Posted on 07/02/2007 7:19:54 PM PDT by LA Woman3
I lived in Michigan when the television news channels played the videos of Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisting his terminally ill patients nonstop, day in and day out.
It was clear, as the parties involved spilled out their hearts and souls in the most dynamic of intense emotions, that the good doctor was responding sincerely, thoughtfully, professionally and with deep compassion to those seeking to end their agony.
You will find no man who more than I is dedicated to the self-evident truth that human life is sacred.
I value, respect and completely cherish the precious gift of life that God has bestowed upon each of us.
However, quality of life is pivotal to autonomy, individuality and independence.
If ever there were a part of life that government should never tread upon, it is decisions we each make about our quality of life and the choices we we make about extending or ending it.
The exhaustive shopping list of checks and balances, the thorough scrutiny that the patients, families and Dr. Kevorkian went through during those instances where he assisted in terminating their suffering, could by no stretch of the imagination constitute an indicator of a "slippery slope" toward convenient suicide.
Allegations to the contrary are in overt defiance of the facts and are pure hogwash. That a bureaucrat or another person would meddle in such personal choice is unforgivable and surely un-American.
(Excerpt) Read more at wacotrib.com ...
Once again, any right not reserved to the federal government per the constitution is reserved back to the individual states.
This is something where I think local mores should prevail.
“God may not want me to take my own life, but if I do, its none of YOUR business.”
That’s just fine with me, but do not expect us to have to say it is okay for the medical profession to assist. That is wrong, any way you want to cut it. Once that is legally okay, Doctors will have absolute say-so about who of their patients live and who die. Some of that goes on in some hospital/nursing home/hospice situations today, even without benefit of statute approvals.
If you want the system to euthanize you, maybe you better go to Holland.
If Ted really wants to keep the government out of life and death decisions, he shouldn’t give the government the right to create a class of death doctors. A few terminally ill patients unable to die on Ted’s timetable is not a bad price to pay for hundreds who would die on the government’s timetable. Ted’s still wet behind the ears on this one.
I don't see lying cancer-ridden in a hospital bed unable to wipe oneself, or slowly sufocating to death from ALS while just happening to still be conscious as a "gift." Just as a 24-ounce porterhouse steak loses more and more succulence with every bite I take, so life has a way of losing beauty when it's down to scraps and bones. Next time I go out to eat, should I carefully devour every bit of unchewable fat and tendon along with the meat just because you believe that God gave me that steak? If that steak came to my table charred to a crisp, I wouldn't think of it as a "gift" but rather return it...just as many people who perceive their lives reached a lack of any further quality feel it's time for the exit door, "gift" from God notwithstanding.
The government is helpless in all cases of suicide. How can a law be enforced against someone who takes his own life? Can we prosecute, condemn, and sentence a dead body? It is useless.
With that said, there is no such thing as "assisted" suicide. Suicide can only be done by the one soon to be deceased. The word "suicide" indicates this by definition. The term 'sui' is Latin for 'of oneself', while the suffix 'cide' means 'the act of killing'. Any and all attempts to "assist", even with the consent of the soon to be deceased, is nothing more than murder. For that, the Government has every right to get involved.
Odd analogy, but I concur with your sentiments.
I truly hope that the “perfect” on this board are never faced with these issues, because it is not an enviable place to be. Their ideals pale before the realities.
I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. I am the youngest. My father was 45 when I was born.
Throughout my life, I remember my father telling me that he never wanted to live hooked to a ventilator or in a nursing home.
As a child, I couldn’t see this ever happening. My father was my hero. I just couldn’t imagine him being sick.
When he was diagnosed with lukemia, he went in to it with his head held high and was determined to beat it. He came through the chemo therapy pretty well. And even spent the night watching a 15 year-old who also had lukemia, so that her parents could leave the hospital for the first time in two weeks.
A few days after that, he developed an infection. Over the next three days, he steadily got worse and slipped in to a coma. My mother, my sisters, my brothers and I all agreed that it was time to pull back on his medication and let him go. The doctor told us to wait until after his rounds. It was 8:45 then. My father passed away at 8:50. I have always belived that we were going to do the right thing, but that my father passed on his own, so that none of us would have to carry that guilt. To this day, I don’t know if I could handle carry that with me everyday.
