Euthanasia Essay Example for Free

Euthanasia Essay For currency, this piece of news was published very soon after the mobile euthanasia clinics scheme started (stated in article that was cross-referenced: the Guardian) on Thursday 1 March 2012. Therefore, it is likely to be valid and updated till that point in time. However, as the article will not include any further developments since March 2012, there is a need to research as to whether there are more current reports on the issue in order to make a more informed decision on the issue. ] For relevance, this article tells us about a brand new option for euthanasia that is carried out through mobile clinics in the Netherlands. So far, euthanasia is legal in only the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia and Oregon in the USA. This can be seen as a ‘controversial’ new option that makes euthanasia even more accessible in the Netherlands. It raises questions whether this new ‘convenience’ could result in an abuse of the legislation with doctors and patients going too far. The debate over the whether it should be a right for people to choose when and how to die, with dignity, has been going on for a long time in many countries, especially in developed countries. This is also relevant to us locally as we have an ageing population in Singapore. Although we have other measures in place such as the Advanced Medical Directive, euthanasia has not been legalised in Singapore. With greater attention being given to palliative care in recent years, the different perspectives in the euthanasia debate around the world is not far removed from us. The question remains as to whether our society is ready for measures such as euthanasia. As for authority, this article is written by Anna Holligan from BBC News. BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the worlds largest broadcast news organisation. The BBC is required by its charter to be free from both political and commercial influence and answers only to its viewers and listeners. However, this has been challenged on a few occasions. On the whole, BBC News is still regarded as an objective source of news, as compared to papers subjected to political/commercial influence. In analysing accuracy, I found that the same news also appeared in The Huffington Post (US) and the Guardian (UK). NVVE (Dutch right-to-die organization) website (through Google translate). Please see the attached article from The Guardian as a cross-reference. At the same time, within the BBC article itself, the journalist had also listed quotes from the following: Mr Jan Suyver, one of the creators of the Levenseinde (Life End) units; NVVE (Dutch right-to-die organization); Bert Dorenbos, who represents the pro-life Dutch Cry for Life campaign group and The Royal Dutch Medical Association. In addition, the journalist gave statistics referring to the existing euthanasia law in the Netherlands, as well as findings from a report published by the commission on Assisted Dying in the UK. The information and quotes from these diverse sources (who offer different perspectives on the issue) strengthens the validity and reliability of the article. The purpose of this article is to inform readers about the new controversial option for euthanasia in the Netherlands. The intention to inform can be seen in the way the article presented the information in an objective manner. Perspectives of both the pro-euthanasia camp and the anti-euthanasia camp were highlighted, without the article being skewed in favour of either of them. Therefore, I think this is quite a balanced and reliable article.