EUTHANASIA-- Debate

This a copy of my debate on Euthanasia held in September. Well, the script is too long, but believe me I tried to cut it short but really wasn’t able to. Though I didn’t manage to win a place, but my most valuable critic, that is ME of course, felt I did great; apart from a little goof up in the middle. But NO REGRETS……



EUTHANASIA

The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is but a dream.
And tomorrow is only a vision.

Respected teachers & dear friends, I believe LIFE is a priceless gift bestowed upon us, the very essence of which is living. So here I stand strongly apposing the motion. Euthanasia or mercy killing; is a long debated topic quite evident from the numerous forums, societies, foundations, blogs ….. It has to it’s credit. But it is a lot more than the word itself. It revokes the basic concepts of an ethical behavior, family relationships & has its religious and legal implications. With so much at stake... profound thought is required.

For it is not about choosing or disapproving a particular flavour of ice cream or dessert its about a HUMAN LIFE. Each and every human being is valuable, just because each is HUMAN. Our value depends on nothing else. We don't have to win a beauty pageant, a grand slam, noble prize, Olympic gold medal or navigate a space shutter to prove our worth.
We EXIST, so we have a VALUE.
Thus, we have absolutely no divine right to disrespect this inherent worth, this very existence, this very value of being the person we are.

By advocating the cause of euthanasia, are we trying to make disabled, terminally ill patients seem worthless, less valuable than the able bodied people??
Or the elderly seem, less valued and loved , just because they are nearing their death bed??
Is it, not like, creating a prejudice against the disabled, sick & elderly, who at that point in time, require our love & support.

If Euthanasia be allowed, in some cases the next of kin, family members & relatives in the greed of property, insurance money would surely opt for it or would influence the patient to opt from it. And They would be glad to get relieved of any kind of commitment to that ill patient.
Now, isn't it our responsibility to take care of these vulnerable people? Or are we going to let them succumb to such greed, evil thoughts, negative emotions and misleading ways?? Think again!

Death is ugly but what is uglier is knowledge about impending death. Many people find themselves in temporary depression, poor state of mind & inability to cope up with the inevitable; and thus may ask for death. While an act of love and caring would be enough to give them back their will to live.

Most of us think unbearable pain is the main reason people seek euthanasia but some surveys in US & Netherlands show that less than one third requests were because of severe pain! Whereas, psychological factors such as depression, fear or losing control of dignity were major driving forces.And in one study, of the 24% of the terminally ill patients who desired death, all had clinical depression.

SUPERMAN for life, Christopher Reeve…. I’m sure you must have heard about him…1995 horse riding accident transformed the athletic Reeve into a ventilator dependent quadriplegic; the dignity with which he handed his injury had made him a living rebuke to euthanasia.

Death isn't pretty, no one wants to die. And we live in an era, in which the very being of capital punishment is questioned. Even savage ruthless criminals who have committed countless murders are given a second chance. Imagine. We have a right to appeal against a death penalty also, yet society is ready to impose death on people, who have committed no CRIME?! And what more, who is being asked to pull the trigger, to do the execution.... DOCTORS!!...the people who have sworn to preserve life!

The Hippocrates Oath, one of the oldest binding documents in history, to which most graduating medical students swear.
Classical version of which states: I will neither give a deadly drug to anyone who asks for it, nor will I make suggestions to this effect.
Modern version of it simply states: First, do no harm.
By legalizing Euthanasia or advocating of its cause by doctors is the very violation of it. The oath forbids willful killing of a patient. Here I guess my friends FOR the motion would refute me by saying that the oath was formulated ,say about 2000 yrs ago, where as medical knowledge has moved on. But the fact that it has been there for about 200 decades, speaks for itself!

I wonder, if euthanasia be legalized, the doctors with years of life and death behind them would be suggesting it as an option along with other therapeutic and pain relieving measures??
Tell a parent, to give up on a child??
Or tell a wife to give up on her husband??
I doubt. Seems out of question.
What grips me is-
If our revised Davidsons’, Hutchisons’, Baileys’ would be mentioning last but not the least euthanasia as a treatment option?
I mean, guiding us to resort to it!!

I ask everyone present here. Can you give up on LIFE?
Can you let someone else take charge of it? I guess not.
So, if you are not ready to live at the mercy of someone. Why let someone else do so?
Why live at the mercy of a doctor’s decision? Instead of god deciding your death, why let a doctor do that?

PVS—Persistent Vegetative state, “wakefulness without awareness”. A state which is not easily diagnosed though accepted signs include- absence of oneself & environment. We cannot measure thought or awareness. We can only measure behavior and movement. Today’s medical tests are not specific enough to make certain a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state. The rates of misdiagnosis appear to be very high approx 40%, according to some studies.

You might have heard of Jack Kevorkian ‘Dr Death’ who claimed to have helped more than 130 people die. I’m sure there will be many such claims to fame, to glorification; doctors proclaiming themselves as GOD.

My friends FOR the motion would go on about active & passive euthanasia, dignity of death and emphasizing that we have a freedom of life, so should have a freedom of death too.
But more so I believe we have a freedom to live & so does everyone.

Ok visualize this…. A person diagnosed with cancer. Bad prognosis, stage 3, stage 4.
Sounds disheartening , your eyes will be blinded with tears. You would want him not to suffer from all the pain & misery that is to follow. Would be blindfolded to approve the act of euthanasia & fight for its cause.
Picture this…
Euthanasia is carried out the patient didn’t have to go though all the agony and pain.
Next morning you get up.
Gulp your usual cup of tea, mundane routine of reading the newspaper.
And follows it is disbelief, anger and sense of loss and damage.
The headlines read—WONDER DRUG!
The very drug that could have saved our cancer patient. A miracle, right!
I now you might disapprove me by saying that miracles don’t happen with every drop of a hat. But when people can survive air crashes then why not this? After all aren’t we the ones who keep saying medical science is ever changing an moving on…

Euthanasia is irreversible, if some of you call it a treatment. Then I would like to call it an “irreversible treatment”. A person cannot be revived back to life from it.

So instead of debating about it, protesting about it & putting so much of thought, emotions, time, energy and money of course!! And trying to bring forth the ethical, moral, religious, legal, professional & personal issues. Why don’t we utilize our time & resources and look for other alternative?
Why not, WE take this responsibility of coming up with better pain relieving drugs & resuscitation methods.

Make this world if not a better place to be live in, but at least a better way to be lived in.
At least, not make inevitable death seem so horrifying, predictable and merciful!!!