I don’t idolize the guy but agree with a lot of what he says. Maybe not so much in this case as I have no respect for Dr. K. However, I believe it’s up to the person and his/her family and the government should not be involved. I think he’s saying that in order to keep the government out of these decisions we have to make sure we have a living will, etc. JMO.
Not sure what he means about quality of life because I think each person has a different definition of that. I know I didn’t allow some of the measures doctors, nurses, family wanted for my Dad. I did what he wanted and stopped everything per his wishes even though they weren’t in a document.
I did the same thing for my mom recently. I asked her countless times to make a living will and she refused saying she believed I’d know what to do when the time came. And when she asked me to make the pain stop, I called hospice so she could get morphine and she died two days later. Their situation was different because they were old, sick, ready. Death isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of eternal life.
I honestly don’t know what I’d do if my husband, children were to become incapacitated (sp)to the point where I’d have to make that kind of decision. I know what my husband wants but we’re sorta young so I guess I’d just have to rely on our life together and all I know about him and God to guide my decision. We had this discussion not too long ago and I don’t think he’s sure of what I want. I said when it was my time, listen to the doctors, follow our faith, , your heart, combine everything, and you’ll know what to do. LOL, an hour later he said, you want to live right?
I guess I give that as much credence as I do people that think God calls on them to kill themselves in order to get 72 virgins or to ride on a comet. God doesn't appear to be into public speaking and if he thinks it's my duty to lie suffering in a hospital bed for years while I bankrupt my children he can come down and tell me so.
I believe Kevorkian has the soul of a serial killer.”
No doubt in my mind, Kevorkian enjoyed ending someone’s life.
If Ted wants to end his life by suicide he can use one of his guns to his head. The STATE does not have to legalize allowing a physician to HELP him do his deed. I have no wish to stop him or anyone else. I do not want the STATE involved in legalizing others to HELP him espically physicians. GET IT TED. DO IT YOURSELF BIG BOY and yes leave the government out of it and do not ask the governments blessing.
Most of Kervorkian’s victims were not terminally ill.
You know, the people that have to see terminal pain and suffering really comment the least seing how “you don’t really know how you will think until it faces you.” My dad is paralyzed from the neck down, and hooked to a ventilator. He was “supposed to die” three times. The last time was close to a year ago, and since then, I have enjoyed talks(him also) that never would have happened had he been “normal”.
I had my dad begging me to unplug the venilator(didn’t know if it was him, or the drugs). I didn’t do it, having the same conviction as you, and the family did agree to stop all extra procedures - God obviously didn’t want him to die, and he recovered from his lungs full of fluid. These matters are diffucult ones to face even if you are fully convinced when you are well. But, I still believe we should sustain our lives as long as it is feasable. Life is a precious gift, and should not be viewed along the thought processes of “quality of life, productive member of society, etc..”
and... for the record of those who don’t believe in talking while on a trache, its called letting the cuff down.
Today, the expectation of a miracle, the personal and family pressure to “DO SOMETHING” , and the medical field’s “this is the prescribed treatment” philosophy has blurred that line.
I certainly would never condemn any individual’s desire to pursue any avenue to extend their life..or end it if the time became evident.
Ted Nugent is a Libertarian, NOT a conservative.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Nor is it the business of supposed "physicians." If you wanna off yourself, I'm sure you can come up with a manner suitable to your particular situation.
I agree with you. Medical advancements/technology is a wonderful thing. It’s allowed so many to survive when in the past it wouldn’t have been possible. It also brought about decisions, questions, uncertainty that wasn’t there previously.
I feel/think/believe the same about the medical tech available now with ultrasounds, pre natal care, NICU, etc. Unborn babies and babies born way too early are surviving when decades ago they wouldn’t have. We’re seeing babies in the womb, viable long before they used to be. It’s crimping the pro abortion argument. And we’re seeing the flip side, babies who wouldn’t have made it decades ago and the adversity they’ll have to deal with.
ITA with you. The line is blurred moreso now. I believe it should be up to the family involved.
I thought about this recently concerning the Terri Schiavo case. Her parents were willing to care for her. It should have been their decision, imo.
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