Posted on 06/03/2011 10:50:23 AM PDT by SmithL
Jack Kevorkian and his supporters portrayed the death doc as a compassionate man who offered "death with dignity" to individuals suffering from a poor quality of life. I always saw him as a man who preyed on vulnerable individuals by telling them their lives weren't worth living -- as I watched Kevorkian survive over the years, despite medical problems that dwarfed those of many of his victims.
In 2007, I wrote:
Fans of Kevorkian ought to be asking themselves: In that the ailing Kevorkian is in worse physical shape than many of the people whose lives he helped snuff out, why hasn't the death doc used his vaunted "medicide" on himself? . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Thanks for sharing. I find it monstrous that we’ll do anything to prolong the suffering of a fellow human being at any cost regardless of their wishes.
If you aren’t free to choose the manner in which you exit this world, you aren’t free to do much of anything.
Way I see it, my life is my own. Others may disagree, which is fine enough, but should I be so unfortunate as to wind up in a situation where I’m being kept alive by machines just to stave off the inevitable for another day, week, month, year... that’s no way to die.
I’m in no hurry to go, but I’m not afraid of it either. And I’m not jazzed about the prospect of having to go on longer than I can bear.
Not to mention the fact that if I was born 300 years earlier and wound up terminally ill, nature would take its course. This forced living business, as far as I’m concerned, is more playing God than any of the other options. Was it really God’s will that Terri Schiavo be kept alive through artificial means?
I can’t imagine that a merciful, loving Father would wish that fate for any of us. Some might disagree. Which is fine.
But there’s a reason immortality is a curse. We weren’t meant to live forever. And I don’t believe we were meant to live in pain.
Why did he live so long?
Because he didn’t have Jack Kevorkian for a doctor?
Yes. My friend's mother deteriorated slowly over 2 years, and as her life shrank, so did my friend's. Eventually her mother was completely bed-bound, and my friend went into bankruptcy paying for nurses so she could still hold down her job, and at night sleeping on a cot at the foot of her mother's bed. Eventually I and another friend found ourselves bound to that bedroom too, to give our friend a chance to take a shower or go outside. It was horrible. That last month was a nightmare.
I just (4 days ago) had my vet put a dog down. She was 19, not 12.
In my mind, that has no connection at all to the assisted suicide debate or possibly the decision I might have to make one day. If it comes to it, and I decide it’s what I have to do, I’ll find my own method of suicide. Animals can’t do that. To me that is a big difference - it’s a huge difference. But the biggest is simply the fact that humans are not in the same category as animals.
Incidentally, I hate that term - put to sleep. It is especially incongruous in this context where animal euthanasia is compared to assisted suicide. If someone is going to use it then be consistent call assisted suicide “putting people to sleep” too.
It's a shame you see it that way. The founders of this free republic held it to be self-evident that your life belonged to God, that He granted it to you as a gift, and that it was unalienable.
inalienable: incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another; "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights".adj. Not to be separated, given away, or taken away; inalienable
He didn't have Jack Kevorkian to help him on his way.
Psalm 37
A Psalm of David.
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
Murder is one thing.
When a person is being kept alive, with no hope of a cure, no hope of recovery ... and pleads with you to allow them to die.... what do you do?
Do you walk away and pretend you didn’t hear them?
Dr. Kevorkian had people COME TO HIM, who were dying; and he showed them how they could exit, on their terms, and set up his machine such they could activate it - when they were ready.
There is a huge difference between walking into a hospital, and deciding who is going to die; and assisting a person with terminating their life. One choice is involuntary, the other is simply helping a person perform a task that they are phyically incapable of performing now.
100% of Murder victims are unwilling victims. 100% of the patients Dr. Kevorkian assisted, came to him for help.
We both know, that if you were in a car accident this afternoon; and your brain was ‘dead’; the Doctors could keep your body functioning for years, depleting your retirement and insurance benefits to the point that your wife and kids would be homeless and in poverty; and you would still be dead.
You got it.
Sources please.
This is contrary to every story I can find on him. He ASSISTED patients who were dying, so that their lives would end on the patient's terms, at a time and place of their chosing. Those who sought him were informed on what was going to happen, and were shown that their death would be painless, quick and easy. Some people would call that compassion.
Where is there any evidence or story that he MURDERED healthy people?
I realize that liberals don’t like the idea that words mean things, but they really do. What you’re advocating is called “murder” for a reason. Because it is murder.
If you have access to Free Republic, then you have access to various search engines. There is no excuse for the ignorance you claim to possess. Before you support someone 100%, you should familiarize yourself with what it is you’re supporting. I think you already have. I think you already know that he was a mass murderer. But let’s pretend for a moment that you’re honestly as ignorant as you claim to be. Plug his name into any search engine, and start reading.
