Article Analysis Essay Sample: An Unjust Sacrifice

An unjust sacrifice is the article authored by Robert Sirico. It highlights an argument against the separation of the conjoined twins where according to the medics and the British Courts the life of one of the child has to be indefinitely ended so as to allow the other one an opportunity to live. The two conjoined girls are Mary and Jodie. According to the medics, they found out that Mary is unhealthy and her probability of surviving is very slim as compared to that of Jodie who seems to be very healthy. This article presents some dual dilemma where one case has to be viable for another one to be successful, due to the complexity of the matter and the primacy of life; the author feels that it is not justifiable for such case to be taken into consideration as the lives of everyone is very important and no one should deny another one a chance of living simply because of some reasons that cannot be squarely substantiated. Therefore, terminating ones life in the name of saving another one is not reasonable point and ought not to be practical.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Summary of the Argument

The parents of Mary and Jodie who hail from Gozo an Island in Malta have had some complexities in their childrens life. It is due to these medical intricacies that the parents decide to take their children who are bounded at the pelvis to a better hospital in England at Manchester where they would get some good medical aid to salvage the lives of their children whose conditions seem to be deteriorating daily (Sirico, 234). Upon reaching Manchester region, they are met with some dual dilemma as the doctors and the judge suggest the life of one child had to be terminated for another one to survive. The doctors claim that the condition of Mary is worsening and her chances of surviving is very slim whereas the live of Jodie is solely pegged on the course they are going to take. The fast the expedition of the mater the better the life of Jodie would be as she is on stable condition unlike her sister. The doctors seemed to have used Toulons argument that some definite plans ought to be devised and adopted to solve a given problem. It is from this theoretical framework that the doctors feel that taking some extraordinary measures would salvage the life of Jodie.

The author of this article seem skeptical on the plan and according to him he feels that taking such course would explicitly mean that Mary would die and this would have denied her right to life. He brings his readership to a point of empathizing with Mary as she is struggling with her conditions. Similarly, the parents of Mary and Jodie strongly oppose the move of killing one child in order to salvage the other one. Moreover, they feel disappointed by the medics for the action that they want to take. This is the reason that prompts the parents to say, we cannot begin to accept or contemplate that one of our children should die to enable another one survive, (Sirico, 241). According to the Sirico the autonomy of the childs position squarely lies on the hands of the parents (242). There are no way the doctors and judges would decide the fate of Mary and Jodie whereas the parents are there to do so. The twins are connected at the pelvis and the doctor through the interventions of British courts have resolved that life of one has to be terminated to allow another one continue surviving as this would not lead to any risk to the surviving one. The medics argue that if the two are left to continue living in that state, there is higher likelihood of losing both. This is the reason that prompts the writer to say, This is a heartbreaking case and the decision of the court was not arrived at lightly, (Sirico, 279) The author argues that utilitarianism that seemed to be used was wrongly arrived at and the whole idea is subject to multiple questions because this raises the issue of primacy of life or existence. He tries to prompt a question asking under circumstances life ceases to be important and valuable.

Analysis

The author of this article has managed to drive his point home by trying to enumerate the significance of each persons life no matter how the condition is. He brings his readership to a position of empathizing with Mary whose fate is very nasty as the court has resolved that she be euthanized in order to allow her sister Jodie the chance of survival. Sirico uses some clear illustration to indicate how life is important and any action to indefinitely end ones life is not justifiable. He fails to understand how the medics arrived at the position since there are no clear examinations that were carried out. He believes that the doctors are acting on only suppositions and the whole idea was not judiciously examined for efficacy. The author takes us to a given account where the parents are strongly opposed to courts move and shows us the position of the parents and their love for their children. Upon the courts decisions, the parents asserts, That is not Gods will and everyone has a right to life.

Conversely, the author of this article is much to the life of Mary. He failed to show us that even Jodie too needed the same privilege to life. Robert does not show us that Jodie too is struggling to live as her life too is important as much as her sisters. This subjectivity of the matter where the author only focuses on one party is the major shortcoming of Robert (Sirico, 248). Moreover, the article fails to present some substantial evidence to oppose the move of the court and the medics. There is no clear rationale indicating that the move of the aforementioned personnel was wrongly arrived at.

Conclusion

The above-explicated article shows how sometimes some decision may call for extra ordinary measures which are at times difficult to accept and adopt. For the case of Jodie and Mary, one had to die to pave way for another one to survive. Here one is presented with some dual dilemma where one choice is viable but its repercussion is very nasty. The article takes us to different accounts and legal procedure taken to arrive at the decision which seems to be very critical. Some two concepts are brought in a succinct form that is utilitarianism and form of mysticism where the parents of the conjoined girls believe in the power of Gods intervention whereas the medics and judge believe on the principle of utilitarianism whereby they ought to solve the matter the way it is due to its urgency and the nature.

Works Cited (Article)

An Unjust Sacrifice by Robert A. Sirico Published: September 28, 2000