What I learned is that euthanasia can be defined as a mercy killing. Mercy killing is when a patient is killed in a painless manner because they chose it or because it was chosen for them because they are incurable or simply because they refuse to heal yourself. There are two types of euthanasia: passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient does not receive or refuses the treatment they need to stay alive. Active euthanasia is when a doctor or nurse provides a patient with medication that will kill them. Euthanasia is a widely used argument. Some people think it should be legal and others think it shouldn't be. There are clear pros and cons to the situation, and then there are aspects that come into play and make the argument fuzzy; for example, religion. However, I will start by listing the benefits I have learned about euthanasia. Euthanasia comes from the Greek language and means good death, which is just another term for mercy killing. Some people believe that euthanasia has an advantage: it allows a person to die with dignity. The pain and loss caused by terminal illnesses make people feel less worthy. Therefore, not allowing euthanasia can be described as an act of denying dignity to dying people. It is also argued that terminally ill patients who desire and are permitted to be euthanized do not physically harm others during their death. Terminal illnesses sometimes cause a lot of suffering. People suffering from these terminal illnesses sometimes simply want to end their suffering. On the other hand, some people are denied medical insurance and ultimately treatment or pain control. This is why more and more people want euthanasia to be legal. I also learned that middle of paper ... none of the recognized legal defenses to justify or excuse his behavior, instead relying on "his culture" as a defense. She was sentenced to 5 years of probation. Additionally, the woman and her husband were able to work things out and get back together. Although this story is not specifically about euthanasia, it is about the cultural diversity present in American society. Culture can also obviously play a huge role in the euthanasia controversy, particularly because some countries and/or states believe that euthanasia is not illegal. What I learned from the websites as part of this assignment is that the main issue people have against euthanasia is who decides whether euthanasia is appropriate for each individual's circumstances. Maybe it's the individual who decides, maybe the doctor, maybe the family, or maybe none of these people should make the decision to end their life..