Mercy Killing is a subject that is without a doubt controversial and bound to spark some sort of disagreement. While some may feel it is everyone’s right to decide the fate of their lives, others feel that any type of assisted murder isn’t morally responsible. Mercy Killing, or Euthanasia, has been made legal in 4 states but some natives of those places still feel like this act is inhumane. This blog's main purpose is to explore Mercy Killing and determine why it's such a hot button topic and which stance you should be taking. I will look at different situations where Mercy Killing has been put into play and see how people reacted to it. As you read, I hope you are able to absorb the information and formulate an educated opinion on such a difficult topic .Enjoy.
Mercy Killing
Under what circumstances do we have the right to decide the fate of another human being’s life? Do we have to be an authority figure? Have a lot of money? Or maybe it depends on the person whose life is being affected. Does a mother have the right to kill her sickly son if she’s told his disease is terminal? Can a man decide to end his wife’s life if she’s begging to be put out of her misery? This is almost an exact replication of what happened to 86-year old George Sanders from Phoenix, Arizona.
This is George Sanders, an 86 year old man living in Phoenix Arizona who was forced to makean extremely difficult decision. His wife, Virginia, was very sickly and he knew that she didn’t want to live any longer. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1969, she spent a large portion of her life battling the illness and suffering very obviously. This inevitably took a toll on Georgeas he hated to see the love of his life suffer so constantly. Last year George made an extremely difficult decision, he decided to put his wife out of her misery and end her life by shooting her in head. Sanders said that his wife begged to be killed and that she didn’t want to outlive him and be left at the mercy of someone else. So George held his wife, put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger.
When investigators interviewed Sanders he seemed miserable as opposed to guilty.As he explained how the situation went,he had some very heartbreaking details. “He said he talked it over with his wife and she begged him to kill her."I said, 'I can't do it honey,'" he told police. "She says, 'Yes you can.'"Sanders said he got his revolver and wrapped a towel around it so the bullet wouldn't go into the kitchen."She says, 'Is this going to hurt,' and I said, 'You won't feel a thing,'" he said. "She was saying, 'Do it. Do it. Do it.' And I just let it go,. (Excerpt from Daily News Article)
When put on trial, Sanders faced 12 years in prison for manslaughter. In court he professed his love for his wife and family "Your honor, I met Ginger when she was 15 years old and I've loved her since she was 15 years old. I loved her when she was 81 years old. It was a blessing, and I was happy to take care of her, I am sorry for all the grief and pain and sorrow I've caused people." It was quite apparent to both the judge and jury that Sanders adored his wife and genuinely hated to see her suffer. His son, Steve Sanders, even testified for him saying "I fully believe that the doctor's visits, the appointments, the medical phone calls and the awaiting hospital bed led to the decision that my parents made together,I do not fault my father.” Once the jury reached a verdict, George Sanders was given 2 years of probation, a much lighter consequence than 12 years in prison. George’s situation is definitely a difficult one that’s hard to put into perspective if you aren’t dealing with it first hand. If I were in his shoes, I’m not sure what I would do. Although I would hate to see my loved one suffer, I doubt I’d have to strength to simply put them out of their misery, regardless of it they begged for it or not. In terms of the verdict reached in Sanders’ case, I feel the jury made the right decision. George’s actions were that of compassion and mercy, not anger and vengeance. Given his age, he wouldn’t have managed very well in prison and he didn’t deserve to be there. Mercy Killing, in this case. is surprisingly understandable in my opinion.
Under Belgian law, euthanasia is legalized. Anyone can go tell their doctor that they want to be euthanized and it can happen. In December 2012, two identical twin brothers made the joint decision to die together. Both twins were born deaf and struggled with this their entire lives. The only thing they had was each other. In early 2012, they found out that they soon may both go blind. They couldn’t bare the thought of not being able to see each other so as opposed to living with both deafness and blindness, they decided they’d rather die.
While most cases of euthanasia are due to some sort of terminal illness, this case is much different. Although blindness and deafness isn’t something I would ever want to experience, I’m not sure if I’d want to lose my life as opposed to dealing with it.
Doctor David Dufour, the man responsible to conduct the euthanasia, said that the twins made their decision in “full conscience”. He described the what happened prior to the operation.“They had a cup of coffee in the hall, it went well and a rich conversation. The the separation from their parents and brother was very serene and beautiful. At the last there was a little wave of their hands and then they were gone.” This actually touched my heart above all else, I’m not sure if I necessarily agree with the twins’ decision but the bond they shared if definitely one to admire. They were together their entire lives and now they’re ending their lives, together. ![]() Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer earlier this year. At first researchers assured her that she would live at least another couple of years. After further testing, they found that she wouldn’t live past 6 months. This is when the 29 year old woman made the decision to have Euthanasia conducted on herself. “After months of research, my family and I reached a heartbreaking conclusion: There is no treatment that would save my life, and the recommended treatments would have destroyed the time I had left,” Ms. Maynard wrote in a post on CNN’s website.
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