The rising average age in the developed world .
Generally, we may define it as the intentional ending of a person’s life, through direct action (called active euthanasia) or by omission (called passive euthanasia) usually motivated by a mercy for those in great pain or suffering from a terminal illness .
Both euthanasia and abortion are based on a view of people that lacks dignity. Pro-lifers view all life as precious, whether it is that of the elderly, the mentally ill, or even the preborn. Pro-lifers recognize that life is an inalienable right before and regardless of state recognition. Those who call themselves “pro-choice” view life as not inherently valuable, but as a value given to a human being from a human source such as the government (quality of life, etc.).
Voluntary euthanasia is also known as “assisted suicide.” In such cases, the individual no longer wants to live and enlists the help of a medical professional in either killing them or allowing them to die (ceasing treatment, etc.). The most famous example of assisted suicide is that of Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s killing of 130 people, 5 of whom had no disease detected in autopsy . Kevorkian served eight years in prison for second-degree murder.
As involuntary mercy-killing is so obviously repugnant to most people, the most controversial form of euthanasia is non-voluntary—that is, when the individual is not able to give or deny consent, the most famous example of which is the case of Terry Schiavo.
I n 1990, at the age of 26, Terri Schindler Schiavo suffered a mysterious cardio-respiratory arrest. To this day, doctors have still not discovered a cause for this respitory attack. She was diagnosed with hypoxic encephalopathy – neurological injury caused by lack of oxygen to the brain and was placed on a ventilator. Terri was soon able to breathe on her own and maintain vital function. She remained in a severely compromised neurological state (a persistent vegetative state ) and was provided a PEG tube to ensure the safe delivery of nourishment and hydration. Terri alive was kept alive by assisted feeding of food and water, the same things which keep us all alive .
In March of 2005, Terri’s family fought a court order her husband had filed to pull her feeding and hydration tubes. For thirteen days her family with the pro-life community battle the courts in vain. On March 31, 2005, Terri Schindler Schiavo died of marked dehydration following more than thirteen days without nutrition or hydration under the order of Circuit Court Judge George W. Greer of the Pinellas-Pasco’s Sixth Judicial Court. Terri was 41.
1973- Prior to 1973, euthanasia was illegal in the Netherlands. However, when a doctor convicted of killing her terminally ill mother was sentenced to a week in prison, a precedent was set, and the courts gradually chipped away at the law, allowing for more exceptions to the rule; these exceptions included that the euthanizing must be voluntary and the patient must be terminally ill.
1975- The Karen Ann Quinlan case eased the distinction between the right to choose one’s own death and the right to choose another’s death.
1984- Guidelines for euthanasia were established in the Netherlands, including discussing the situation with the patient, family, and another doctor.
1985- A court in the Netherlands decided that patients no longer had to be terminally ill to request an assisted suicide.
1985- In the case of Claire Conroy the debate moved from removing medical treatment, such as a respirator, to defining food and water as optional treatment instead of basic care.
1986- In California, Elizabeth Bouvia, an intelligent, alert woman completely dependent since birth because of cerebral palsy, asked for and was granted by the Court, the right to have the hospital assist her to starve to death comfortably. However, after winning in the courts, Ms. Bouvia changed her mind and decided she wanted to continue living.
1987- The New Jersey Supreme Court in the case of Nancy Ellen Jobes set aside the standard of clear and convincing evidence of the patient’s wishes, and substituted a standard of best judgment from the family. This case changed the focus from the benefit of care for Ms. Jobes to the perceived benefit of life itself as determined by others.
1988- Rhode Island was the first state to hear a food and water case in Federal Court. Marcia Gray’s case was based on the right to privacy arguments first articulated in the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion case. This established federal precedent for ordering health care providers to actively assist in carrying out a third party’s desire to cause the death of a patient.
1989- The Missouri Supreme Court refused to allow the withdrawal of food and liquids to a severely impaired woman who was not dying.
