An average of fifty-five percent. This is the average percent of terminally ill patients that die in pain. Within the United States there is a constant conflict between the right to choose assisted death or not. There are a multitude of stances defending both sides of this argument. Through academic articles the social issue of euthanasia illuminates our understanding of the short story “The Euthanasia Machine” by M. Stanley Bubien because it shows the problems as well as the benefits that come along with assisted suicide.

There is a multitude of support that points, to the legalization of euthanasia across the United States of America. The main reason people support euthanasia is because they believe it is a person’s right to choose whether or not they get to live. The government should not have the ability to decide if a person gets to continue living their life or not. It is not for the government to decide because they are not in that person’s shoes. Another reason people support euthanasia is due to the pain terminally ill patients go through. If a person is going through such circumstances, they should not be forced to stay alive. It is inhumane to make a person suffer through excruciating pain which may come from cancer, organ failure, etc. Only to have them live for another hour, day, or week at maximum. Not only do everyday people support euthanasia, but many doctors do as well. Doctors support euthanasia because they believe they should respect the patient’s wishes. Meaning that patients should have the right to govern their own bodies and make decisions like this on their own. It is evident that many doctors want to do what makes the patient most comfortable, and respect what their patient wants 

Although, I say it should be legalized across the United States. The people that oppose it say it should not be legalized. The main reason why people believe it should not be legalized is due to them believing that euthanasia would be available for all of society to use anytime they want, not just those who are terminally ill. These individuals believe that anyone would have access to a life ending drug whenever they deem necessary. This can be very dangerous in that, if someone makes a drastic decision over a short term emotional state, it could cost them their life, and that cannot be undone. Another major reason as to why people are against legalizing assisted suicides is because it can lead to a suicide plague. Meaning, since people are sick and choose to die, a bad message to society could be spread, especially to teenagers. The legalization of euthanasia could lead society to believe that suicide is a way to get out of life’s problems. Whenever things aren’t going your way, or things are hard, people believe some will just end their lives. People think this could send a bad message throughout our nation, causing devastating effects. The final major reason as to why people are against euthanasia is because they believe it rejects the value of the gift of life. In the early stages of our lives, people are often told that “life is precious.” We have had to learn to enjoy and learn from the ups and downs in life to grow as human beings. With euthanasia in place people believe that it could potentially take away from the overall meaning of life. Through miraculous transformations, a human is made, each is different than the last and capable of wonderful things. However, with a single signature of consent, all of that can be taken away in the blink of an eye. People believe we have been given too many gifts, and are too valuable as a human being to be able to take it away in seconds.

There are a multitude of reasons as to why euthanasia supporters have a stronger argument over those who oppose. One reason is because of ethical arguments. People should have the right to choose what they want to do with their lives. It is their body, and thus, they should have the right to choose what happens to it. The government does not have to go through the pain of some of the terminally ill patients. Due to this, they should not have the ability to decide whether someone would like to go peacefully and pass away or to suffer through the pain. Another reason the pro euthanasia argument is stronger is because euthanasia is already being performed behind the governments back. People will always find a way to get the things that they need in life, whether legally or illegally. The reason it needs to be legalized is so it can be monitored and performed properly. Without it being monitored it can lead to patients being killed without full consent, causing the doctor to be blamed for murder. Also, patients can be given too much of a drug causing them to go through more pain before dying. By monitoring it we as a nation can assure the patient gives full consent, make sure they go peacefully, and make sure doctors are not getting arrested for illegal practices. Another reason the pro assisted suicide argument is stronger is because those who oppose it believe legalizing euthanasia would result in the constant killing of people whenever life doesn’t go their way. This is not true in that certain states have already legalized assisted suicide and one of the rules is it cannot be used unless the patient is given less than 6 months to live. This not only allows those sick to rest easy, but also prevents people from killing themselves over minor injuries.

