1. Introduction to Flowers for Algernon Selective Reduction

2. Life Boat Theory  Imagine that you were on a ship that has just sunk. You managed to make it to the last life boat. However, there are 9 people on the life boat that is only designed for four. So, 5 people have to either voluntarily get off the life boat or be thrown overboard by a majority rule. Getting off the life boat means certain death.  Your assignment is to decide who should remain on the life boat. The following is a list of the 9 people on board:  A 17 year-old, mentally-retarded girl  An infant whose parents died when the ship sank  A 30 year-old genius  A 50 year-old who doesn’t know that his cancer has returned.  A 70 year-old woman who requires the aid of a walker  An obese, 40 year-old mother of three young children  A ex-convict who was in prison for murder  You  Your mother

3. Which life should be allowed to exist? Premature baby born at just Elderly man with a Premature baby born at just Elderly man with a 26 weeks gestation terminal illness 26 weeks gestation terminal illness 8.6 ounces 8.6 ounces http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004- 12/22/xin_07120122105460401912.jpg

4. Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide What is the difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide?  One way to distinguish them is to look at the last act – the act without which death would not occur.  Using this distinction, if a third party performs the last act that intentionally causes a patient’s death, euthanasia has occurred. For example, giving a patient a lethal injection or putting a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her would be considered euthanasia.  On the other hand, if the person who dies performs the last act, assisted suicide has taken place. Thus it would be assisted suicide if a person swallows an overdose of drugs that has been provided by a doctor for the purpose of causing death. It would also be assisted suicide if a patient pushes a switch to trigger a fatal injection after the doctor has inserted an intravenous needle into the patient’s vein.

5. Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide

6. Definitions of Euthanasia Euthanasia: the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is "intentional". If death is not for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is "intentional". If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) Voluntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed has requested to be killed. Non-voluntary: When the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. consent. Involuntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. the contrary. Assisted suicide: Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called "physician assisted suicide." called "physician assisted suicide." Euthanasia By Action: Intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia By Omission: Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water.

7. Examples of Euthanasia  Infanticide  Abortion  Premature babies  Concentration Camps  Severely handicapped  People who are brain dead  Capital punishment  People who are terminally ill terminally ill  Severely mentally retarded retarded  Elderly  Homeless  Drug Addicts

8. Infanticide Infanticide  In the 1970’s, China was facing a population explosion; so the government ordered a “one child per family law.”  The government enforced this law with forced abortions and compulsory forced abortions and compulsory sterilizations. sterilizations.  In rural China where boys are valued as extra hands who will support their parents in their old age, and who will carry on the family name, girls are viewed as less desirable. If a baby if unwanted, she is abandoned, suffocated or drowned soon after birth.  This preference for male children has led to approximately 10,000 girl infants being killed in China each year.  Now China has a major gender-ratio problem. China refers to this as the “missing girl” phenomenon. China's orphanages are full of girls who have been abandoned

9. Abortion  An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. embryofetusuterus embryofetusuterus  The spontaneous expulsion of a fetus or embryo before the 20th week is commonly known as a miscarriage.[1] miscarriage[1] miscarriage[1]  Induced abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus by medical, surgical, or other means at any point during human pregnancy for therapeutic or elective reasons.[2] medicalsurgicalpregnancy[2]medicalsurgicalpregnancy[2]  The approximate number of induced abortions performed worldwide in 2003 was 42 million.[3] [3]

10. Abortion  In spite of effective and widely available birth control methods, more than half of the 6 million pregnancies occurring each year in the United States are considered unplanned by the women who are pregnant. Of these unplanned pregnancies, about half end in abortion. birth control methodsbirth control methods  Abortions performed prior to 9 weeks are performed either surgically (a procedure) or medically (with drugs). From 9 weeks until 14 weeks, an abortion is performed by a dilatation and suction curettage procedure.  After 14 weeks, surgical abortions are performed by a dilatation and evacuation procedure.  After 20 weeks of gestation, abortions can be performed by labor induction, prostaglandin labor induction, saline infusion, dilatation and extraction, or partial birth abortion.

11. People who are Mentally Disabled Are sometimes Euthanized

12. People who are Physically Disabled Are sometimes Euthanized Cystic Fibrosis Quadriplegic Amputee

13. People who have a Physical Deformity Are sometimes Euthanized

14. Conjoined Twins Are sometimes Euthanized

15. People who are Homeless Are sometimes the victims of Euthanasia

16. People in 3 rd World Countries Are sometimes Euthanized

17. Assisted Suicide

18. People who are Terminally Sick Sometimes ask for Assisted Suicide Dr. Kevorkian’s invention: the death machine. the death machine. http://eslacs.tripod.com/english/danai-euthanasia.html

19. People who are Brain Dead Sometimes receive non-voluntary Assisted Suicide Terri Schiavo Terri Schiavo Her feeding tube was removed in 1993, after 13 years in a vegetative state.

20. The Elderly sometimes ask for Assisted Suicide

21. People who are Drug Addicts Sometimes ask for Assisted Suicide

22. Stem Cell Research Sacrifices one life in order to possibly save others

23. In Infertility Treatment, Some Embryos are Sacrificed while others are Saved

24. Quality of a Life Worth Living: Prom Night

25. The Problem with Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Who Determines Whose Life is Worth Living? In Nazi Germany, Hitler decided that only the Arian race was worthy of living

26. Nazi Germany Separating the men from the women. A concentration camp for men.

27. Nazi Germany: People were euthanized in the gas chamber and then their bodies were burned in the furnaces Gas Chamber Gas Chamber Furnaces

28. Nazi Germany: Euthanasia Death Camps Bodies waiting for cremation Bodies waiting for cremation Mass grave

29. In Summary, There are Two forms of Selective Reduction  Euthanasia  Assisted Suicide