Jack Kevorkian and Euthanasia Essay Example For Students

Jack Kevorkian and Euthanasia Essay Euthanasia The thin line between life and death has become an ethical issue many health care providers and the government have long tried to ignore. The understanding that life begins at birth, and ends when the heartbeat and breathing have ceased has long been deemed factual. Medical technologies have changed this with respirators, artificial defibrillators, and transplants (Macionis, 2009). â€Å"Thus medical and legal experts in the United States define death as an irreversible state involving no response to stimulation, no movement or breathing, no reflexes, and no indication of brain activity† (Macionis, 2009, p. 36). The process of deciding when a terminally ill patient should die lies within the patient, family members, and the medical staff. Patients who are terminally ill have the right to refuse treatment and nourishment at the time of the illness, or for the future through a living will. The right to not be resuscitated or use any extraordinary measures to prolong l ife also lies within their rights. The dilemma being faced by patients, medical personnel, and the government is whether or not someone has the â€Å"right to die. A patient has the right to refuse treatment to prolong their life, but do they have the right to choose to end their life at their discretion is the question (Macionis, 2009). Euthanasia, also called â€Å"mercy killing,† dated back to 1869, is the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy (Merriam-Webster, 2010). Euthanasia is an ethical dilemma because it is both an act of kindness and an act of harm. The desire to have euthanasia legalized varies from doctor to doctor, while some want to help end their patients inevitable misery, others state they became a doctor to prolong life not to end it (Stolberg, 1998). There are many forms of euthanasia, including oral medication overdose, lethal injection, and palliative sedation. Although Oregon have legally assisted suicides according to their state laws, in 1997, The U. S. Supreme Court decided under the constitution a patient does not have the right to die (Macionis, 2009). Euthanasia relates to the sociological paradigm of conflict theory. The basic definition of conflict theory is groups competing for scarce resources. Marx said the key element to human history is class conflict. A small group controls the means of production and exploits those not in control. It is considered the framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change. People in positions of authority try to enforce conformity, resulting in resentment and resistance. This leads to the constant struggle to determine who has the authority (Macionis, 2009). In Euthanasia, the government is in the position of authority; they are trying to enforce conformity among physicians. They want all physicians to abide by the law of assisted suicide being deemed illegal. The result is resentment by the patients with the terminal illness by being refused what they feel is their â€Å"right to die. † There is also resistance of some physicians to follow the laws that have been enforced due to their personal beliefs on the matter. Conflict theory shows the constant struggle between the government and patients, as well as physician and patients at who has the right to make that call. Patients have to fight a double battle; first, with the government to make it legal, and secondly, with the doctors by convincing them to follow through with the process. It ignores the shared belief among some patients, and possibly puts the fear in the government that with the legalization of assisted suicide that they are giving physicians and patients an overabundance of interdependence, and power in the concern of doctors being able to choose who lives and dies in these situations (Macionis, 2009). Dr. Jack Kevorkian – a k a â€Å"Doctor Death† for helping chronically ill and terminally ill patients commit suicide – has emerged from prison as deluded and unrepentant as ever. Brushing aside criticism by other supporters of medically assisted suicide that his tactics were reckless and harmful to their cause, Dr. Kevorkian asserted: â€Å"I did it right. I didn’t care what they did or didn’t do. When I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right. (The New York Times, 2007, p. A. 22) The irony in Dr. Kevorkian’s work is he did it wrong, and by performing the assisted suicides so badly he in turn defiled the movement he hoped to einforce. His work showed how much critically ill patients do suffer, and that there is a need for sane and humane laws for assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian was first brought into national attention in 1990 when he hooked a 54 year old woman to a homemade suicide device and watched as she pushed the button t o release the lethal drugs. Nine years later, he was jailed claiming to have assisted in the death of more than 130 terminally or chronically ill patients. The downfall for Kevorkian was his ego and appetite for publicity and fame. He gave a 52 year old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease lethal injections to end his life, which moved him beyond assisted suicide to euthanasia. Kevorkian wanted prosecutors to indict him, hoping the trial would cause society to argue his case. However, the judge blocked testimony from family members who supported the death and disallowed evidence about the patients suffering and the consent was deemed irrelevant. He was found guilty of second-degree murder (The New York Times, 2007, para. 7). The fundamental flow in Dr. Kevorkian’s crusade was his cavalier, indeed reckless, approach. He was happy to hook up patients without long-term knowledge of their cases or any corroborating medical judgment that they were terminally ill or suffering beyond hope of relief with aggressive palliative care. This was hardly â€Å"doing it right† as Dr. Kevorkian likes to believe. (The New York Times, 2007, para. 6) By contrast, Oregon being the only law allowing terminally ill adults to request a lethal dose of drugs from a physician requires two physicians to agree the patient is of sound mind and has less than six months to live. California is in the works of voting on a similarly careful measure. One of its sponsors cites Dr. Kevorkian as â€Å"the perfect reason we need this law in California. We don’t want there to be more Dr. Kevorkians† (The New York Times, 2007). † Dr. Kevorkian’s assisted suicides and euthanasia is an example of structural functionalism Structural functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. A social function is the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole. Types of social functions are manifest function, latent function and dysfunctions. Manifest function is the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern. Latent function is the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern. Dysfunctions are any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society (Macionis, 2009). Kevorkian’s situation is a form of manifest function in the aspect that he did illegal acts, which in turn caused him to be arrested and convicted of