Euthanasia

Task 1
“Thou shalt not kill.” Why not?

In every case, there are exceptions to the rule. This includes “Thou shalt not kill”. One of these exceptions could be killing in self-defense. The law of nature is that of the survival of the fittest. Everybody has a right to live and thus has the right to protect that right. When somebody is assaulted, it is only right that he protects himself, even if it means killing the attacker unintentionally in the process. It would be unreasonable to blame the victim for his attacker’s death because, given the circumstances, it was the only thing he could do at that point in time to protect his own right to life. Thus, in such an exception, the rule does not stand.


While speaking of the ‘right to life”, this argument against “Thou shalt not kill” could be turned around. Since everybody has a right to live, then we can always say that nobody has a right to take it away. The right to life is one of the most valuable rights a person can ever have. Life is precious – ever since conception it is already a miracle on its own. It is full of potential, full of surprise and it means a person’s existence. Even by according it the status of a “right”, the value of “life” is still impossible to quantify. Killing somebody else means taking a life, and regardless of the circumstances, it will be an infringement of the right to life and hence will be a sin – a sin worse than lying, stealing or infidelity. Therefore, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Task 2
1. What is Singapore's current position on euthanasia?
Singapore is against euthanasia and mercy killing is not legalised in the country.
However,there has been a gradual shift in the attitude public towards greater acceptance of euthanasia as an option for care of the terminally ill and dying. There have also been calls by certain groups to actually legalise voluntary euthanasia for patients that have a sound mind and is suffering from an incurable or terminal illness, experiencing unbearable suffering and uncontrollable pain.

2.What laws or regulations have been instituted with regard to euthanasia?
Netherlands - Requirements: repeated and well-considered request bypatient, unacceptable state of suffering, doctor has to consult a colleague whoagrees to it.

* Procedure:
o practitioner must not declare natural death, but fill in extensive questionnaire;
o medical examiner informed via questionnaire, reports to district attorney;
o district attorney decides if prosecution should be instituted - punishable by up to 3 or 12 years imprisonment or fine
o court-determined crieteria to be met to evade prosecution

Oregon, USA - TheDeath with Dignity act was passed in 1997 in Oregon, permitting physician-assisted suicide.The measures to safeguard against patients from using the law prematurely orimpulsively are that patients must make two oral requests and one writtenrequest at least two weeks part, be terminally ill with less than six months tolive, and be judged mentally competent to make the decision by two separatephysicians. They are also to administer the medicine themselves. Even withthese safeguards in place, objections still occur where the federal governmentwishes to deny the right to euthanasia for the people.

Takenfrom:http://projectsday.hci.edu.sg/2003/webreports/cat3/QL10/casestudies_a.htm

In some European countries, like Belgium, Netherlandsand Switzerland, and alsosome US-states (Oregon?) and some othercountries too - remarkable Thailandsince 2007, a new law, Euthanasia is legal - it is also a kind of'suicide', legally approved.

In Switzerland,you need medical certificates to attest, that you are terminally ill, and ifyou agree, you will get a poison drink, you will face some witnesses and youmust drink it by yourself without help of others, you will be soon in deepsleep within 5 minutes and in 20 minutes you are gone from this world...

Done by: Fang Ting, Bryan, Junling, Min Jia 09S03K