Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide - Jack Kevorkian
Jack Kevorkian
During the 1990s, Jack Kevorkian was undoubtedly the most well known assisted suicide and euthanasia advocate in the world. A retired pathologist from Michigan, Kevorkian made headlines internationally when he undertook a well publicized assisted-suicide campaign between 1990 and 1998 that reportedly ended the lives of approximately one hundred thirty people. Some of those whose deaths Kevorkian facilitated were terminally ill and diagnosed as having less than six months to live, but most were disabled or chronically ill. According to autopsy reports, four of the people whose suicides Kevorkian helped had no discernible organic illness.
Kevorkian's campaign began on 4 June 1990, when he assisted the suicide of Janet Adkins, a woman diagnosed with early Alzheimer's disease. At the time, Michigan had no law against assisted suicide and Kevorkian was not arrested. His next publicly acknowledged assisted suicide was conducted on 23 October 1991, when Kevorkian made headlines for assisting the suicide of two women at the same location, one with multiple sclerosis and another who complained of chronic, severe pelvic pain. Kevorkian was arrested for murder but the case was dismissed. The prosecution appealed and the state legislature hastily cobbled together a poorly worded, temporary criminal statute proscribing assisted suicide intended to "stop Kevorkian."
Kevorkian openly defied the law and was arrested, tried, and acquitted. The temporary prohibition lapsed but the prosecution's earlier appeal succeeded when the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that assisted suicide was a common law felony in Michigan (People of Michigan v. Jack Kevorkian). Kevorkian was again arrested and tried. Once again, a jury found him not guilty. A third case against Kevorkian was later declared a mistrial because of the courtroom conduct of Kevorkian's lawyer, and the case was dropped. Kevorkian, it seemed, had a free hand.
In 1998, Kevorkian's actions grew increasingly erratic. In June, after he assisted the suicide of Joseph Tushkowski, a man with quadriplegia, Kevorkian held a press conference in which he claimed to have procured the man's kidneys, and offered them for organ transplant, "first come, first served." There were no takers. In late October, he videotaped himself lethally injecting Thomas Youk, an ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) patient. Kevorkian then took the tape to CBSTelevision's news program 60 Minutes, which aired it to a nationwide audience, during which Kevorkian dared the authorities to prosecute him. Kevorkian was arrested and convicted of second-degree murder. He is currently in prison for a term of ten to twenty-five years.
User Comments Add a comment…
23 days ago
Jane
I don't think that Kevorkian, as a total person,is necessarily one to be admired; however, assisted suicide for the terminally ill, with proper guidelines and regulation, should be a choice only for those who initiate the request. I think this issue is something that needs to be seriously considered. Abortion takes the life of another, while assisted suicide under unbearable conditions should probably be left to individuals upon request.
about 1 month ago
Foster
Don't involve religion in a medical issue. If God wants you to live, you will, in spite of Kevorkian. It aint God. It is a for-profit medical industry that does not want to lose the money.. FOLLOW THE MONEY...it will lead you to the truth. If keeping those poor souls alive was costing the doctors money, they would all join Jack.
Jack will go down as an icon of civil rights. Jack, MLK and Susan B. Anthony. Universal rights for everyone. Death does not discriminate, but the law does. Euthanasia is the only check and balance we have against medical innovations in a for-profit industry.
2 months ago
John Marchetti
I want to die because I am in hell and nobody will let me. I ahve even been arrested for trying to take my own life. I can not live in a life where people are always harrassing me and I am 40 years old now. I jsut want things to be over. I think it should be my right to live or die.
3 months ago
Judith Oery » jboery ((at)) hotmail dot com
I agree with euthenesia. It is my life, I have the right to make my decision. I do not want to suffer so my family.
4 months ago
HDL
I think any human being with a compassionate bone in their body should be able to agree with his actions. Instead of leaving people in intolarable pain, he gave them a means to be released from it. Ive heard many a cancer patient say chemo treatment is a selfish act because it forces their family to watch the suffering, and to a degree it is the same situation Kevorkian helped patients get out of.
5 months ago
yew » yew23 ((at)) hotmail dot com
ok so he killed people and now everyones talkin about him in my opionion what he did was absolutley untolerable and he should still be in prison he got off far too lightly i mean 8 years is nothing and by the looks of things hes still hasnt learnt his lesson and why the hell did he decide to show the world what he did to tom .is he mad or sommat .i think he should still be in prison and they should throw away the key .this man is gonna rot in hell along with those others who support it .it is god who chooses when we die only he has the power not some idiots get real and reluse this
7 months ago
bella » cenaluver25 ((at)) yahoo dot com
kudos to this man. he didnt tell random people to kill themselves! he only told people that were suffering through pain to take their own life away. and its the pationts choice to do it or not so dont blame this guy.. and there is no God so he isnt a sinner
7 months ago
ME
i think the things jack did were insane, and lets just say what goes around comes around. he is disgusting.
