Jack Kevorkian, why did he live so long?

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/3/11 | Debra J. Saunders

[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? . . .

[Hodar]

Loving someone does not include murdering them.

So, when I put my dog down; that wasn't an act of love?

Consider, we are at war. I am captured. The Islamists are burning me alive, at the stake. There are 50 of them dancing around the bonfire at my feet. The fire is lit, and I'm being burned to death .

You are secreted 200 yards away with a sniper rifle. Do you let me scream and die slowly; or do you say a quick prayer, and show me mercy? Is that murder? How about if I cry out to you and say "Finish me"? Is that murder, or compassion?

In a very real sense, Dr. Kevorkian was in this scenario. So, would you let someone be eaten by flames, burned alive; or would you be merciful and take a single shot and end my suffering?

[metmom]

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.

Anyone capable of getting TO Kevorkian, was capable enough to end their own life if they really wanted to.

There is no such thing as assisted suicide. You help kill someone, it's murder and you become a murderer.

[metmom]

Jack Kevorkian, why did he live so long?

Satan protects his own. Professional courtesy.

Why should Satan mess with an accomplice like that to give him so much business?

[trisham]

Dogs are not humans.

We're not talking about war.

[Logic n' Reason]

Ah...no, it hasn’t. I respectfully disagree with your assertion.

[BykrBayb]

Yet, for some weird reason, words mean different things when I'm accused of being a 'potential murderer' when I state that I would kill, if someone was preventing me from exercising the most basic and fundamental right I have.

No, to recap, you said you would murder someone for trying to save your life.

What an attitude. Would you murder someone who tried to keep you from killing yourself? ` trisham, post 58

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. ~ hodar, post 60

So not only did you say you would commit murder to prevent someone from saving your life, you accused trisham of agreeing with your satanic views. At no time did you ever state that you would kill, if someone was preventing you from exercising the most basic and fundamental right you have. You said you would commit murder to prevent someone from securing your most basic and fundamental right.

[Logic n' Reason]

You simply do not know what you are talking about...but you entitled to your opinion, regardless of how silly, biased, and uninformed it is.

[trisham]

There is no such thing as assisted suicide. You help kill someone, it's murder and you become a murderer.

*******************************

Exactly right.

[BykrBayb]

I’m not surprised that you disagree with me. You’ve already stated your position, in favor of murder. I agree with God.

[Logic n' Reason]

I’ve been called worse, but I comfort myself in knowing that the name caller, tho well-intentioned and of high spirit, is most assuredly both uninformed and overly emotional.

[Logic n' Reason]

You are entitled to your opinion...as I am to mine.

[BykrBayb]

You’re also entitled to the consequences of your opinion. But you’re not entitled to subvert this nation, under God, to fulfill your satanic purposes.

[metmom]

He lived so long because of his common sense, his skills as a physician, hisfeelings for his fellow man, his understanding that the patient comes first, his empathy for the dying, his disgust with the greedy medical profession, his belief that it is a physician’s duty to ease pain and end - if possible - suffering, and the bedrock conviction that eventually we all die. Some - if he was requested to assist - much less painfully and far better off economically - than others.

You can't be serious? His disgust at the greedy medical profession? Someone who kills for money?

There are better ways to ease suffering than killing people. It's called pain medication.

If he was really looking to help people die with dignity, he wouldn't be murdering them. He'd have been advocating for better end of life care, including pain medications.

He lived so long because Satan protects his most useful tools. Looks like you have a long one ahead of you as well.

[little jeremiah]

Emotionalism? Because I detest the policy of allowing people to murder other people in the name of “doctor assisted suicide”?

Whatever comfort you may derive from word jugglery will be cold comfort indeed.

[metmom]

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.

You're a complete hypocrite then.

You're waxing eloquent about how your life is yours and nobody has the right to tell you what to do with it concerning your end, and yet you are willing to snuff out the life of another human being against their wishes.

The decision to end their life should be theirs, not yours, according to your own words. Their choice, not yours.

You are as bad as kevorkian; despicable.

[little jeremiah]

Worse, because Kevorkian didn’t hide the fact that he was morbidly obsesed with death. He loved death. He painted gruesome pictures about death. No pretense about “compassion”.

[metmom]

My stance is simple. I will not hurt or interfere in your life. I will show you the same compassion I would show anyone. If you are dying a slow and painful death; AND YOU PLEAD for me to end your suffering, I will respect you and be compassionate enough to show you mercy.

Then you are a liar as well because just upthread you said you'd kill without hesitation someone who was trying t o save your life out of compassion.

[Magic Fingers]

“Your prattle about “freedom” really means “I want Big Mommy Government to put the stamp of approval on a private decision and make it all okay”.”

No, my prattle about freedom really means that I’m not asking the government OR you to put a stamp of approval or disapproval on any decision I make about ending my own life OR who I might ask to help me do it...and if I want to do it in some manner that’s less painful than eating my gun that’s none of your damn business nor the goverment’s. Stick your nose somewhere else, hypocrite.

[little jeremiah]

Hypocites like you want to involve the Big Huge Nanny Government in peoples’ personal affairs.

You can try to wiggle out of it but you fool no one unless you’re fooling yourself.

There are books published about all manner of ways to off yourself. Be my guest, you have the freedom right now to end your earthly existence all kinds of ways.

But no, you want laws enabling the “medical profession” to hold your widdle hand and give the medical profession stamp of approval to your suicide.

Tsk tsk, such a girlie wimp.

[Magic Fingers]

“There are better ways to ease suffering than killing people. It’s called pain medication.”

If only you were right. There is intractable pain - for example, bone pain from prostate cancer (which I have, although it hasn’t progressed to the bone pain stage so far). It ain’t that simple when you’re in the middle of it.