the crime. It is also a dysfunction, due to the harmful consequences of his reckless behavior. By working against the social structure set forth for him and doing things his way, he pushed back the idea of assisted suicide deeming it wrong and unethical due to his encounters. Death is a function all on its own and falls into the three types of social functions. Death is a Manifest function in regards to euthanasia because it is intended by the patient to die. It is a latent function for society and for the family of the patient. Both the aspect of society where death is an inevitable and required thing to keep populations under control, someone who has a chronic or deadly illness is enabling the natural process through euthanasia. It is unintended in regards of the family not expecting it to occur. It is also a dysfunction for the family, because it disrupts their lives and changes them forever. Media Too Powerful? EssayStevens argues that doctors should not assist in suicides because to do so is incompatible with the doctor’s role as healer. â€Å"I went into medicine to help people,† he said. â€Å"I didn’t go into medicine to give people a prescription for them to die† (Schwartz Estrin, 2004, para 25). Dr. Stevens heads an organization, Physicians for Compassionate Care, which opposes assisted suicide and the Oregon law. Members of his group, he said, tend to be â€Å"people of faith,† who believe that assisted suicide violates their religious principles. But they base their opposition to the law on moral and ethical grounds, arguing that it leads down a slippery slope toward euthanasia and patient abuses. He recalled the struggle of his wife, who died of cancer in 1982. In the weeks before she died, he said, her doctor offered her an â€Å"extra-large prescription† for painkillers. â€Å"As I helped her into the car, she said, ‘He wants me to kill myself,’† Dr. Stevens recalled. â€Å"It just devastated her that her doctor, her trusted doctor, subtly suggested that. † (Schwartz Estrin, 2004, para. 24-26) Doctors have long made lethal doses of drugs available to patients inclined to end their struggle against disease, said Eli Sututsman, president of the board of the Death With Dignity National Center. â€Å"We took something that was already happening, and we wrote a law around it,† he said (Schwartz Estrin, 2004, para 36). Opponents had argued that Oregon would become a magnet for people seeking suicide, so the law’s provisions were restricted to the state’s residents. The law also sets a high barrier to getting the life-ending medications, giving patients the chance to change their mind up to the last moment. A patient must make two oral requests for the drugs and one written request after a 15-day waiting period. Two doctors must determine that the patient has less than six months to live, a doctor must decide that the patient is capable of making independent decisions about health care and the doctor has to describe to the patient alternatives like hospice care (Schwartz Estrin, 2004). The law also requires that the drugs be self-administered by the patient, rather than given by a doctor or family member, to avoid involuntary euthanasia. The death certificate, under law, must state the cause of death as the underlying disease, not suicide (Schwartz Estrin, 2004). That provision pleases Mr. James. â€Å"I don’t like the word ‘suicide,’† he said, because â€Å"if I’m really on a path, the natural path† toward death, and â€Å"just hastening it a little bit, I don’t call that suicide† (Schwartz Estrin, 2004, para 38). The Oregon law is an example of Structural Functionalism. Individuals evaluate their own conduct by comparing themselves with others, such as with the legislation of the law getting passed (Macionis, 2009). By hearing stories of patients suffering with these horrendous illness, they were able to put themselves into the patient’s shoes and understand their need for such a law (Schwartz Estrin, 2004). â€Å"As we interact with others, we constantly adjust our views of who we are based on how we interpret the reactions of others† (Macionis, 2009). Many doctors that were opposed to the law in Oregon have changed their minds to their interactions with patients (Schwartz Estrin, 2004). This is a positive example of Symbolic Interaction. It is helping physicians and medical personnel get into the patients mind and understand a little more of what they are experiencing. This should be a prime example for the government that this needs to be a nationwide law, not just in the state of Oregon. Not only is Oregon permitting patient assisted suicide, they are doing so in a manner that is structured and regulated. The sociological theories play a great role in the health field. Structural functionalism for example has both social structure and social function. The social structure would be the everyday duties of an individual in healthcare, the social function would be the disruption of the social pattern such as with euthanasia as I discussed above. It deals with manifest function, with the intended consequence (Macionis, 2009). For example, you take your antibiotics you get better. Latent function relates to healthcare where by treating illness individuals have discovered new cures and ways to do so. It is also a dysfunction when you have corrupt people working in healthcare, such as a doctor writing narcotic prescriptions when the patient should not have them or it is not time for a refill. Symbolic interaction relates to healthcare in the sense that it is a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of everyday individuals (Macionis, 2009). Healthcare workers interact with patients every day. They also compare themselves with others, by putting themselves in the patient’s shoes in some situations. Conflict theory simply defined is groups competing for scarce resources (Macionis, 2009). With the economy in the state it is, many are competing for jobs which come with healthcare benefits. Health insurance is becoming scarce for some, and in situations where it is available an individual may not be able to afford it. Sociology is an important class because it explains how people interact as groups in society. This can lead to understanding and acceptance of different cultures. It is important to learn about things such as social interaction, culture, and media and influence because the information and understanding gained can positively impact public policies. It invites us to examine aspects of the social environment that we often ignore, neglect, or take for granted. References Humphry, D. , Clement, M. (1998). Freedom To Die. New York, New York, USA: St. Martins Press. Macionis, J. M. (2009). Society the Basics. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Merriam-Webster. (2010). Retrieved July 10, 2010, from Merriam-Webster OnLine: www. merriam-webster. com Schwartz, J. , Estrin, J. (2004, June 1). In Oregon, Choosing Death Over Suffering. The New York Times , F. 1. New York, NY. Stolberg, S. G. (1998, April 23). The New York Times. Assisted Suicides Are Rare, Survey of Doctors Finds . New York, N. Y. The New York Times. (2007, June 5). Dr. Kevorkians Wrong Way. New York Times , A. 22. New York, N. Y, USA.