The fictional short story that I have chosen is “The Euthanasia Machine” by M. Stanley Bubien. This short story is about a human being contemplating the use of doctor assisted suicide. They have been going through “hospitals, chemotherapy, nausea, lost weight, drugs, familial pity” (Bubien) for over three years. They are tired of it all, and are looking for a release. However, they are waiting for a simple question, they want to be certain, but until then nothing can be done. Everything was in place, and a simple push of a button would set them free. They press the button and say, “Death seemed so cold. Freedom so warm…” (Bubien) Finally the question is asked, “Are you sure?” (Bubien) They are unsure, but the pain is too unbearable. They held their finger over the button. Their last words are “Death seemed so cold. Freedom so warm…” (Bubien)

The first academic article that I chose was “Who May Die? California Patients and Doctors Wrestle With Assisted Suicide” by Jennifer Medina. This article recognizes the strides that the United States has taken in passing the law allowing doctor assisted suicides. The first steps to move forward in this legal process began when “Oregon was the first state to pass an assisted suicide law.” (Medina) This single effort by the state of Oregon, has led to the legalization of euthanasia by 6 other states. Since the passing of these laws “the number of people who request and take medication to hasten dying has steadily increased.” (Medina) Due to the option becoming available, terminally ill patients have jumped at the opportunity to end their pain, instead of suffering for months on end just to meet their end soon after. It has been stated that in Oregon “16 people have ended their lives under the law in 1998, and by 2015, that number [has] grown to 132.” (Medina) Many people believe that if the law is passed all throughout the United States people will be taking the easy way out and ending their lives whenever things get tough, however, this is not the case. A multitude of rules have been put into effect to assure this does not happen. The state of California’s assisted suicide laws is “strict, [which] is intended to ensure patients have thought through the decision and are making it voluntarily. Patients must make multiple requests for the medication and have prognosis of less than six months to live.” (Medina) Now although the law has been passed to allow the action of assisted killing, it is not being forced upon doctors to participate in it. The law states that “no doctor, health system or pharmacy will be required to comply with a patient’s request.” (Medina) This is a strong part of the law in that it does not force others to partake in something that they do not believe in. It gives them the time to see the effects of the practice and to later on decide if they would like to assist if they see it as successful or it later becomes moral to them.

After reviewing this article, and the many different facts and stances that are presented. I noticed a connection to the short story “The Euthanasia Machine” by M. Stanley Bubien. The article states that laws must be “strict, [which] is intended to ensure patients have thought through the decision and are making it voluntarily. Patients must make multiple requests for the medication and have prognosis of less than six months to live.” (Medina) In the short story, it is very apparent that the pain the patient has been going through has been very extreme, and over a long period. They say, “Three long years of hospitals, chemotherapy, nausea, lost weight, drugs, familial pity... Nothing helped, and the pain kept coming. I was tired of it all.” (Bubien) The laws of today’s society are reflected within the short story in that the decision to end their life wasn’t instant. They have been going through years of suffering, and have most likely thought about the effect of the decision greatly. Through the text it seems as if the patient was not getting better either when they say “three long years” (Bubien) which would fall under the required standards for euthanasia to come into place. It was also voluntary in that “[they] held [their] finger over the button.” (Bubien) In the end it was their choice, which is the most important part of this issue. The patient within the short story is a perfect example of the requirements that need to be placed in our society. If we had these set of rules, we would be able to regulate euthanasia, and it would run smoothly within our society.

The second academic article that I chose was “French Woman’s Euthanasia Request Denied” by Christophe Schpoliansky. This article stresses the issue with denying the right of euthanasia to those who are terminally ill. A French woman, lost a request to die by assisted suicide. She has a “rare case of cancer that has left her disfigured.” (Schpoliansky) However, the court has denied her the right to choose her death because “it would breach medical ethics and French law, under which assisted suicide is a crime.” (Schpoliansky) It is understandable that governments do not want people to have the choice to kill themselves when the going gets tough. Yet, if someone is severely suffering something needs to be done. The French woman was going through “intense and permanent suffering” due to the “incurable character of the disease she is suffering from.” (Schpoliansky) She begged for mercy from the government to end her suffering, but nothing was done. By not legalizing euthanasia the government is essentially leaving patients on the side of the road. The only assistance they offer is medicine that will prolong life a few more months, but what does that matter when those extra days or weeks is constant suffering. Euthanasia would not be for every single patient it should only “be legalized in certain circumstances. It must not be abused. It has to be within a strict law frame.” (Schpoliansky) Many government officials and citizens are worried about the possibility of abusing this law. However, a multitude of people do it illegally causing a variety of issue. The French women said, “I know now how to obtain what I need [to die], and if I cannot obtain it in France, I will obtain it elsewhere.” (Schpoliansky) People will always find a way around the law. However, if the law became legal it would be able to be monitored, and a tight grasp could be wrapped around it, making sure it is a 100% last resort option.

