In 1998 Dr. Jack Kevorkian was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the death of Mr. Thomas Youk. Although Kevorkian had been tried and acquitted several times for assisting with the suicide of other patients, this time Kevorkian was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 10-25 years in prison. Many believe he was convicted this time because he crossed the line between assisted-suicide and euthanasia by administering the injection himself to Mr. Youk. Link to the site above to see a chronology of the events in the Youk case, as well as a video of Kevorkian's interview with Youk and a video of the euthanasia itself. Write an essay in which you examine arguments both for and against drawing the line between assisted-suicide and euthanasia. In the end, where do you stand on the issue?
The Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalize not just assisted-suicide but also euthanasia. Many other countries have considered using the Dutch approach as a model for legislation of their own. Link to the site above to find a description of the history of the Dutch struggle over euthanasia, including brief descriptions of key legal decisions in the process. Included there you will find the 1995 case involving a doctor who administered a lethal injection to a three day old neonate suffering from hydrocephalus and
spina bifida. The baby was in severe pain and expected to live no more than six months. The parents were informed of the condition and prognosis and gave a "considered and earnest request" for the baby to be killed by lethal injection. The court upheld a defense of necessity. Write an essay in which you describe and evaluate the Dutch system. Be sure to include a discussion of the case of the neonate.
This site is a part of the Ohio Right to Life site. You will find here an essay that compares the late 20th century right-to-die movement with Nazi attempts to destroy "unworthy lives." Write an essay in which you explain and evaluate the arguments presented by the author. Be sure to explain your own conclusions about the comparisons between the two movements.