7 months ago
myself » fr33spirit ((at)) live dot com
GOD put you on this earth for a reason. That reason wasn't for you to ask someone to end your life. when you die shouldn't be up to you. This is murder on Dr. Kevorkians part. He shouldn't have gotten out early. he's only running for congress to legalize mureder!!!
7 months ago
me, myself, and i » puppy_luv ((at)) charter dot net
ok here's the deal... kevorkian is a silly and stupid old man for thinking that he can take away somebody's life.I know those people asked for it but he could've given them some options about it. He didnt even try to do anything else he just killed them. what he is doing is the same thing as abortion. when you get an abortion you are killing someone. He's basically just giving them a suicide abortion. Jack kevorkian shouldnt have gotten out early and he shouldn't be aloud to run for congress. The only reason he is running for congress is to try and legalize murder!! people need to start realizing that God put you on this earth for a reason and it wasnt to ask somebody to take your life away. when you die shouldn't be up to you!!
9 months ago
Dennis » db7032 ((at)) desales dot edu
danielle...are you mentally ill!? I am a college student at a catholic university, and even I think what you are saying is asinine. Saying that you "have the sense to see that there must be a higher power in control" is ridiculous. Don't base your faith on your intelligence. I know plenty of people who have faith in a higher power and are dumb as a rock. And humans SHOULD BE compared to animals. That is the only way for people to see that we should not control the world. Animals have just as much right to be here as we do. And to think any differently is not only ridiculous but also putting yourself on the same level of what ever higher power you believe in. Every form of life should be respected, and if we can allow to make the decision to put animals to sleep, then we should have the same privilege for ourselves. Don't be a hypocrite. If you're not willing to put yourself to rest when you're in pain and dying, then don't do so to your animals. And the funny part is, I don't even like what Kevorkian did. I'm not even a "animal rights" hippie. I'm a chemistry major from an urban area who hunts. I don't even really like animals. Stop being so self righteous. You're as animal as a dog and get over it. Thinking capacity cannot deny that. That's the truth so get over it.
9 months ago
halima omar. » quick_chickkk ((at)) hotmail dot com
ok, here is my opinion on this issue.
obviously if your a religious person and believe in god, you will totally be against this man and what he stands for. GOD put us on this earth and will take us away when ever the time comes. a HUMAN shouldnt take the place of allah. BUT people on the other hand, who dont have a sense in believe of the lord ( atheist) would obviously be a'okey with assisted suicide after all they have no morals and beliefs, right?
what it all come down to in the end is, if those ppl asked to end there life, jack should be blamed. those ppl will resort to god. and as for jack, he aint no god, i dont know what he was thinking!
9 months ago
star » koalabears_23 ((at)) yahoo dot com
How could anyone go along with that stupid person? What he did was wrong. Those people could have gotten help. I know it's not their fault that they got those diseases, but everyone lives with it. Most people know how to deal with suffering. If those people really wanted to die, they should of done it themselves.
9 months ago
danielle » basketball_babe37334 ((at)) yahoo dot com
How dare humans be compared to animals. This in no way should be compared to putting cats and dogs to sleep. You insult your own intelligence by not realizing the capacity of a humans thinking process. I can't imagine not seeing an obvious difference in pets and humans. It isnt a person's decision to be brought into the world nor is it a person's right to be taken out of the world. I agree that Kevorkian will answer to God because I have the ability and the sense to see that there must be a higher power in control. The only thing that would categorize me as an animal such as a dog or cat would be ignorance to such an obvious crime.
10 months ago
cayan » sweet_illusions-1 ((at)) hotmail dot com
the guy killed Thomas Youk without even asking if he wanted to be killed! how is that a good thing?
though i do admire him for helping those who ASKED.
11 months ago
Cecelia » basketsbycecelia ((at)) yahoo dot com
Mr. Kevorkian will answer to God for his sins,I totally dis-agree.
11 months ago
Fhujeth » demonofromance ((at)) aol dot com
He is a GOOD MAN. How dare you call what he did a travesty! You put your cats and dogs to sleep so what makes you think if you're suffering you shouldn't either. Don't tell me that animals don't have souls because humans are animals too. Filthy little animals who only believe in GOD so they can blame their hopes and problems on. Pitiful.
about 1 year ago
Mike » iloveandrea96 ((at)) yahoo dot com
i admire him because he put those who were suffering through a painless death euthanasia should be legal
about 1 year ago
me » gibber_058 ((at)) comcast dot net
How can you admire such a horrible person?
about 1 year ago
sam » sam_123 ((at)) hotmail dot com
i think that is jack is a monster for doing what he did.
over 2 years ago
Roger Royce » rogerroyce ((at)) bellsouth dot net
I am a retired Respiratory Therapist after a 30+ year career in the medical field. I certainly support and respect Dr Kevorkian and his efforts to end human suffering. God bless you Dr.Kevorkian. Sincerely, Roger Royce