For how long has euthanasia been practiced in the field?
Doctor: Theoretically, euthanasia has been conducted for many years dating back to the 16th century. However, practically, euthanasia was first practiced legally in early 18th century to date
Interviewer: Are you aware of the controversy surrounding the subject of euthanasia? Or rather are you aware of the problem of euthanasia?
Doctor: Yes I am. Euthanasia is a problem because it is believed to be wrongful killing of human life. Most people believe that it is equitable to murder and is not justifiable
Interviewer: I believe so too. I believe that euthanasia is murder and it should not be practiced at all costs. In fact, it should be made illegal
Doctor: I disagree with you on that. making it illegal would mean watching patients suffer to their last breadth. Euthanasia is painless and it relieves pain that would otherwise not be manageable
Interviewer: How is euthanasia conducted? And is there a special technique that has been
accepted by all medical practitioners for conducting euthanasia?
Doctor : As a matter of fact, yes there is. The only technique of euthanasia that has been
accepted for practice is the injection of an overdose of painkillers to patients (Brassington 415). However, other medical practitioners would prefer lethal injection
Interviewer: What is the difference between lethal injection and an overdose injection
Doctor: Lethal injections involve the use of lethal substances such as poison, whereas an
overdose injection is solely dependent on the use of prescription drugs
Interviewer: In your own personal opinion, do you think that the practice of euthanasia is
justified?
Doctor: Yes I do
Interviewer: Why so?
Doctor: Because of the nature of the practice and the need for it
Interviewer: Explain please
Doctor: Well, Euthanasia is only performed on patients who have been diagnosed with
terminal diseases (Parker 30). These are diseases that do not have a cure, meaning that the end result for the patient is death
Interviewer: Meaning that it is justifiable because the patient will die in the end?
Doctor: No. Meaning that it reduces the pain experienced from an incurable disease. It is a
painless procedure, whose main aim is to reduce pain and suffering for the patient
Interviewer: Who decides whether the patient should be subjected to Euthanasia?
Doctor: The patient, his family, as well as, the patients doctor. All three people play a role
in deciding this
Interviewer: Would a doctor carry out euthanasia without the consent of the patient?
Doctor: No. conducting euthanasia without the patients consent is a criminal activity that
is surmountable to murder (Lillehammer 550)
Interviewer: So in your own point of view euthanasia is legal and should be an accepted
practice in the medical field
Doctor: Yes it should, as it helps reduce suffering for terminally ill patients. Illegalizing
euthanasia will not only be unjustified, it will also be unfair for these patients.
Interviewer: Thank you Doctor for your assistance
Doctor: You are welcome
Dialogue with University Philosophy Professor
Student: I think euthanasia is immoral and should not be an accepted practice. Do you
agree with me?
Professor: No. Euthanasia is both legally and ethically justified meaning that it is a moral act
Student: What is your understanding of moral actions? Because in my perception anything
that takes away human life, is immoral. We all desire to live, and live long for that matter, so taking another human being’s life is immoral (Barbra 76)
Professor: In my opinion, moral actions are actions that bring the most pleasure to
individuals and if the infliction of death will bring pleasure to terminally ill patients, then euthanasia should be a legalized medical practice
Student: I do agree with your ideologies concerning moral actions, but I do not agree that
the infliction of death is the most acceptable course of action for these patients. Human rights demands that each individual have the right to life, and taking away this life goes against these rights
Professor: Human rights also supports reducing suffering of any kind for human beings. As a
matter of fact, human rights is all about condensing and abolishing human suffering. Euthanasia provides this solution
Student: The ethical values associated with euthanasia make this issue problematic and
immoral. Consider the case where there is a misdiagnosis, or maybe there is a chance of survival (Parker 29). Who are we to decide whether or not an individual will live or die
Professor: We shall all die eventually, death is inevitable. Furthermore, Euthanasia cannot be
conducted without the consent of the patient or his family. Therefore, the choice is the patient’s. he chooses whether to live or die. He has a right over his own life. And to deny him this right goes against the demands of human rights
Student: When deciding whether to undergo euthanasia, patient’s are physically and
emotionally unstable and the decisions made at this time may be irrational and based on the need to reduce the pain experienced. Allowing euthanasia to be practiced in our hospitals will only lead to a state known as the “Slippery Slope” where doctors will take advantage of its legalization, and decide to play God (Lillehammer 547). There is a possibility that medical practitioners will also choose to be indolent in their duties and responsibilities and instead of treating these patients, they will opt to perform euthanasia.
Professor: I agree with that and believe that euthanasia should be conducted in a cautious
manner and should be carried out after a severe scrutiny of the patients situation. This is the only way that euthanasia can be effectively and efficiently carried out, without going against its moral demands.
Student: The only viable solution to this problem is illegalizing euthanasia. By doing this,
the possibility of patients dying as a result of misdiagnosis will be reduced. Doctors and other supporters of the act should accept that death is inevitable and for that reason, should allow nature to take its course
Work Cited
Barbara MacKinnon. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Publishing Company, 2008. Print.
Brassington, Iain. Five Words for Assisted Dying. Law and Philosophy 27.5 (2008): 415-444.
Print.
Lillehammer, Hallvard. Voluntary Euthanasia and the Logical Slippery Slope Argument. The
Cambridge Law Journal 61.3 (2002): 545-550. Print.
