In recent years, the subject of euthanasia has become a hotly debated topic throughout civilized society. With those debates people are lining up on both sides of the discussion. Those who support the idea of legalized euthanasia believe it is an ethical duty to allow terminally ill people to make a choice to end their suffering. Those who are against the practice argue that it is a slippery slope and mankind should not even begin the process of sliding. While both sides continue to debate the positive and negative impact that legalized euthanasia could have on society, terminally ill people hang in the balance, uncertain about their immediate future. While nobody wants to see people die, the fact remains that death is inevitable. Once a person has contracted an illness that there will be no recovery from, only increased suffering and the potential for eventual death, they need to have the right to decide to die now, before their family is financially and emotionally destroyed and before the patient himself suffers needless months of agony. Society has an ethical duty to allow this practice. An ethical duty mandates that a duty be allowed or performed because it is simply the right thing to do and in the case of euthanasia the ethical duty is clear and immovable.
             Euthanasia is a medical term to describe a death that is caused medically for the purpose of putting an end to suffering. The death is not caused because of murder, rage, or other criminal intent. It is solely based on the desire to end the suffering a person is currently and will continue to deal with (Cohen-Almagor, 2003). Euthanizing animals who suffer with no hope of recovery has been an accepted practice for many years however the legal and medical community continues to argue over the ethical decision to allow euthanasia for humans.
             Almost a decade ago, euthanasia became legal in the Netherlands as long as it could be shown to be a last resort, a patient request...