Argumentative Essay on Euthanasia free essay sample

Every year millions of people are diagnosed with terminal illnesses or injuries. Most suffer long and agonizingly painful deaths. While medication may ease the pain temporarily, the long term agony is unrelenting. In the United States the idea of euthanasia has long been a moral and political fire storm. Webster’s dictionary defines euthanasia as, †the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. No one with any compassion wants the sick and dying to suffer. The key phrase is â€Å"the sick and dying†. The act of mercifully killing the sick and dying is exactly what euthanasia entails. There are many people who disagree with this idea. They feel that no one has the right to end a person’s life, not even the dying person. These people believe that life is sacred and only God can decide when it is time to go, and how. We will write a custom essay sample on Argumentative Essay on Euthanasia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is great in theory, but in reality the question should be asked, when does a person die? For instance, take the case of Terry Schiavo, a Florida woman whose case caused a true national debate about the topic of euthanasia and even more so, started the debate as to when a person is considered dead. In February of 1990, twenty-six year old Schiavo suffered a massive cardiac event which, due to lack of oxygen, caused her to suffer massive brain damage. After she spent two months in a coma, her diagnosis was changed to persistent vegetative state. After much rehabilitation, it was decided that Schiavo would not make any kind of recovery. Her eyes were open. Yes, she could breathe with assistance. Those are the reasons her parents and many others thought she would recover. The problem was that Terry was not there. She was medically brain dead. Having come to terms with the situation, her husband made the decision to remove her feeding tube and with the aid of pain medications allow her to die. It took fifteen years and numerous legal battles as well as presidential interference to the contrary, but in March of 2005, Terry Schiavo died. Opponents say that there could eventually have been a cure for Schiavo’s illness. They still believe that her quality of life was better than what was medically determined. The problem is that they do not have the right to decide what a person’s individual quality of life is. Terry Schiavo’s parents were insistent on keeping Terry with them. They could not let her go. A large portion of the opposition to euthanasia is selfishness. People don’t want to let loved ones go. Take for instance a person making the decision not to be resuscitated if they are dying. In some states a patient’s advanced directive can be waived if the family wishes. This includes do not resuscitate statuses. Patients in hospice care are routinely taken to emergency facilities to receive life saving measures in blatant disregard of their wishes, not to mention the purpose of hospice care. Other forms of Euthanasia involve people who have terminal illnesses and as the illnesses progress, decide they want to die with dignity. It is a person’s right to determine when and where they die. Some don’t see it this way. They feel that people should suffer severe and agonizing pain, and the loss personal dignity because God said so. Of course, this is the most basic rendering of the argument, but that is the gist of it. There are also those of the opinion that the wish to die is motivated by a person’s false guilt of becoming a drain on family and friends when they are not able to take care of themselves. They feel that the mental health of the person can be treated with palliative care, which can work. A major problem with this ideology is that just as a person has the right to self determination and examination, he or she should also have the right to die. If a person has the right to live his or her own life as they see fit, then how can we not afford them the same in death? Yes we can and should as a responsible society attempt to deter mentally ill patients from suicide. That is a different issue entirely. When death is imminent, let them go. No one with an ounce of compassion wants to see a person suffer. We also do not always want to let our loved ones go. We must weigh a person’s wishes against our own fears and beliefs regarding death. We cannot ask the question, â€Å"What would I want to do? † or â€Å"How would I feel? † It is not you who is dying. It is someone else. ?

High School Social Studies Courses Needed for College

High School Social Studies Courses Needed for College Choosing the high school courses that will best prepare you for success in college can be a difficult process, and social studies, though an important subject for a strong college application, is easily overlooked, particularly if you arent planning to enter a liberal arts program. Many students are much more concerned about their math, science, and foreign language requirements. Requirements for high school preparation in social studies vary significantly among different colleges and universities, and the term social studies can mean something different to different schools. What Courses Count as Social Studies? Social studies is a broad term that encompasses fields of study related to culture, government, civics, and the general interactions of people within a complex national and global context. War, technology, law, religion, and immigration all have a place within the category of social studies. High school classes in social studies typically include United States History, European History, World History, U.S. Government, Human Geography, and Psychology. Keep in mind, however, that colleges are free to define social studies as broadly or narrowly as they choose. What Social Studies Classes Do Colleges Require? Most competitive colleges recommend at least two to three years of high school social studies, which generally includes history as well as courses in government or civics. Here are some specific recommendations for high school social studies coursework from several different institutions: Carleton College, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, requires three or more years of social science. The college does not specify what courses it prefers students to take under the label of social science.Harvard University, the prestigious Ivy League school, is more specific in its recommendation. The university wants to see that students have taken at least two, and preferably three years of courses that include American history, European history, and one other advanced history course.Stanford University, another prestigious and highly selective university,  wants to three or more years of history/social studies. The university wants these courses to include a meaningful essay writing requirement so that applicants are prepared for the rigors of university humanities and social science classes.Pomona College, an excellent liberal arts college and member of the Claremont Colleges, wants to see a minimum of two years of social sciences (the term the school uses fo r social studies), and the college recommends three years. Clearly when a highly selective school recommends something, applicants should take that recommendation very seriously. UCLA, one of the countrys top  public universities, requires two years of study. The university is more specific about this requirement than many other institutions. UCLA wants to see one year of world history, cultures, and geography; and or one year U.S. history or one half year U.S. history and one half year of civics or American government.  Williams College, another top-ranked liberal arts college, does not have any specific academic requirements for admission, but the schools admissions website notes that they look for the strongest program of study offered at a students school, and that competitive applicants have typically taken a four-year sequence of courses in social studies. The table below gives you a quick glimpse of typical social studies requirements for different types of colleges and universities. School Social Studies Requirement Auburn University 3 years required Carleton College 2 years required, 3 or more years recommended Centre College 2 years recommended Georgia Tech 3 years required Harvard University 2-3 years recommended (American, European, one additional advanced) MIT 2 years required NYU 3-4 years required Pomona College 2 years required, 3 years recommended Smith College 2 years required Stanford University 3 or more years recommended (should include essay writing) UCLA 2 years required (1 year world, 1 year US or 1/2 year US+1/2 year civics or government) University of Illinois 2 years required, 4 years recommended University of Michigan 3 years required; 2 years for engineering/nursing Williams College 3 years recommended What Social Studies Classes Do the Strongest Applicants Take? You can see from the selective colleges above that all schools require two or more social studies classes, and many require three. The reality is that your application will be strongest with four classes, for its important to remember that colleges look more favorably upon applicants who have done more than meet the minimum requirements.What you take will largely depend on what your school offers. A student who takes a course in U.S. history followed by courses in African American history and America at war shows depth of knowledge and intellectual curiosity, but courses beyond basic American history arent offered in many school systems.   In general, however, you should take the most challenging courses available to you. An IB curriculum will certainly impress the admissions officers, as will AP classes in history and government. If you have the option of taking classes through a local college, those dual-enrollment classes in history, politics, sociology, psychology, government, and other social sciences will also make a good impression and help demonstrate your college readiness. College admissions officers are looking for students who have challenged themselves throughout high school, taking on advanced coursework in multiple subjects. Because social studies is an area in which most schools only require two or three years of study, you have an opportunity to present yourself as a well-rounded and dedicated student by taking additional courses. This is particularly true if you are applying for a college program in history, civics, or any of the liberal arts.