2
on An AvErAgE oF six timEs A DAy, A DoCtor in hollAnD prACtiCEs "ACtivE" EuthAnAsiA: intEntionAlly ADministEring A lEthAl (致死的) Drug to A tErminAlly ill pAtiEnt who hAs AskED to BE rEliEvED oF suFFEring. twEnty timEs A DAy, liFE-prolonging trEAtmEnt is withhElD or withDrAwn whEn thErE is no hopE thAt it CAn EFFECt An ultimAtE CurE. "ACtivE" EuthAnAsiA rEmAins A CrimE on thEDutCh stAtutE Books, punishABlE By 12 yEArs in prison.But A sEriEs oF Court CAsEs ovEr thE pAst 15 yEArs hAs mADE it ClEAr thAt A CompEtEnt physiCiAn who CAr riEs it out will not BE prosECutED、
EuthAnAsiA, oFtEn CAllED "mErCy killing" is A CrimE EvErywhErE in wEstErnEu- ropE.But morE AnD morE DoCtors AnD nursEs rEADily ADmit to prACtiCing it, most oFtEn in thE "pAssivE" Form oF withholDing or withDrAwing trEAtmEnt. thE long simmEring EuthA- nAsiA issuE hAs lAtEly BoilED ovEr into A, somEtimEs, FiErCE puBliC DEBAtE, with Both siDEs ClAiming thE mAntlE oF ultimAtE rightEousnEss. thosE opposED to thE prACtiCE sEE thEmsElvEs upholDing sACrED prinCiplEs oF rEspECt For liFE, whilE thosE in FAvor rAisE thE BAnnEr oF hu mAnE trEAtmEnt.AFtEr yEArs on thE DEFEnsivE, thE ADvoCAtEs now sEEm to BE gAining grounD、rECEnt polls inBritAin show thAt 72 pErCEnt oFBritish suBjECts FAvor EuthAnAsiA in somE CirCumstAnCEs.An Astonishing 76 pErCEnt oF rEsponDEnts to A poll tAkEn lAst yEAr in FrAnCE sAiD thEy woulD likE thE lAw ChAngED to DECriminAlizE mErCy killings.
EuthAnAsiA hAs BEEn A topiC oF ControvErsy inEuropE sinCE At lEAst 1936, whEn A Bill wAs introDuCED in thE housE oF lorDs thAt woulD hAvE lEgAlizED mErCy killing unDEr vEry tightly supErvisED ConDitions. thAt Bill FAilED, As hAvE thrEE othErs introDuCED in thE housE oF lorDs sinCE thEn.
rEAsons For thE lAtEst surgE oF intErEst in EuthAnAsiA ArE not hArD to FinD、EuropEAns, likEAmEriCAns, ArE now living longEr. thErEForE, lingEring ChroniC DisEAsEs hAvE rEplACED CritiCAl illnEssEs As thE primAry CAusE oF DEAth.AnD thE EuthAnAsists ArguE thAt EvEry hu mAn BEing shoulD hAvE thE right to "DiE with Dignity," By whiCh thEy usuAlly mEAn thE right to EsCApE thE horrors oF A pAinFul or DEgrADing hospitAlizAtion (住院治疗).
most ExpErts BEliEvE thAt EuthAnAsiA will ContinuE to BE prACtiCED no mAttEr whAt thE lAw sAys.
whiCh oF thE Following is thE most rEAsonABlE CAusE oF EuthAnAsiAA．pEoplE Don’t likE to livE too long.
B、pEoplE Don’t likE to suFFEr From lAsting ChroniC DisEAsEs.
C．pEoplE Don’t likE to BE hospitAlizED、
D．pEoplE Don’t likE to BEComE A BurDEn oF othErs.