Additionally, like the first article I was also able to make connections to the short story “The Euthanasia Machine” by M. Stanley Bubien. Within the article the statement it should “be legalized in certain circumstances. It must not be abused.” (Schpoliansky) This issue is brought up within the short story. The patient states, “the pain! I couldn’t stand it any longer!” (Bubien) The article highlights the current issue within society. It should only be used in extreme circumstances, and in that this would be considered a specific circumstance in which euthanasia should be used. In this situation, the patient is in extreme pain, has gone through years of it, and will most likely go through many more years of it. They are looking for a way to escape the pain and sorrow. We as a nation should not have the right to decide whether we allow someone to suffer. It is a human right to choose, and the final decision should be left up to them. The short story ends with the main character saying, “Death seemed so cold. Freedom so warm.” (Bubien) This again relates to euthanasia today. Society may not be ready to allow people to choose death as a means for escape, because they think negatively on it. However, what they are missing is the rush of pleasure when all the pain begins to slip away, and all your worries are gone. In some situations, euthanasia, should not be an option. But we as society need to stop thinking as death as a negatively, because to some it is a way to escape the extreme pains in life.

The final academic article that I have chosen is "Doctor, Nurse Arrested for Euthanasia Deaths After Hurricane Katrina." by Steven Ertelt. This article shows the dangerous effects of not legalizing euthanasia. Without the legalization of euthanasia, doctors as well as patients will go behind the back of others to get the treatment that they deem necessary. This can be very dangerous because it cannot be monitored and thus patients as well as doctors can be taken advantage of. Within this article due to the low number of doctors having the ability to euthanize, the few that did used it as a cover “for their enjoyment of the power that euthanasia gives them life over.” (Ertelt) Meaning that since they are one of the few that can euthanize, the power goes to their head and the results can be very dangerous. Many times, a patient will go to a secret doctor in hopes of getting drugs to make them feel painless. However, sometime these patients will be taken advantage of and killed. Within a study from the Flanders region of Belgium they found that “32% of all euthanasia deaths were done without explicit request.” (Ertelt) This means that the patient may have hinted at the idea of assisted death. However, never gave full consent, but it was too late and the doctor had already taken advantage of them. The reason this happens is due to the euthanasia being illegal. People go behind the back of the government where it cannot be monitored, and thus pay the price.

Furthermore, this final article connects to the short story “The Euthanasia Machine” by M. Stanley Bubien. The article states that “32% of all euthanasia deaths were done without explicit request.” (Ertelt) This meaning the doctors believed it was best for the patient, so they hook up the IV and allow the patient to slowly slip away without the patient having any idea of what was going on. If assisted suicide was legal, putting a patient to sleep would be monitored and the system would be fixed. However, the short story highlights the correct way in which society should go about performing euthanasia. The nurse “rolled [him/her] in front of the computer and hooked up the IV… I held my finger over the button.”  (Bubien) At this point it was the patient’s choice to end their life. Not their families, not the doctors, not the government. The patient is in control of their own body and future. If they believe that it is their time and are ready to go, then they should get the ability to decide that. By having the patient push the final button it would assure that the right choice was made. It would eliminate doctor error and family influence, allowing for the most moral way possible.

The conflict between the morality and legality of euthanasia is still a growing argument in the American society. Though some states and countries have legalized it, the majority of the United States is still pondering its place within our nation. Through a multitude of academic articles, the conflict of assisted suicide illuminates our understanding of the short story “The Euthanasia Machine” in that it highlights the rights and wrongs associated with the current social issue.
