What about Kevorkian?

I

imp

Senior Member
Was the Dr. way ahead of his time, or rather a murderer? Today, at least one state that I know of, (there may be more), has enacted legislation making assisted suicide legal. Evidently, Oregon is such a state. I heard, but not confirmed, that folks not living in Oregon have travelled there to die, by their own choice. Non-residents. True? imp
 

I think Dr. K had the right idea no matter what many may think. He NEVER killed anybody; merely provided the means.
I would like to have that "service" when my time comes, if need be, even if I have to go to Oregon to do it.
 
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IMO, assisted suicide should be legal in every state. Dr. Kevorkian was ahead of his time.
 

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I think he was ahead of his time. I do understand why many doctors wouldn't want to assist due to moral or liability issues. But terminally ill patients should have the right to recruit a doctor that will assist imo.
 
Dr. Death as many people called him was my hero. If he didn't have such an arrogant and caustic attitude he wouldn't have been so maligned. I have known several Pathologists in my life time and none of them had Kissy Sweet personalities but agreed with Kivorkian.
 
The concerns expressed, back in his day, were that the mentally imbalanced not terminally ill otherwise, might needlessly take their own lives. My thinking was, well, if a person who is physically well, but mentally ill, wants to end his/her life, that person would do so without Dr. K's help. The more ulterior motive for keeping suicidal mentally ill alive is, of course, to enhance the psychoanalysts' existence. Oops! Shouldn't have said that! It just slipped out.....:rolleyes: imp
 
I'll wait to see whether the next step is that relatives can recruit the help of a doctor to assist then to assist their relative to suicide.
Then I'll pass judgement on Dr Kevorkian.

We had a brief period when this was legal in the Northern Territory.
One woman died believing that she had terminal cancer but the autopsy showed (I think) diverticulitis.
She was so afraid of cancer that she chose suicide.
 
In Canada assisted suicide has recently been declared legal by our Supreme Court with sensible safeguards. The
provinces have been given about a year to put appropriate plans in place. I am so pleased, obviously I support Dr Kavorkian's humane stance re assisted suicide.
 
I am originally from Oregon but it never occurred to me I'd need to live there or have a Dr's help if I wished to pass on. If I want to go, I'm going. A few years ago I spent a lot of time with a very ill friend. She died of cancer without any medical intervention (her choice) except for pain meds. She was thinking of going early but she never did. Anyway, she had me check into it for her since I was certainly willing to get her information. I was surprised to find out that the Hemlock Society in Oregon had changed their name to something more "user friendly" but I can't remember what it was/is. I'm not going into details but basically I found out if you want to end your pain just stop drinking water and don't eat anything. You can live longer without food than you can water. I would assume anyone in that condition would be on Hospice and have pain meds so they'd be more comfortable. Some of the things do work better with a Dr's help. I had another good friend who was "helped along" off the record by her Dr. and I'm grateful he did as she was in bad pain and wanted to go. That took place in a hospital so I've always wondered how he managed to do that. I know they keep close records of medications that are given to patients. If assisted suicide is made legal all over the U.S. ,and I think it will be, there will be abuses just like everything else. That's just how humans are. On a side note, I changed my personal Dr because when I talked to him about this subject he told me that it's God's will that some people suffer in pain for reasons we can't understand.
 
I think Dr. Kevorkian was just ahead of his time. And I also don't think he was the wrong messenger. Most of the time, when monumental changes occur it's because someone is so focused on that cause and so outspoken that he is willing to do whatever it takes to see it through. And abrasiveness is often what it takes to over ride the 'tender sensitivities' of those who are afraid of thinking beyond tradition and habits. Twenty years ago in Vancouver, Canada, a woman who was dying of Lou Gerrigs disease, respectfully took it to court, that she should be allowed to have a doctor help her die before she slowly suffocated to death and she lost her case. She then had to find a doctor (who is still nameless today) who was brave enough to break the law for her. That's what 'sweetness and light' gets you in these kinds of issues.

And I think wherever they're enacting or going to enact right to die laws, they'll make sure there are lots of regulations attached to prevent abuses. In Oregon I think one rule is that you have to be a resident for at least six months so 'death-tourism' isn't something that the State will have to look forward to. Uprooting your work/family situation is different from a week end jaunt to another state.

Personally, I think that changes like these are long overdue. Giving our sick and dying animals respite from their suffering while forcing people to hang on and endure is cruel and inhumane.
 
We certainly need universal assisted suicide, and it might have got more support had the messenger had a little more charisma than Dr. K...
 
Yes, I agree that we should have the option of assisted suicide. But I am a little concerned about those suicidal people who are mentally ill (not physically ill) who might be brought to a healthier, happier state of mind with therapy. I'm certainly no expert on mental illness but it seems to me this happens sometimes, doesn't it?
 
Regrettably, most severe mental illness tends to be treatment resistant. While various drug cocktails may mitigate some symptoms, the side effects are various and often unpleasant/sedating, making it very difficult for individuals to manifest their own lives. Often this leads to poverty, and increased depression. Who would wish to live this way? I would not. I lack the strength.
 
"it's God's will that some people suffer in pain for reasons we can't understand."

This being said by a doctor is reprehensible! imp
 
I think that if "Assisted Suicide" becomes legal, a few years
down the line, when the population get way out of control,
they will start using it on the elderly, to make more room.

Mike.
 
There is in my opinion nothing more inhumane than to have to go on living while others have to feed you, wash you, wipe your butt. How humiliating, how inhumane. I pray I never find myself in that position but I hope someone who cares for me can find a way to send me on if I can't do it myself.....
 
I believe safeguards could be built in so the law can't be abused easily -- the assistance MUST be requested by the patient, not family members or anyone else; at least two doctors must agree that the patient is terminally ill, the patient must be competent, etc., etc., and there must be a waiting period. I don't think people should be allowed to just walk in to their doc's office and announce "I want to die" and get the meds to accomplish that. I do think a patient should be able to make the request ahead of time, if he or she wishes, like "if I ever get to the point where I'm _______________, then it's time. Kind of like a more aggressive living will.

I agree strongly with AZ Jim above that a patient should never be forced to endure through to the bitter end, if he or she does not want that. A family member was recently in that situation, and the bitter end of metastatic colon cancer was FAR more inhumane than just letting her go in peace with maybe too much morphine or anesthetic or something.
 
Mike said:
I think that if "Assisted Suicide" becomes legal, a few years
down the line, when the population get way out of control,
they will start using it on the elderly, to make more room.

Mike.
Click to expand...

Mike, in some ways, that already is being implemented. At least here, in the States. Many medical services covered by insurance for the non-elderly, are denied to folks over a certain age. Thus the Insurance Industry works hand-in-hand with the questionable practices of Government. Sad but true. imp
 
" A family member was recently in that situation, and the bitter end of metastatic colon cancer was FAR more inhumane than just letting her go in peace with maybe too much morphine or anesthetic or something."

A perfect example, sad, and outright wrong, but nonetheless a situation morally unacceptable, but not challengeable. imp
 
imp said:
Mike, in some ways, that already is being implemented. At least here, in the States. Many medical services covered by insurance for the non-elderly, are denied to folks over a certain age. Thus the Insurance Industry works hand-in-hand with the questionable practices of Government. Sad but true. imp
Click to expand...

Curious what services are denied.
 
We should all spare survivors the horror of finding a loved one with half their head gone due to gunshot. We are surely more developed than to continue to force our determined to jump off buildings, shoot themselves and other messy ways to go.
 

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