ful and loving care of the dying by society, and the assurance of their comfort throughout the natural and inevitable process of death" (p. 452). Here, at last, is the heart of the matter. Proponents of euthanasia argue that they wish to end suffering, yet they seem unwilling to explore any means of relieving suffering, other than death.Later in 1991, an article in National Review attacked situation ethics in general, and euthanasia in particular, equating it with "the forced sterilization of those whom we deem unfit to procreate" (p. 45). Maguire's argument, which depends on drastic situations, is a prime example of situation ethics. The loving thing to do, in certain situations, according to Leo, is to kill the suffering patient. Situation ethics ignores moral and ethical values. Instead of absolute standards of right and wrong, this school of thought must look at each individual situation before deciding what is right or wrong. Eileen Doyle begins with absolute values, calling the American Constitution as an authority. Persons, Doyle says, have a "right to life and other rights. The state cannot bestow or take away these inalienable rights because they do not belong to the state to dispose of, but rather to each individual human being" (p. 463). On this basis, Doyle insists that euthanasia, which she defines as "(killing human beings who are innocent of unjust aggression on others' lives) cannot be legalized" (pp. 463-464). Therefore, she argues, proponents of euthanasia must use terms that define euthanasia in ways that get around the Constitution. The terminology makes it seem that euthanasia does not violate the Constitution, when in fact it does. In fact, the pro-euthanasia people redefine some people, in order to make the, eligible for euthanasia. According to Doyle, definition of terms is crucial to the issue.First, according to Doyle, they must change the terminology of the argument. They attack "the sanctity of ...
