Differing Scholarly Views on the Euthanasia Situation

Differing Scholarly Views on the Euthanasia Situation People in Canada are diagnosed with terminal illness’ every day. They know when they are going to die and often suffer until then. Why can’t patients diagnosed with a terminal illness be given the option to be euthanized? It would allow such patients to die painlessly and peacefully instead of having to suffer. While currently illegal in all but five areas of the world, assisted suicide and euthanasia are quickly becoming a more prevalent topic globally with more and more countries looking at making the move to legalize the acts.It has been legalized nationally in countries such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium while also being legalized in the states of Oregon and Washington in the United States of America. The article from the New England Journal of Medicine, Redefining Physicians` Role in Assisted Dying by Lisa Lehmann, uses the state of Oregon as a basis for much of her research and probing into both si des of the argument behind euthanasia.Margaret Somerville, a world renown ethicist and academic known for some of her controversial views, also gives her own insight into the topic in the article Legalized Euthanasia Only a Breath Away, published by the Globe and Mail. Somerville bases much of her argument around personal opinions and strong beliefs. I will examine the merits and proposals brought forth by each author and compare them to each other. The contrast between these two papers is quite evident in ways of structure and delivery of information.In Somerville`s article, she establishes early on that, morally speaking, assisted death is a blatant disregard for the sanctity and respect for human life. She even goes as far as to call it â€Å"unconstitutional†. When describing the people who stand on either side of this argument of legalizing euthanasia, she says, â€Å"†¦it comes down to a direct conflict between the value of respect for human life, on the one hand, and individual rights to autonomy and self-determination – the value of `choice`- on the other. She establishes the two positions one has to choose from in the argument over this topic and leaves little room for change on either side. This entire argument being based solely on her opinion and giving no facts to back either of the positions makes it very biased in favour of keeping euthanasia illegal. In Somerville’s article, she shows the availability of the process in Oregon and how it is very helpful to those who seek it out. Somerville believes that no one should have control over whether another human lives or dies.That is why she believes euthanasia should be an available option to terminal patients. One of the driving points that Somerville delivers is that, â€Å"research shows that the most likely reasons people want assisted suicide/euthanasia are fear of being abandoned – dying alone and unloved. † Without any source cited for the research, it brings the validity of the argument into question. It seems more of a popular opinion twisted into a fact for the purpose of supporting an argument, especially after comparing Lehmann’s article is read.She quotes from the thirteenth annual report from Oregon`s Death with Dignity Act that, â€Å"Most (patients) say that they are motivated by a loss of autonomy and an inability to engage in activities that give their meaning† as the primary reason for considering euthanasia in Oregon. It also cites lack of ability to control pain being one of the least common reasons for euthanizing as well, due in regards to the leaps and bounds modern medicine has made in palliative care in contrast to the 60’s. Having an element of control over the time one dies and how it happens is something that is understandable for many terminal patients to desire.Knowing when they are supposed to die makes it very hard for terminal patients to fully enjoy any life experiences because they constantly remind themselves of how little time they have until their death. This statement brings doubt to the â€Å"research† that Somerville uses to fortify her stance against assisted death, especially with a lack of a credible source into said research. Within Lehman’s article, she states some main objections to euthanasia commonly used by critics. One is that having an option to end one’s life will reduce the quality of palliative care.But that is not the case in Oregon. Lehman’s research has shown that overall spending and patient ratings on palliative care have consistently risen in the thirteen year period that euthanasia has been legal. Another popular objection is that practitioners of euthanasia are working on a â€Å"slippery slope† and that the process for selecting euthanasia candidates will someday be expanded to accept patients with nonterminal illnesses or even non-voluntary euthanasia. But within Oregon, Lehman describes how a p atient must go a long process before actually being euthanized.A panel of medical professionals considers many different factors of the patient such as diagnosis, pain tolerance, depression, state of mind, and many others. This process takes at least 2-4 weeks. After taking all the factors into consideration, the patient will be given the panel’s decision on whether they are a candidate for euthanasia. Strict tangencies such as the review panel that are in place within Oregon will prevent any change to euthanasia laws. The guidelines are very â€Å"black and white† so there are no misinterpretations and the laws are set in stone.Lehman’s opinions are well thought out and well supported by the research into the process in Oregon, one of the few places on Earth with a legal euthanasia practice. Research into the selection process directly contradicts many popular objection made by critics against legalization of euthanasia. Opinions are very powerful tools that ca n greatly influence the outcome and views of others in open and controversial topics. Opinions should be based around factual information and solid research, not personal beliefs and motives. This is the clear case between Somerville’s and Lehmann’s articles.Both being very qualified and knowledgeable in different areas of study, Lehman simply uses her research and time resources fully and reaps the rewards of having a very strong opinion based around factual information based on the foundations of research. Lehman’s opinion will carry much more weight that Somerville’s which is based off unproven claims and research with no citations. When it comes to controversial topics such as euthanasia, it is important to collect as much information as possible before making an informed decision on whether to have it as an option to terminal patients or not.The decision made will impact people’s lives one way or another. It’s just a matter of which dec ision will have a greater benefit for the human population. Author. â€Å"Title of Article. † Name of Magazine. Name of Publisher, Day Mon. Year: Pages. Medium. Date you accessed it. Somerville, M. â€Å"Legalized Euthanasia Only A Breath Away. † Globe and Mail, 16 June. 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012 Lehmann, L. â€Å"Redefining Physician’s Role in Assisted Dying. † New England Journal of Medicine, 12 July. 2012: 97-99. 367. Retrieved October 14, 2012 Word Count: 1195

Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Supreme Court - Essay Example The American government is divided into various arms which perform different functions. SUPREME COURTThe supreme court carries out various functions which include, keeping check and balances on the US executive government. The American constitution empower the supreme court to check and correct the president’s actions. The US Supreme Court is considered to be the most elitist and least democratic institution of the US government This is because it is led by learned judges who are appointed and not elected into their lifetime positions. The supreme court is considered to be the least democratic because the judges are expected to keep checks and balances on the political government, however their actions are not respected thus the debate on their democracy (R. Dye, Zeigler and Schubert).FEDERALISMFederalism is a governership method that allows two or more governing bodies in the same region. Americans uses federalism in governing the Americans using the state laws , federal laws , and local government laws. Federalism has changed greatly in the course of the American history these changes include, eliminating the confederation articles and giving the federal laws supremacy over the state laws (R. Dye, Zeigler and Schubert).CONCLUSIONConclusion the , the supreme court has played a great role in advancing the Americans rights and freedoms over the last six years . These includes legalizing same sex marriages which is in accordance with the bill of rights of the American constitution.

Potential impact of biotechnology on modern society Essay

Potential impact of biotechnology on modern society - Essay Example yeast cells have been genetically manipulated to produce vaccine against hepatitis B virus. myeloma cells and b-cells of immunized mice were hybridized to produce hybrid cells that consisted the characteristics of both the cells which were cell division and antibody production. following are the areas where biotechnology has done best.The maximum benefits to biotechnology have been utilized by health care. Biotechnology derived proteins and polypeptides from the new class of potential drugs. for ex insulin was primarily extracted from slaughter animals. since 1982 human insulin have been produced by micro organism in fermenters.some of the important products that have been produced are interferon for cancer and viral infection, human urokinase for plasminogen activator used in vascular disorder, insulin for treatment of diabetes, human factor for clotting for hemophilia, lymph lines for auto immune functioning, serum albumin in surgery, attenuated pseudo rabies virus antigen for vacc ine against rabies, tissue plasminogen activator in treatment of heart attack. Currently there are about 35 biotechnology derived therapeutics and vaccines approved by the USFDA alone for medical use, and more than 500 drugs and vaccines to reach in market . Agriculture:-biotechnology is making new ground in the food agriculture area. current public debate about BSTC, bovine somatotropin (a hormone administered to cows to increase the milk production).is an example of biotechnology product testing public acceptance. Food biotechnology valuable and viable alternatives to food problems, and a solution to nutritionally influenced disease such as diabetes, hypertension , cancer, heart diseases, arthritis etc.a transgenic golden rice have been produced by introducing three genes for the production of vitamin A in Taipei rice. A transgenic cotton named 'Inguard' was released in Australia which contain bt genes which provided resistance against insects. molecular farming is a new concept were therapeutic drugs are produced in farm animals for example therapeutics proteins secreted in goat milk. there are about dozen of countries that produce lactoferrin., tPA, hemoglobin, melanin, and interleukins in cows, goat and pigs. however it is not surprising that vegetables producing vaccines insulin interferon's and growth hormones would be available in market in 21st century, beside, human clones and several other miracles. Human genome project (HGP):- The major landmark in human history is the human genome sequence. the HGP is an international research development. almost the whole human genome has been sequenced and chromosome map has been developed in various labs World wide. objectives of human genome project are to :-construct the detail genetic and physical map of human genome, 1. determine the complete nucleotide sequence of human DNA, 2. store information in database, 3. locate the estimated 50,000-100,000 genes within the human genome 4. address the ethical, social, legal issues (ELSI )that may arise from the project, 5.perform similar analysis on the genomes of several other organisms. Environment:-the natural biodegrability of pollutants present in environment has increased with the use of biotechnology. the bioremediation

