“Thomas More, in describing a utopian community, imagined a community that would facilitate the death of those whose lives had become burdensome due to torture and persistent pain.” '” (Voluntary euthanasia). Euthanasia is an act that would be used to relieve suffering patients. Before you can argue for or against legalizing euthanasia, you need to understand the difference between the different types of euthanasia: active versus passive, voluntary versus involuntary, and involuntary, and euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. First, “active euthanasia occurs when something is done with the specific intention of ending a person's life, such as injecting a lethal drug,” while “passive euthanasia occurs when interventions are withheld that could prolong life, such as deciding not to connect a dying person to life support" (Euthanasia - Euthanasia: history, controversies, facts). Second, voluntary euthanasia occurs when a competent person asks for help to end their life, while non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when a person is not competent to make a decision on their own, and involuntary euthanasia occurs when the patient is completely against euthanasia (National Right to Life). There is also a difference between euthanasia and medically assisted suicide, as euthanasia describes “the act or practice of killing or allowing the death of irreparably ill or injured individuals,” while medically assisted suicide is when a person provides the necessary tools to end one's life at the hands of a doctor (suicide, euthanasia and assisted suicide). Although involuntary euthanasia should never be considered permissible, all other types of euthanasia should be legalized with the help of living wills, giving the sufferer... middle of paper ......anasia.html> ."Euthanasia." National right to life. Network. March 5, 2011. .Johansen, Jay. "Euthanasia: a case of individual freedom?" Pregnant break. Network. 5 March 2011. "Suicide, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide". Death and dying: controversies over the end of life. Sandra M. Alter. 2008 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Information Plus Reference Series. Gale Student Resources in Context. Network. March 2, 2011."Top 10 pros and cons - Euthanasia - ProCon.org." Euthanasia ProCon.org – Should euthanasia be legal? Network. March 6, 2011. "Voluntary Euthanasia (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Network. March 6. 2011..