Euthanasia: a hot topicEuthanasia is a sensitive topic. It's a classic paradox. Intentionally violating a basic human moral law to alleviate the suffering of another. Does he kill another person or free him from his earthly hell? When is euthanasia acceptable? At what point is the act justified? There are different types of euthanasia that need to be identified before an informed judgment can be made. Voluntary-active euthanasia is a type of euthanasia in which a person is aware of their situation and chooses to die. The voluntary activity is often performed by the affected person himself. Involuntary euthanasia is performed on a person without the means to express himself in a conscious state of mind. The decision to end a person's life can be made collectively by family members, doctors, clergy, insurance representatives, or even government personnel. The third type of euthanasia is passive. This type of euthanasia is performed by simply withdrawing life support equipment. Theoretically, this action removes any blame from the individual or any other external influences allowing the illness or trauma to take over the person's life as it originally would. There are many different circumstances and variables that influence each individual case in which euthanasia is considered. A standardized guideline for the implementation of euthanasia will not be a possibility, however it is possible to outline the elimination of some aspects and circumstances. Voluntary-active euthanasia has many fundamental conflicts that make it problematic. For voluntary active euthanasia to take place, an individual must show interest in ending their life. The mental state of a person with a life-threatening illness or serious trauma and the resulting pain must be considered. Are they neglecting the possibility of healing in an attempt to ease the pain? With the sudden onset of an illness or serious injury, many people lose hope and feel a sense of defeat. It may be this sense of desperation that drives some to the conclusion of voluntary-active euthanasia. Sometimes the guilt of burdening family and friends with the burden of financing the individual's healthcare and prolonging their worry will influence those decisions when this simply isn't the case. At the opposite end of the spectrum, people are sometimes unfairly forced to accept voluntary active euthanasia as an option due to the greed of family members or the desire to end the hopeless situation perceived by the afflicted without adequate comprehension. Many times a person is more easily influenced during times of great stress, making the topic of voluntary-active euthanasia a question of the origin of a person's decision to accept it.