This bioethicist has had a lot to say about him:
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2011/06/03/kevorkian-death-reflections/
“He assisted the suicides of 130 or so people and lethally injected at least two by his own admission (his first and his last); as a consequence of the latter, he served nearly ten years in prison for murder. “
“Thus, while the media continually described him as the “retired” doctor who helped “the terminally ill” to commit suicide, at least 70 percent of his assisted suicides were not dying, and five weren’t ill at all according to their autopsies. “
You can drill down through his site where he gives actual facts (versus the summary at the above link).
This is his section on assisted suicide, with several kevorkian articles:
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/category/assisted-suicide/?submit=view
On March 26, 1999, Kevorkian was charged with second-degree murder and the delivery of a controlled substance (administering a lethal injection to Thomas Youk).[9] Kevorkian's license to practice medicine had been revoked eight years previously; he was not legally allowed to possess the controlled substance. As homicide law is relatively fixed and routine, this trial was markedly different from earlier ones that involved an area of law in flux (assisted suicide). Kevorkian discharged his attorneys and proceeded through the trial representing himself. The judge ordered a criminal defense attorney to remain available at trial as standby counsel for information and advice. Inexperienced in law and persisting in his efforts to represent himself, Kevorkian encountered great difficulty in presenting his evidence and arguments. In particular, he was not able to call any witnesses to the stand because the judge did not deem the testimony of any of his witnesses relevant.[21]
The Michigan jury found Kevorkian guilty of second-degree homicide. It was proven that he had directly killed a person because Youk was not physically able to kill himself. The judge sentenced Kevorkian to serve 10–25 years in prison and told him: "You were on bond to another judge when you committed this offense, you were not licensed to practice medicine when you committed this offense and you hadn't been licensed for eight years. And you had the audacity to go on national television, show the world what you did and dare the legal system to stop you. Well, sir, consider yourself stopped." Kevorkian was sent to prison in Coldwater, Michigan.[22]
Not ONE single murder ... you claim to have read the articles, but I see no evidence of comprehension. You apparently fail to know how to use the search engines you mention, or you are woefully ignorant. Try again. Read, learn .... it's good for you. Only a libtard 'blindly follows the herd' .... funny, you were calling me a Liberal - and I error on the side of Personal Responsibility, and yet you seek to assert the claim that somehow, people have to ask you, or the state, for permission to live or die.
The issue I have, is that 3rd parties are involved on something that is none of their business. If I have cancer, and I want to die; I fail to see where this is anyone’s business. This is my choice, and once that choice has been made; if I am capable, I will do it. I see no need to ask permission to any man ... ANY man. My choice will be explained to God, and God alone. I and I alone will be held accountable for my decision.
To inject 3rd parties, who have neither my experience, my outlook, my religion (or lack thereof), my ethics nor morals into the equation - is simply injecting a Nanny State into what is perhaps the most personal decision a human can make. What’s more, they will never face the consequences of their decisions. If I am dying slowly and painfully - they will not feel one second of the pain they have damned me to live with. They will not have their savings, retirement and insurance depleted; forcing my widow to leave our home and live on the streets on Welfare.
This final exit, is a matter I refuse to surrender. If the time comes that I am forced to confront this issue; heaven have mercy on somone intent on stopping me; for I will have no mercy at all.
“After having taken care of my mother for her last few days, I believe you owe it to your kids to have them care for you.”
After having taken care of my father for his final 5 years I believe I’m far more qualified than you to determine what I should have my kids do for me should that situation arise.
Many of Kevorkian’s victims WERE NOT terminally ill, some were merely depressed. He said that it wasn’t his business to figure out the truth.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/?/news/study-finds-75-of-kevorkian-victims-were-not-terminally-ill
“The issue I have, is that 3rd parties are involved on something that is none of their business. If I have cancer, and I want to die; I fail to see where this is anyone’s business. This is my choice, and once that choice has been made; if I am capable, I will do it. I see no need to ask permission to any man ... ANY man. My choice will be explained to God, and God alone. I and I alone will be held accountable for my decision.”
Damn straight...and yet there are those hereon who take issue with your position but prattle on about “freedom”. I guess they mean except for when they want to impose their belief system on everyone else.
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What an attitude. Would you murder someone who tried to keep you from killing yourself?
Absolutely correct, from what I have read. I’ve been following stories about this ghoul for years.
Without a hesitation.
My choice, not yours. Never was, never will be.
And I’ll bet, that despite your posturing; if you were faced with a dose of reality, you would make the exact same decision.
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