n a semblance of life longer and longer. We are so pleased with great medical advances that we overlook their misuse and their painful side effects. There are conditions such as cancer, strokes, acute arthritis, and more recently AIDS, to name a few, where all the medical skills in the world aren’t enough for a particular individual case. If that person, after undergoing all possible treatment, still feels enough is enough, they should have the right to be helped to die.There are also many of those who, having lost their independence and a sense of self-determination, feel that withholding the option of euthanasia, causes an unacceptable loss of personal dignity. They believe that their quality of life is nonexistent, and, therefore, see no benefits in draining money for their unending care from either their loved ones or their care provider. In an age when total medical funding is restricted and being continually reduced, is it ethical to engage in extremely expensive treatment of terminally ill people in order to extend their lives by a few weeks, if it is against their will? The resources used in this way are not available for prenatal care, infant care, etc. where it would save lives and significantly improve the long-term quality of life for others. As callous as it may seem, there are also financial benefits for people that could use the money in better ways than to use it to go against the wishes of the dying.Acceptance of death often leads to an increased quality of the life the terminally ill has remaining. A terminally ill person lives better knowing that he may gain control over the physical pain, the psychological agony and the financial devastation of dying. Terminally ill persons who have had control over their living expect to have control over their dying. They are being denied this last choice. The denial to fulfill their wishes is not yet well recognized as being a violation of human rights. This may ...