The Influence of Developmentally Appropriately Practices on Academic Essay

The Influence of Developmentally Appropriately Practices on Academic Success in Preschool - Essay Example This affirms some of the cherished beliefs among professionals with regard to good curriculum practices while challenging others. In addition to gaining new knowledge, early childhood programs have experienced several important changes in recent years. The number of programs continue to increase not only in response to the growing demand for out-of-home child care, but also due to recognition of the critical importance of educational experiences during the early years (Willer et al., 1991; NCES, 1993). For example, in the late 1980s, the Head Start embarked on the largest expansion in its history. This expansion extended into the 1990s with a wide variety of new services for families with infants and toddlers. The National Education Goals Panel established their first goal that by the year 2000 all children will have access to high-quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs (NEGP, 1991). The welfare reform portended a greatly increased demand for childcare services fo r even the youngest children from families with very low income. Some characteristics of early childhood programs have also changed in recent years. Increasingly, programs serve children and families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It requires that all programs demonstrate how to understand and be responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity because culture and language are critical components of children’s development. Practices cannot be developmentally appropriate unless they are responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity. The context in which early childhood programs operate today is also characterized by ongoing debates about how best to teach children. They also discuss the kind of practices that is most likely to contribute to their development and learning. Perhaps, the most important contribution of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) position statement on developmentally appropriate practices was that it cre ated an opportunity for increased conversation within and outside the early childhood education field (Bredekamp, 1987). In revising this position statement, NAEYC’s goal is not only to improve the quality of current early childhood education practices, but also to continue encouraging the kind of questioning and debate among early childhood professionals necessary for the continuous growth of professional knowledge in the field. A related goal is to express NAEYC’s position more clearly, so that effort will not be wasted in unproductive debates about apparent rather than real differences of opinion. Since the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) first published the Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) guidelines in 1987 (Bredekamp, 1987), later revised by Bredekamp and Copple (1997), the day-to-day experiences of millions of children have been affected. Over a million copies of the guidelines have been sold, and many teachers and ear ly childhood professionals have implemented DAP in their classrooms to some extent. While there is no

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic - Essay Example Price is deterrent to consumers’ consumption spending but serves as a motivation for the producers and sellers at the same time. However, their behaviors tend to vary on the responsiveness to price changes or elasticity of the goods and services in question and can be influenced by several factors present in the economy. In the end, rationality will be the guiding principle for both the consumers and the producers in making economic decisions. This paper tries to examine the factors related to changes in price of beef and the behaviors of both consumers and suppliers of beef towards it. In analyzing price elasticity of the demand and supply of beef, discussions on market price, determinants of price elasticity of demand and supply were also made. Related articles on demand and supply of food and grains like corn are utilized to achieve the goal of producing an intelligent analysis of the issues reflected in the article. And for better understanding of some of these economic co ncepts, illustrated graphs were also used to help in serving the purpose. 3. Analysis A. Market Price One of the economic goals that are widely, if not accepted in our society and in many others is the price level stability (McConnell and Brue 1993). This goal aims to avoid the sizable upswings or downswings in the general price level. In a microeconomic perspective, this goal is reached when changes in the market prices are manageable and don’t hurt consumers and producers that much. As price is the quantity of money paid by the buyers or consumers and received by the sellers or producers for a unit of good or service, it is very important for it to be stable.We need to analyze market prices to extend our understanding of demand and supply and to see the relative efficiency of these in allocating resources. A rise or fall in market prices will have a corresponding effect or impact to the people in the economy. In the article, the rise in beef price inflicted by high corn pri ces, more exports to protein-hungry nations and the market forces of supply and demand, is causing a pain being felt by beef lovers nationwide. But since some customers like Beth Belling from Omaha are carnivore, they have to have their beef even if hurts them a little more. Retailers are also affected by the increasing beef price but they reported that they are absorbing some of the cost increases— as much as $1 a pound for many cuts of beef — to keep consumers buying. Ruth Comer, a spokeswoman for West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee Supermarkets, said that they try to flatten out the price curve as much as they can so the customers don’t experience sticker shock when they come in store. They also believe that passing price increases along is going to prompt customers to pull back and stop buying or look elsewhere. Restaurant operators also say that higher prices of beef squeeze their finances as they become reluctant to raise menu prices. B. Price Elasticity of Deman d and Supply The responsiveness of supply and demand to any change in price is measured by the price elasticity. It is expressed as the ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded and supplied to the percentage change in price. This value will help us determine the degree of elasticity that a product’s demand or supply can have. The degree of elasticity, classified as elastic, inelastic, or unit elastic, will tell us the nature of the product (McConnell and Brue 1993). 1. Price Elasticity