1993- Criminal Charges were brought against Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who helped an Alzheimer’s victim commit suicide with a machine he invented. The charges were dropped because Michigan law did not specify that facilitating a suicide is criminal.
1995- By this time in the Netherlands, it was not uncommon for doctors to kill patients without their consent (active involuntary euthanasia), including babies born with birth defects. Also in 1995, the Northern Territories in Australia approved a euthanasia bill; though it became law in 1996, it was overturned the following year.
1995- The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the wife of a severely brain-damaged man could not remove his feeding tube. The U.S. Supreme Court later rejected the wife’s appeal.
1998- The state of Oregon legalizes assisted suicide.
2001- A new (and current) law was introduced in the Netherlands with new guidelines: the patient must be informed, must consent, must consult with his or her doctor and conclude “that there is no other reasonable solution,” consult with an outside physician, the suffering must be intense with no hope of lessening, and the doctor must exercise due medical care and attention in terminating the patient’s life or assisting in his/her suicide” (Q3A). Minors aged 12-15 may request to be euthanized, but there must be parental consent; minors 16 and older do not need parental consent (Q16A).
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited “loss of dignity” as a reason for allowing euthanasia (Q1B). Euthanasia is still “a criminal offence” as of 2008, but if doctors report it and satisfy “due care criteria,” then they can be exempted from criminal liability and it will not be reported to the Public Prosecution Service (Q2A). The Ministry explains that the “aim of exempting doctors from prosecution is to ensure that they no longer feel like criminals and can act openly and honestly in relation to requests for euthanasia, provided that their decision-making and medical procedures satisfy the statutory due care criteria” (Q2B).
2002- Belgium legalizes euthanasia under many of the same guidelines as the Netherlands.
2005- On March 31, 2005, Terri Schindler Schiavo, aged 41, dies of marked dehydration following more than 13 days without nutrition or hydration under the order of Circuit Court Judge George W. Greer of the Pinellas-Pasco’s Sixth Judicial Court.
2006- In Gonzales vs. Oregon, the United States Supreme Court upheld, in a vote of 6-3, an Oregon law (Death with Dignity Act) allowing patients to commit suicide with the assistance of their doctor. The court cited that the federal government could not override state law.
2008- An Italian court ruled that life support could be removed from Eluana Englaro, a young woman in Milan who has been in a coma for sixteen years.
It is important that people understand their state laws as they relate to the withdrawal of ordinary provisions. Many laws have changed or have been amended in recent years and your current advanced directive (or lack of one) might be dangerous under the new laws. It is strongly recommended to all people to carefully read current state laws and to secure legal advice when considering them.
Moreover, students are encouraged to distribute Human Life Alliance’s publication, Imposed Death, at their schools. Contact SFLA for copies of this publication, or download your copy here.
It is encouraged for people to take proactive measures to ensure that their desires for ordinary care be observed. Considering a health care surrogate, a Protective Medical Decisions Directive along with a Will to Live Directive may be an excellent alternative to the traditional living will.
Community involvement has a direct and positive impact, whether you engage through the Internet, public awareness efforts, or other advocacy. Volunteering with elderly people or people with disabilities is a good way to start.
According to the BBC, average lifespan around the world is around double what it was 200 years ago.
 Traditionally defined as an illness or condition that will cause a person’s death within a relatively short time. Some state courts are expanding the term to include a condition in which death will occur if treatment, including nutrition and hydration, is removed.
 A condition in which the upper portions of the brain are damaged through disease or injury, but the brain stem is normal. Basic body functions such as breathing and digestion occur, and the individual has sleep-wake cycles. But these patients are not attentive, do not speak or have voluntary muscle movement.
 Nutrition that is provided with the help of another. This may be spoon-feeding, through a gastrotomy tube, or through a tube into the vein.
 A state of unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be aroused, even by powerful stimulation. This state rarely lasts for more than two to four weeks, by which time the patient dies, enters into a vegetative state, or regains some form of consciousness.