Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a terminally ill person in order to end unbearable suffering. Anglo-American law and most religious leaders regard euthanasia as murder.

Most libertarians and many liberals support voluntary euthanasia in some circumstances. Voluntary euthanasia has been legalized in the Netherlands and Belgium and, upon approval of a few physicians, in the US state of Oregon. While legalized euthanasia ostensibly has limitations on when it may be used, such as limiting it to terminally ill patients suffering from excruciating pain, in practice all it requires is a few pro-euthanasia physicians to authorize it. That is rarely an obstacle.

An example of euthanasia was the withdrawal of a feeding tube from the disabled and comatose Terri Schiavo, with a court order prohibiting anyone from bringing her water.