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mercy killing |
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mercy killing: see euthanasia euthanasia (y ..... Click the link for more information. . euthanasiaor mercy killingPainless killing of a person who has a painful, incurable disease or incapacitating disorder. Most legal systems consider it murder, though in many jurisdictions a physician may lawfully decide not to prolong the patient's life or may give drugs to relieve pain even if they shorten the patient's life. Associations promoting legal euthanasia exist in many countries. The legalization movement has gained ground with advancing medical technology, which has been used to prolong the lives of patients who are enduring extreme suffering or who are comatose or unable to communicate their wishes. Euthanasia was legalized in The Netherlands in 2001 and in Belgium in 2002. In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Many of us who oppose euthanasia fear the general public is being slowly yet efficiently trained to see such "final solutions" to human vulnerability as mercy killings. Nurses in Holland fear they could become unwitting accomplices to murder following a change in Dutch law that will allow doctors to carry out mercy killings and assisted suicides. Saldivar told police he had committed scores of mercy killings but later recanted those statements in television interviews. |
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