Myth No. 1: It is primarily advances in biomedical technology--especially life-sustaining technology--that have created unprecedented public interest in physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia... [But really] Patients who are being kept alive by technology and want to end their lives already have a recognized constitutional right to stop any and all medical interventions, from respirators to antibiotics. They do not need physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.
Myth No. 2: Legalizing physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia is widely endorsed... [But really] The most accurate characterization of the survey data is that a significant majority of Americans oppose physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia except in the limited case of a terminally ill patient with uncontrollable pain.
Myth No. 3: It is terminally ill patients with uncontrollable pain who are most likely to be interested in physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia... [But really] No study has ever shown that pain plays a major role in motivating patient requests for physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.
Myth No. 4: The experience with euthanasia in the Netherlands shows that permitting physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia will not eventually get out of hand... [But really] The Netherlands studies fail to demonstrate that permitting physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia will not lead to the nonvoluntary euthanasia of children, the demented, the mentally ill, the old, and others.
Who was the author? Obama healthcare adviser Dr Ezechiel Emanuel, a man who was unfairly dubbed "Doctor Death" during the "death panel" controversy in 2009. BioEdge
No comments:
Post a Comment