"Mercy" Killing?

1. Reflecting on Of Mice and Men:
1a. From George's perspective, he killed Lennie in order to give him rest and give him the "American Dream" that he always wanted. Because Lennie had killed Curley's wife, George probably knew that the workers that were angry at Lennie for doing that wouldn't stop chasing Lennie until they got him. George also knew that if the workers caught up to Lennie and got him, they would either kill him or put him in a place where he would be locked up with no freedom at all. Once Slim told George that locking Lennie up would also be bad, he saw that the only way for Lennie to not have any problems was to kill him. This is why George killed Lennie (from George's point of view).

1b. I don't think that that was the best thing to do for Lennie, since Lennie never wanted to die. Lennie was looking forward to seeing his "American Dream" get fulfilled. George could have done a different thing instead of killing Lennie. For instance, both of them could have run away to a different place where they could start all over again. Once they started from the beginning, George could have kept a closer eye on Lennie and his actions so that nothing bad would happen again. This is why I don't think that that was the best thing to do for Lennie.

2. Father in Italy Accused of Murder:
2a. The father took his daughter off life support because "that was her wish" and "the court accepted that before the accident, his daughter had expressed a preference for dying over being kept alive artificially." The daughter had been in an accident and was living as a vegetable. She had said that she would rather die than live on life support. The father thought that keeping her alive that way wouldn't work, and so, he took away his daughter's life support. The father did this so that she could be free from living as a vegetable.

2b. I think that taking the daughter off life support was the best thing to do for her, since she "had been in a vegetative state for 17 years" and "before the accident, [the father's] daughter had expressed a preference for dying over being kept alive artificially." Since the vegetative state worsens as time passes, the daughter wouldn't have had a big chance of recovering from her state. Even if the daughter had recovered, she would most likely have had big disabilities that would have kept her from being able to do anything. There would have been a high chance that she would have lived a very restricted life. Also, the daughter didn't want to live with the help of life support. Even though the life support allowed her to live, she couldn't do anything. By taking her off it, she doesn't have to be restricted anymore. So, it was best for the daughter to be taken off life support.

2c. I mostly agree with what the father did, and I also disagree a little for certain reasons. I agree because there was very little chance of the daughter recovering from her state, and there was a big chance that if she had recovered, she would have had to live with disabilities that would have kept her from living normally. Instead of waiting for her unlikely recovery, her father took her off life support, and the life support could then be used for someone who needed it more than the daughter did. Although I agree with what the father did, there are some reasons why I also disagree. I disagree because all this happened in Italy, and "Italy does not allow euthanasia." Another reason why I disagree is because patients can't say what should happen to them if they become unconscious. This is why I disagree a little with what the father did.

3. Man Kills Family after Losing his Job:
3a. I imagine that one of the things that the father was negative or paranoid about was that the family had nowhere to turn to for support. There are many places they could have gone to so that they could be assisted financially. He was also negative about he and his wife not being needed where they used to work. Since he and his wife had lost their jobs, they thought that the only option left for them, including their family, was to die. One other thing that the father was paranoid about was to agree with what his wife said, which was that they should commit suicide and that there wasn't any reason to leave their children in the care of a different person. There is no reason why anyone should commit suicide, no matter what. They could have found another job in a different place instead of doing this. Also, if they didn't have enough money to take care of their children, they could always leave them in a foster home or somewhere else where they could be taken care of. They didn't have to kill themselves or their children. These are the things that I think that the father was negative or paranoid about.

3b. There are many ways that parents can support their children in order for them to succeed in life without the need of money. For example, you could support your son or daughter by helping them with their schoolwork. Another way you can support them is by encouraging them to always try their best. You can also teach your children good manners so that they can learn how to be courteous to other people. Loving your children and caring for them is also a way for you to support them. These are all different ways that parents can support their children in order for them to succeed in life without the need of money.