June 3, 2004
Euthanasia
In "A Crime Of compassion", Barbara Huttmann writes about the moving story of an expert on the euthanasia. She tried to convince the readers with taking the law into her own hand as nurse. I disagree with Barbara, but I can not ignore that she did well in her essay to persuade the readers. Her description is very detailed and very effective.
Huttmann begins the essay by describing how she encounters hostile reaction from the public because of what she has done. She explains how negative the expressions by quoting audience members of the Phil Donahue show "Murder," a man shouted. "God help patients who get you for a nurse." Barbara also makes passing reference from the Bible"fatted calf" to show how bad the criticism was and to illuminate her ideas.
She then introduces Mac, one of her patients. He was a young strong police officer who had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Barbara Stamm
Barbara Kibbee Jayne Special Collection Photo
Santa Barbara from aboveWithin six months at the hospital, he had lost his youth, his wit, and his hair. He was described as a sixty pound skeleton kept alive by feeding him nutritional supplements into his veins. In addition, she explains how Mac suffers from adverse effect of therapy- vomiting, diarrhea, rash, I.V. site inflammation, and pain. Eventually the pain becomes intolerable and narcotics won't do any good. Every time, he begged for God to let him die.
Barbara, as nurse, with so much love relived him of his sever pain and let him pass way because she did not press the bottom to let the "code blue" resuscitate him.
In Barbara's essay, every event describes with so much depth: and she creates very beautiful images. Huttmann attempts to enlist sympathy for Mac's situation and for hers by using specific details that appeal to the readers'...