 Every since the Terry Shiavo case a few years ago, many Americans are having to deal with the issue of euthanasia. This is a sensitive issue that can be hard to discuss, but it is an issue that we must deal with nonetheless.
Euthanasia literally means "good death." It is taken from two Greek Words, "eu" meaning "good," and "thanatos" meaning "death." Euthanasia is also known as assisted suicide and other names. Proponents of it argue that it assisted suicide should be practice out of compassion and love. Whenever we see others suffer, we should assist them in committing suicide in order to keep them from suffering any further. And as you may remember with the Terry Schiavo case, they removed her feeding tube killing her two weeks later starving her to death. Any culture that debates over who should live or not is a culture that is morally corrupt to the core. It is ashame that the sanctity of life is called into question at both the beginning of life (abortion) and at the end (euthanasia) all in the name of choice and compassion. It is time that we start evaluating our motives in this country. We, as Americans, fear responsibility and burdens on our lives, and so we compramise morality for comfort. Well, whenever the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barboro was euthanized, I feared that there would be a renewed interest on the topic. Recently, the Pope has spoken out against the practice of abortion and euthanasia on humans after an Italian doctor was removed from wrongdoing after flipping the switch of a paralyzed man. Europeans, for the most part, are no longer debating this issue. Doctors are practicing assisted suicide without even the permission of family members. We as Americans must be aware of this further assault on human life and be ready to stand against it (remember that the multi-awarded movie "Million Dollar Baby" has it's characters practicing euthanasia). This practice is already common in America as it is, and we must be willing to take a stand in the heat of the debate. This is a difficult issue where there are no easy answers. Each situation must be dealt with individually and we must remember to hold human life in high regards. We should never turn the human body into a burden. Remember, "honor your father and mother," (Exodus 20) goes beyond childhood, it is a life-long calling. And so, whenever our parents and family members are sick and ill, honor them by loving them and seeking their health, and not their death. Here is an article on the Pope's recent comments concerning this issue: VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Sunday renewed his appeal to Catholics to reject abortion and euthanasia, saying life was God-given and could not be cut short under "the guise of human compassion." His appeal came days after an Italian doctor who switched off the life support of a paralyzed man at the center of a euthanasia battle was cleared of wrongdoing by a medical panel. "Life, which is the work of God, cannot be negated by anyone, neither at the very young and indefensible unborn stage, nor when grave disabilities are present," he said in his weekly address to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square. Speaking on the Italian Catholic Church's "Day for Life," he said humanity could not legitimize euthanasia or be "fooled" into justifying it "under the guise of human compassion." Euthanasia is a deeply divisive issue in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy, where it is illegal and carries a jail term of up to 15 years. The issue was back in the spotlight last month when Italian doctor Mario Riccio disconnected the life support of Piergiorgio Welby, who was paralyzed for many years by muscular dystrophy and had asked to die.
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