Most people don't like to talk about or even think about death; much less the subject of ending one's own life. However, for some, death is a desired alternative to dying. Euthanasia has been a topic of debate since ancient times, and both sides remain firm on their beliefs. The right to choose death is illegal in most countries. I believe in the freedom of people to do what they want with their own bodies. The fundamental right to liberty is the foundation on which America was founded. Euthanasia should be a legal option. It is important to start by understanding the different types of euthanasia. To allow someone to die is to “forgo or discontinue medical treatment that offers no hope of benefit to the patient's total well-being, or that imposes a burden disproportionate to the potential benefits, allows the patient to die » (Manning 2). Traditionally called passive euthanasia, allowing someone to die has been redefined and is acceptable in the Catholic Church. Active euthanasia, also known as physician-assisted suicide, occurs when someone other than the patient ends the patient's life upon explicit request. I view active and passive euthanasia as one and the same, with one very real difference: allowing someone to die delays the inevitable and the patient must twist and turn for some time to come. Peter Chesterfield comments: “A terminally ill, mentally competent patient like me should not be forced to suffer. It is as morally unacceptable as murder” (qtd. in Friedman 8). On the other hand, "the term 'mercy killing' refers to the direct action of a person to end the life of a patient without the patient's permission" (Thiroux and Krasemann 184). . Compassionate killing is a form of euthanasia that must be properly supervised and involves...... middle of document ......links to medical assistance in dying: an exploratory evaluation of the argument for vulnerability”, Journal of Disability Policy Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, Summer 2005. Print. Manning MD, Michael. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: killing or healing? Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1998. Print. Nordqvist, Christian. “What is euthanasia.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, September 26, 2014. Web. May 5, 2015. .Sharma, Shweta. “Euthanasia: debate relaunched on the right to die for the terminally ill.” Health and Wellness Resource Center. Mel, August 3, 2014. Web. May 5, 2015.Snyder, Carrie L. Euthanasia: Opposing Views. Farmington Hills: Bonnie Szumski, 2006. Print. Thiroux, Jacques P. and Kevin W. Krasseman. Ethics: theory and practice. UpperSaddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.