The practical definition of euthanasia is the act of ending life without pain, most often for someone suffering from an incurable disease. However, it is not possible for all life to end without pain. Death may be peaceful, but the agony endured during the illness is difficult to forget, and that person's untimely death will be remembered. Euthanasia is a highly controversial topic that divides professionals in the medical and legal fields along with the general public. One of the main reasons why the euthanasia debate has been so hotly debated is because it calls into question people's moral values. Supporters of euthanasia believe in the value of life, but do not place it high on their moral scale. Instead, a supporter of euthanasia might argue that individual rights have the highest value, or that the quality of life is more important than the value of life itself. The logic here is that, although life is clearly an important value, there may be times when life itself is not worth living. If a person has a low quality of life, they may make the decision to end their life because it is no longer worth living or they no longer have a good life. Over the last half century, the percentage of Americans who say that doctors should have a right to help end the life of an incurably ill patient has doubled to about seventy percent. One of the strengths of euthanasia advocates is the desire for independence, the urge for people to choose a course of action based on their own personal values. When the person involved suffers from intolerable pain, the use of euthanasia is there to relieve it. A proponent of euthanasia might argue that respecting a patient's right to choose should also include respecting that person's character. Pregnant Pause.September 9, 2000. June 5, 2011 .Life Org. “Mental illness and euthanasia”. Organization of Life. 2011.9 June 2011 .Marker, Rita L. “Euthanasia and assisted suicide: frequently asked questions”. Patients' Rights Council. Hamlon, Kathi. January 2010.June 3, 2011.Schadenberg, Alex. “Strong growth in euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands.” Life site news. June 16, 2010. June 3, 2011 .UM. "What is euthanasia?" Center for Health Ethics. University of Missouri.June 14, 2011 .Yount, Lisa. Euthanasia. Massachusetts: Greenhaven Press, 2001.