Euthanasia, the intentional termination of another person with the

objective of relieving suffering, is one of the most contentious and ethically

complex issues in the world today. As the medical advancements increase

longevity and prolong the incidence of terminal illness or suffering, the need

to have a conversation about dying with dignity is more crucial than it ever

has been. The need to contemplate the legalization of euthanasia is

continuing to grow as population ages and healthcare systems are becoming

more overburdened, not just in the U.S., but globally.

This topic can be considered urgent and timely. The National Library of

Medicine anticipates that by 2060, 48 million people per year will die globally

from serious health related suffering—estimated to be nearly 90% growth

since 2016. Support for euthanasia by the public is shifting rapidly, creating

an opportunity of kairos. People are advocating for more compassionate

autonomous choices for end-of-life care. Legalizing euthanasia would involve

a respect for patients' autonomy, reduce unnecessary suffering, and promote

justice and ethics in contemporary healthcare systems.

Sleeman, K. E., de Brito, M., Etkind, S., Nkhoma, K., Guo, P., &

Higginson, I. J. (2019). The growing global burden of serious health-related

suffering: projections to 2060 by world region, age group, and health

condition. *The Lancet Global Health, 7*(7), e883–e892.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30172-X
 Dr. Katherine Sleeman is a well-known researcher on the subject of

palliative care and public health and is affiliated with King's College London.

Her credentials add significant credibility (ethos) to this research. This peer-

reviewed article offers forecasted information about serious health-related

suffering globally, revealing a significant need for a fuller range of end-of-life

care options. The authors anticipate that deaths that include serious

suffering will rise to over 48 million globally in 2060.

There is credible and rigorous evidence; evidence that is timely,

invoking the pathos of the reader. The source gives a strong appeal to logos

to support the key ideas discussed herein regarding the repository of

preventable suffering and the need for legal euthanasia as a humane

solution.

Varkey, B. (2021) Principles of clinical ethics and their application to

practice. The Permanente Journal, 25, 21–075.

https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/21.075

Dr. Varkey is a medical doctor and bioethicist with a background in clinical

ethics and applies principles of ethics to clinical practice; using the source

gives the source's ethos a little more weight.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the four main

principles of bioethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Varkey discusses justice and in particular distributive justice - the equitable

life discussion.

The source is fairly solidly constructed and authoritative. I will utilize

this in opposition to any ethical argument against euthanasia as I can

reinforce both the rights of individual patients to their own autonomy, and

the concept of fair distribution of healthcare resources using ethos and logos.

Rietjens, J. A. C., van der Heide, A., & Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D.

(2019) Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: A view from the

Netherlands. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 16(2), 273–282.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-019-09917-9

The authors are genuine bioethics researchers and clinicians located in the

Netherlands, a jurisdiction where euthanasia has been legal for several

decades, giving them some level of experience with the topic, and therefore

credence and ethos.

This article provides a complete view of the Dutch model (the ethics

safeguards) of euthanasia as well as empirical evidence (evidence proves

that legalizations does not lead to systematic abuses).

I will use this to counter the common "slippery slope" argument by

demonstrating an existing model (with real-world evidence) that destroys the

slippery slope argument. The authors used logical appeals of fact (logos) to

promote the safe and ethical use of euthanasia under regulation. Rietjens, J.

A. C., van der Heide, A., & Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D. (2019). Euthanasia and
physician-assisted suicide: A view from the Netherlands. *Journal of

Bioethical Inquiry, 16*(2), 273–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-019-

09917-9

The authors of this article are both bioethics researchers and

practitioners in The Netherlands, which has legalized euthanasia for decades

providing confidence in trustworthiness and dependability as articles of such

guidance indicate ethical boundaries and procedural safeguards as well as

evidence that indicates that euthanasia, once it has been made legal, will

not lead to institutionalized abuse of euthanasia.

In this article, they describe their entire Dutch model of euthanasia

including ethical boundaries and procedural safeguards, and empirical

evidence that indicate the practice of euthanasia does not evolve to

systemic abuses.

I will use this article to respond to the common "slippery slope"

argument, by providing empirical evidence that demonstrates "no there is

not". They use rational appeals and evidence (logos) to confirm that

euthanasia is safe and ethical in controlled contexts.

Addario, E., & Saad, L. (2019, June 27). Americans remain supportive of

euthanasia. *Gallup*. https://news.gallup.com/poll/268514/americans-

remain-supportive-euthanasia.aspx
 Lydia Saad is the director for all U.S. social research and polling that

Gallup does, and Gallup is a reputable organisation for which she has

research credibility, plus this report.

This article discusses Gallup polling data and states roughly 72% of

American's agree with euthanasia, which is an ongoing upward trend for now

well over two decades and suggests broader changing cultural perspectives.

While not peer-reviewed this is a contemporary report and captures the

breadth of uptake on the social issue, it gives credible discretion to the kairos

of the issue! I will use the report to demonstrate the significant and growing

social demand for legal reform, that combined with the urgency for

realizable/contextual urgency for.

BBC News. (2022, July 26). Dying daughter pleads for assisted dying law

change. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-62290661

The article from BBC news recounts Heather McQueen's campaign for

euthanasia to help inform the changes to law and policy following the

experience of the suffering of her mother, and personally used the expressed

biases of the queneshtaroon of these large articles that carry knowledge and

credibility among other well respected and credible news resources.

The article provides us with an emotional appeal to evoke ethical

questioning the surrounding context behind the legal restrictions of

euthanasia; Heather uses pathos and distinguishes the costly and painful

humanity behind the overly restrictive laws, and the violence experienced
against her mother via the lost act of control over the decision about her life

and suffering.

I will use the article to create emotional connections, and highlight the

injustice to deny patients' right to control over the end of their lives and

suffering to frame that need for reform as compassionate legal reform.