Jack Kevorkian, nick-named "Doctor Death" by the ever-so-creative minds of the media, is set to be released on June 1st, 2007, after serving more than 8 years of his 10-25 year sentence.
Kevorkian sparked a nation-wide debate regarding the rights of elderly persons and whether they had the right to go to a doctor and seek help committing suicide. He pushed the law when he televised the death of a man, Youk, and practically challenged authorities in Michigan to charge him. The law pushed back.
After several mistrials, Kevorkian was convicted, sentenced, and jailed. Despite having the full support of Youk's widow and other family members, officials ultimately decided that the elderly do not have a right to seek assistance for suicide.
To date, only one state allows for assisted suicide: Oregon.
"Experts say that's because abortion opponents, Catholic leaders, advocates for the disabled and often doctors have fought the efforts of other states to follow the lead of Oregon, where the law took effect in late 1997."
I find myself wondering about the validity of assisted suicide and whether there would be other ramifications. Suicide itself is "illegal". But if I were suffering from a horrible, painful, terminal, incurable illness, I think I might want to go to Oregon. then again, I am scared of the idea that if I committed suicide, a year later they would find a cure for that illness.
But then, if I waited around for a cure, that's a lot of medical bills to try to catch up on. And then what? What kind of quality of life will the elderly have then?
It could drive a person insane thinking about it.
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If an animal needs to be "put out of its misery", we understand our responsibility to relieve its suffering and do not hesitate to act because we know it must be done. Human life, on the other hand, is not so easy. We struggle over it. We can't decide if it is moral to do so or not. It boils down to one thing, I think. What is the most loving thing to do---what does our heart tell us?
Suicide being illegal is the biggest legal joke around. What do you do, charge a corpse? Fine unsuccesful suicidal people, probably causing them to get even more despondent?
And why can't I end my own life whenever I choose to? Seems like a pretty basic right to me.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
Also they should have the money to pay for their funeral. I mean if youre gonna kill yourself, go ahead but I'm not paying for your funeral (assuming its a family member) because you decided you didnt want to live anymore. :)
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The Pledge of Allegiance ends with "Hail Satan"
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/npsm18