Assisted Suicide Essays (987 words) - Medical Ethics, Euthanasia

Assisted Suicide It is upsetting and depressing living life in the shadow of death. Many questions appear on this debatable topic, such as should we legalize euthanasia? What is euthanasia? What is assisted suicide? What is the difference between Passive and Active Euthanasia? What is Voluntary, Non-voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia? What is Mercy Killing? What is Death with dignity? But if euthanasia was legalized, wouldn't patients then die peacefully rather than using plastic bags or other methods? And unfortunately the list continues. No one denies that there are many vulnerable persons who require the protection of the law. Take, for example, those in a temporary state of clinical depression, perhaps caused by a traumatic event in their lives. These persons will recover and go on to lead productive, happy lives, and it would be unconscionable to encourage or support them in a transitory wish to die. There are also many unemployed and unemployable, many disabled of all ages, and many senior citizens whose families might, for selfish or downright malicious reasons, encourage them to seek assisted suicide. All kinds of people in difficult situations could be at risk of being intimidated or forced into feeling their early death would be a convenience to society. Section 241 is doubly flawed. It is not an especially effective drawback against those who seek to prey on the vulnerable, but at the same time it forces persons enduring intolerable suffering to exist in that state against their own wishes, thus denying them their right of self-determination as citizens in a free democracy. Competent, rational human beings must have the right to determine their own health care according to their personal wishes, values and beliefs, as long as such a determination does not jeopardize the safety or well-being of any other person. We do not believe, for instance, that people have the right to kill themselves by driving recklessly and in so doing jeopardize the safety of others. To kill oneself by causing an explosion that will inevitably put others at risk is horror. It is also reproachable to end one's own life without regard to the trauma it might inflict on the vulnerable. People shall never forget the horror suffered by two young children who arrived home after school to find their mother hanging from the hall chandelier, or by a teen-age boy who found his father with his head blown apart from a self-inflicted shotgun wound in the kitchen of their home. We also need to consider the anguish of family members, friends and even health-care professionals who must continue to witness, day after day, the suffering of people they love and wish to help. If a remedy for such suffering does not exist within the law, people will have recourse to the unwritten law of simple justice. Proponents of euthanasia argue that mercy-killing is necessary because patients particularly those with terminal illness, experience uncontrollable pain. They argue that the only way to alleviate the pain is to eliminate the patient. But is there a better way? In the last few years a number of court cases have shown the quandary the legal system is in about this issue. In a recent presentation to the Supreme Court, Dying With Dignity outlined some of these problems. Developments in the medical sciences and in the protection of human dignity have created expectations in Canadians that they will be able to exercise greater control over fundamental issues respecting personal autonomy and human dignity, bodily integrity and issues of life and death.... The advances in medical science, and in particular the capacity of medical science to intervene in the natural cycle of life and death, have led also to a re-examination of many fundamental issues, including the protection Canadian society should accord to the values of sanctity of life. Of particular importance... is the circumstances under which a person may determine the manner and time of his or her own death. The Case of Sue Rodriguez Canada's most important (to date) dramatic and high-profile court case with respect to the issue of physician-assisted suicide took place in 1992-93. Sue Rodriguez, a young woman aged forty when she was first diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is an intelligent, aware person. She had done her research and knew full well the death that was in store for her. Mrs. Rodriguez, mother of a small child, knew that the disease would gradually rob her of the ability to walk, move her body at will, eat and finally breathe without mechanical assistance. Her mind would remain alert, however, trapped in the shell of her body.

How to Develop, Organize, and Plan Instruction

How to Develop, Organize, and Plan Instruction Good planning is the first step to an effective classroom, and one of the six main teacher tasks that excellent teachers must master. A well-planned class reduces stress on the teacher and helps minimize disruptions. When teachers know what they need to accomplish and how they are going to do it, they have a better opportunity to achieve success with the added benefit of less stress. Further, when students are engaged during the entire class period, they have less opportunity to cause disruptions. Obviously, the demeanor of the teacher, the quality of the lesson, and the method of delivery all play into an effective day in class. With that said, it all starts with a good plan. Steps for Planning Instruction Look over the state and national standards and your texts and supplemental materials to determine what concepts you must cover in the year. Make sure to include any required test preparation material. Use this to create a plan of study for your course.Create a personalized lesson plan calendar. This will help you visualize and organize your instruction.Plan your units using your overall plan of study and your calendar.Create detailed unit lesson plans. These should include the following items to be effective:ObjectivesActivitiesTime estimatesRequired materialsAlternatives- Make sure to plan for those students who might be absent during your activities.Assessment- This includes classwork, homework, and tests  Transfer your broad unit plan to a planning book to keep yourself organized. This will help with implementation and focus. This is where all the unit plans come together to give you a broader picture of the year.Write a daily lesson outline and agenda. The details included will differ depending how detailed you wish to be. Some teachers create a simple outline with times attached to help keep them on track while others include detailed notes and written information. At a bare minimum, you should have an agenda prepared for yourself and your students so that you appear organized and you make smooth transitions. It is very easy to lose student attention as you search for the page that you want them to read or fumble through a stack of papers. Create and/or gather any required items. Make handouts, overheads, lectures notes, manipulatives, etc. If you are going to start each day with a warm-up, then have this created and ready to go. If your lesson requires a movie or item from the media center, make sure that you put in your request early so that you are not disappointed on the day of your lesson. Planning for the Unexpected As most teachers realize, interruptions and unexpected events often occur in class. This might range from pulled fire alarms and unexpected assemblies to your own illnesses and emergencies. Therefore, you should create plans that will help you deal with these unexpected events. Create mini-lessons to help fill up any time that might be left at the end of a class period. Even the best teachers are sometimes left with extra time. Instead of just letting students talk, use this time for extra instruction or possibly educational fun. Further, if an unexpected assembly is called leaving you with just 15 minutes of instruction, these lessons can be a godsend.Emergency lesson plans are a necessity for all teachers. If you cannot make it to school at the last minute or have to leave to deal with a personal emergency, you need to leave lesson plans to help your substitute. This combined with your substitute folder is important to help your classroom continue to function without you.