Euthanasia should be legalized for terminally ill patients on a voluntary basis to reduce medical costs, prevent prolonged physical pain and unnecessary suffering, and preserve the dignity of the dying person. Terminally ill patients often rack up large sums of medical bills. In addition to the costs, terminally ill patients are subjected to excruciating pain and discomfort due to the disease and/or the treatments involved, administered only to prolong the inevitable. When a person is dying, they may have little or no say in what happens in their home, finances, or other aspects of that person's life, but they reserve the right to die with their dignity intact. Euthanasia comes from Greek the prefix “eu” means good or easy and the suffix “thanatos” means death (123helpme.com). In ancient Greece, suicide and assisted suicide were practiced regularly. In some situations, it was considered honorable to commit suicide or have a family member witness one's death (Walker). On the other hand, Socrates was sentenced to suicide as punishment for having “corrupted the youth of the city with his teachings” (Yount). As time has passed, suicide and assisted suicide have become less and less accepted in society. When Christianity was introduced into Western civilization, a value was placed on human life that had not existed before. It was said that only God had the right to take away the gift of life from individuals. In the 19th century, most countries had laws against suicide, which punished the family by taking property, livestock, etc. However, those laws were revoked because they were deemed insensitive to grieving families. Today in the United States there are no laws against suicide or attempted suicide, however assisted suicide and eut... middle of paper... a rabile disease wishes to hasten death, the doctor should be obliged to assist the patient in realizing such wishes, prescribing drugs or refusing life-prolonging treatments. If laws were enacted to allow euthanasia and assisted suicide, it would have a positive effect on the economy, the public, and the emotional and financial condition of dying patients and their families. Works SitedWilliams, Mary. Terminal illness. 1st. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Print.Yount, Lisa. Euthanasia. 1st. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Print.Yount, Lisa. Right to death and euthanasia. Revised. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc., 2007. Print.WWW.procon.org/euthanasia/historical-timelineWWW.usatoday.comWalker, Richard. The right to die?. 1st. North Mankato, Minnesota: Sea to Sea Publishing, 2006. PrintWWW.123helpme.com