Parker, Malcolm. Moral Intuition, Good Deaths and Ordinary Medical Practitioners. Journal of
Medical Ethics 16.1(1990): 28-34. Print.
“Writing Dialogue”. 6 November 2007. Web. 19 October 2011. << http://creative-writing-
course.thecraftywriter.com/writing-dialogue/all-comments/#comments>>
After militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution,
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ARTH 334 6210
June 19, 2014
Argo
After militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez played by Ben Affleck is sent in to rescue a group of American diplomats that have sought refuge at the home of the Canadian ambassador. In order to create tension throughout the film Ben Affleck who also directs the movie puts together the film meticulously. Inserting real news footage from the time period as seen throughout the film on 1970 style televisions, this adds a sense of danger to every stage of the CIA exfiltration operation. In the early part of the film the audience see hordes of angry Iranian revolutionaries, men hanging from cranes and women with automatic rifles. Moving forward the same horde of revolutionaries is seen storming the American embassy creating a nail-biting experience throughout the entire film.
The cast is crafted smartly to add more tension to film. As seen by the character Sahar played by actress Shiela Vand, she is a housekeeper at the Canadian embassy. She herself is Iranian and there is no escape for her. Placed in a difficult situation she is caught between telling the Iranian soldiers that the diplomats are being held at the Canadian compound or assist in hiding them and risking her own life.
Throughout the film one will noticed that the lighting was pretty consistent across different shooting locations. This element was very creative due to the fact that the production was shot in Turkey and some in southern California. It helps add to the realism of the film especially in scenes such as the open-air market in downtown Tehran as the Americans posing as a film crew walk-about with the locals. As of the note the low light setting contributes to the graininess of film adding more realism and dramatic effect throughout the film.
Editing within the film was done well as noted in the airplane scenes of the landing and takeoff at the Tehran International Airport. As the plane is landing the white cap mountains surrounding the city of Tehran are captured given the location a cold and unwelcoming feel.
Additionally the wide angel shot taken in the Istanbul mosque creates the feel of a Mediterranean atmosphere.
Audio realism was critical in the film Argo as it definitely added to the tension and pressure that the characters were under from the start of the film to the end. In particular within the scenes in Tehran there always seem to be a very aggressive-style mix of music or sound with rawness and edginess. This allowed for the audience and the characters to never forget that they were in a foreign country in hiding. Ben Affleck made good use of the offstage sounds such as gunshots due to the revolution going on at the time and the calls-to-prayer in Farsi.
Argo. Dir. Ben Affleck. Perf. Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Chris Messina. Warner Bros, 2012. Film.
After his election, Kennedy was a young and charming president who brought new hope to Americans
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United States History
Topic 1
After his election, Kennedy was a young and charming president who brought new hope to Americans. In his speech he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” (Berkin, Miller, & Cherry 850). Kennedy gave hope to Americans promising to bring racism to an end, bring peace to the world and defeat poverty by launching a New Frontier Program.
Kennedy unlike other presidents who came before him had better luck in turning the economy of the United States around. Kennedy wanted to save Americans from the bad policies made by his predecessors that made the country to suffer the great depression. As discussed by Berkin et al, he aimed to create a society where poverty would be eliminated (850). Kennedy worked closely with economic advisors in planning and shaping the national economy through federal spending and tax policies.
President Kennedy gave consent on the urban renewal bill. This facilitated the revitalization of run-down areas of the cities to give them a new look. The federal government was charged with the responsibility of providing funds for the construction of modern housing, public facilities and office buildings.
Monetary as well as fiscal policies including cuts in taxes were used in the stimulation of the economy. Kennedy managed to push for reduction of taxes in the Congress during the first year, but failed to do so the following year. Government spending was used in order to stimulate the economy (Berkin et al 850).
Topic 2
From 1962-1965, Cesar Chavez and a group of other organizers traveled the valleys of California talking to people and urging them to join their organization which later came to be known as the National Farm workers Association (NFWA). They termed their organization as a labor union due to the bad memories people had about failed strikes and unfulfilled promises (Berkin et al 865).
On September 8, 1965, following the leadership of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the organization went on strike. They wanted people to view the strike as a battle for human rights and dignity. They made this their cause and tried reaching out to church members as well as student activists for support. Chavez urged the members of the labor union to employ non-violent tactics as a way to uphold their morals. This organization attracted the interest of the public due their non-violent tactics.
Most of the members focused on grape boycott. Since most of the union members were workers in the grape farms, they persuaded others not to buy grapes so that they could pressure Delano growers to meet their demands. With the signing of an agreement with the growers, the labor union felt that they had won part of the battle (Berkin et al 865). This brought to an end the era of an abusive system where farmers were protected from harsh chemicals use in Agriculture. In addition, wages for the farmers were increased as well as building of toilets and provision of a medical cover.
Cesar Chavez died in 1993 which din not only mark the end to his era, but the beginning of another. Arturo Rodriguez his successor took over the union taking it back to where it started so as to advocate for the rights of farmers working in mushroom and strawberry farms. The union lived on even after the death of its founders employing the same non-violent tactics (Berkin et al 866).
Work Cited
Berkin, Carol., Miller, Christopher., & Cherry, Robert. Making American: A History
of the United States since 1865, Volume II. Florence: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.