Definition essay on a single concept with personal commentary

¶ … EUTHANASIA

The word Euthanasia has been the cause of much debate about its legality and whether such a practice is even ethical or not. The anti-argument for this cause has mostly been raised from more controversial background, while the pro argument has come up from the liberal camp. The reason for such ferocity in the debate has been the resultant of the lack of understanding of the real meaning of the world, since mostly its real meaning has been distorted to find definitions that would suit each camp. Therefore the most primary step in this regard than becomes to take into consideration the definition of the word itself.

The dictionary defines the term Euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in relatively painless way for reasons of mercy" (Euthanasia). However, the general perception of Euthanasia as Assisted Suicide -- a word greatly used to define the act - has been immensely misleading and considered as an act that doesn't has any respect for sanctity of life.

The reason for this sort of point-of-view has been that there is little understanding of the need for Euthanasia from the point-of-view of the patient. Euthanasia is usually requested at a point by the patient when he knows that there is no way in which his condition would alter, or is requested by the patient's family when they have come to conclude that keeping the patient alive would only cause him more pain.

There is also another reason for this sort of confusion bought forward by the use of word "killing" in defining the word Euthanasia. When the word killing is attached to the explanation of this word, it is generally considered that anyone who takes the decision in favor of Euthanasia or if someone performs the act of Euthanasia on behalf of the patient, he is in fact committing an act of killing the patient.

The same confusion is also created by the use of the word "permitting the death" which can be regarded as suicide, when a person takes his own life, regardless of the fact whether he is sick or not. However, there is a huge difference between s suicide and Euthanasia; however that difference is completely missed out when you attach such double meaning words to describe Euthanasia.

Assisted Suicide thus is a word that combines the suicide notion as well as the killing notion together and combines it, thus further distorting the meaning of the word Euthanasia. All of a sudden it now is linked to suicide with the help of someone, making the person who has committed the suicide and the one who assisted him both as sinners in the eyes of God. The main target of such a label is usually the one who assisted, and considered a killer or even a murderer in such an incident.

The word Mercy Killing is also used immensely as a synonymous for Euthanasia, and even this word doesn't do anything to add to the reputation of the act. The word "killing" will tend to have a negative concoction no matter used in any manner.

The illegal status of this act in almost every country except the Netherlands, has also acted in further giving a stigma to the word and always to be associated with in a negative term (Definition of Euthanasia). Countries such as United Kingdom labels these acts as criminal acts, therefore the will of the patient is ignored completely in this regard.

Despite the fact that Euthanasia is only given as an option in some circumstances, the most feverant argument Euthanasia has always been that people would opt for it more freely if it is given a legal status.

Therefore a more appropriate definition for the word Euthanasia would be "the willful selection of one's own self or relative's death when nothing can be done to reverse the situation with regards to their health."