NURSING (POPULATION AND SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION)-2 Assignment

NURSING (POPULATION AND SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION)-2 - Assignment Example This is also supported by the research results that the Health Functioning variable being determined is a considerable cause for the differences between women and men in carrying out comparative analysis for social support, quality of life and perceived coping. The t-ratio is significant because it indicates the difference between males and females. This is because the alpha value for the study was set at 0.05. Mental health was the largest variance between males and females with a value of -3.15. The data shows that t-ratio = -2.54 have a smaller p value that -2.50. This is an indication of a better health future for men, and women post MI physical roles and components, are highly interconnected and statistically noteworthy. Type 1 error results when the null hypothesis is rejected. There is a risk of Type 1 error in this study because multiple t-tests were performed on the study data. Multiple t-tests increase the risk for Type 1 errors. Bonferroni procedure is necessary for this study because it reduces the risk for Type 1 error. A number of multiple t-tests were conducted on the study data that increased the risk for Type 1 data. Therefore, Bonifferoni procedure is required to reduce risk of Type 1 error. df is the degree of freedom. A number of df values were reported, in the study, because they describe the freedom of different score’s values, in relation to other exiting scores’ values and sum of the scores. The differences between males and females post MI is significant. If this is consistent with the previous research, then I can assume that there will be a better health future for men, and women post MI physical roles and components will be highly interconnected and statistically

Compare the Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare the Economies - Essay Example Examining unemployment levels is one important way of looking at the reason behind the reported high poverty levels in a country. The unemployment level for this purpose shall refer to the number of non-working (and therefore unproductive) individuals who are of working age (usually 15 years old and above). The number of people in a given population without jobs indicates the type of labor force the country has. Unemployment rates may invoke questions such as "Why aren't there enough jobs for everyone of working age" "Are there not enough business enterprises or investments in the country that contribute to job creation" or "If there are available jobs, why aren't the people employed" "Do people choose not to work at all" or "Are there issues in literacy and education as well" In addition, trends in unemployment levels may indicate how a country is progressing in terms of its growth and development. Since Vietnam and the Philippines are still in their developing stages, the unemploym ent level could be an important indicator of how well and how fast they are achieving their development goals. In summary, a country's unemployment rate may provide a lot of insights on its economic growth and development. High unemployment rates could only mean two things:... High unemployment rates could only mean two things: either job seekers could not be given the jobs they are looking for or people simply do not want to work, that is, participate in the labor force. Given the status of the two countries chosen for this assignment as being underdeveloped and having large populations under the poverty line, it is highly unlikely that people in these two nations would not want to work and earn income at all. The latter type of situation is more likely to occur in highly developed countries wherein governments can provide for substantial subsidies for their citizens living allowances. In the case of Vietnam and the Philippines, both countries barely have enough financial resources to offer free education to the public, much less to provide for the daily needs of their poor. Thus, unemployment in this context shall be focused on not having enough jobs for qualified job seekers. A country's economy is usually gauged as positive or negative in terms of what goods and services it produces, how much of these are actually produced, how these goods and services are produced and for whom and how production rates can grow over a period of time. Simply put, a country's economic growth largely depends on its capacity to produce. Productivity in turn is influenced or affected by the availability and utilization of capital, natural resources and the labor force, among others. In order to produce goods and services, there must be work involved in the process and work is done by skillful and knowledgeable workers, which constitute the labor force. Thus, all things being equal, if more people are able to work, more goods and services may be produced and if there is a constant increase in the number of people who work, steady productivity