When I started looking for potential research topics, this is one that stood out to me because of its kairos and controversial nature. There were so many interesting stances on this topic and with each piece of literature I read pertaining to it, my opinion and stance further progressed. At first I thought it was crazy for a physician to assist in killing a patient, the exact opposite of what their job is; but after reading some articles written by people who are in the position I began to understand the other side (pro euthanasia). I have gown up a part of a Christian Methodist church where you are taught that suicide is a sin in any way shape or form. At first it was extremely difficult to open up my eyes and heart to a different way of looking at life. However, I had to put myself in a figurative situation of which I had previously never had to. I imagined that I was is so much pain and all I had ever known was this horrific pain; then I thought about what my options would be. I have personally not had any experience with euthanasia, but I know that it is something that everyone should be give the choice to use. My curiosity and open mind has allowed me to write about this controversial topic in an unbiased way.  

My first article, "Living With Cancer: Deciding About Dying" by Susan Gubar, is about a lady with terminal cancer and who has not been given the option of euthanasia due to it's legal status in her state. She talks about how she doesn't feel the term suicide is appropriate and she feels the outlook on this controversial topic isn't being looked at in the correct way. This article focused on the perspective the majority of Americans look at euthanasia. She felt helpless and chaos in her life due to the fact that she had absolutely no control in her life, even when it came to her death. She just felt as if the option should be available to people to take and decide upon individually. This is an opinionated article which is written from her perspective as a "dying person." These are the only credentials she needs to write this. She provides substantial evidence for her claim that euthanasia should be an option for everyone. She uses past articles and personal experience.  

My second article, "Euthanasia Should Be Allowed for Emotional Suffering" by Mary Elizabeth Williams,  uses the assisted suicide of Nathan Verhelst to enter into "the culture of death" and why euthanasia is a beautiful thing. She begins to talk about her viewpoints saying that she "would gain a sense of peace knowing she found a release from the mental torment that made her life unbearable" (Williams). Lastly, she compared the assisted suicide to typical suicide methods (razor blade, gun, pills) and the affect that both have on family, friends, and the person's dignity as a whole.  The major values that the author focuses on is the peace within the euthanasia process and how people deserve a release of pain, even if the only time they get it is right before they die. The author of this article has written many publications for Salon.com and is actively struggling in her battle with stage four cancer. The fact that she is in a situation that put her so close to death it could make her more emotional about a topic like euthanasia, but it also provides a new insight from someone who could be put in the positon of wanting this death.  

In my third article, "There Is No Evidence That Legalizing Euthanasia Will Lead to a Slippery Slope" by Dan Gardener addresses the "slippery slope" argument which plays such a big part in anti-euthanasia arguments. To address this topic, he focuses on the Dutch and their honest approach to healthcare. He talks about the use of illegal euthanasia all around the world and talks about how the world just isn't being honest about the use of euthanasia. He pulls statistics from Dutch euthanasia records to prove that there is no slippery slope. The author focuses on using logos to affect peoples thought processes. Dan Gardener is an author, lecturer, and an advisor to the prime minister of Canada, which has given him very worldly experiences and options especially regarding controversial topics like euthanasia.  

This question about why euthanasia should be legalized throughout the US, we see it  is arguable because there are two completely opposite sides and opinions on this topic. I am focusing on why euthanasia should be legalized but many people believe that it shouldn't. I had a very open mind to euthanasia and I haven't gotten enough information to form my own opinion. I didn't have many disagreements with any of my articles My first article helped me expand my mind on the pros to euthanasia and I really am starting to see the positivity of it. I could write about why people need to have this as an option and how it can be a comforting aspect in horrible situations. I could use this topic to explain the positivity of euthanasia and I could use the primary aspect of my first article to provide a powerful testimony to its comfort. I could change my argument to talk about why euthanasia is needed in specific situations.

