Jack Kevorkian Assisted Suicide Analysis

“How to Die in Oregon” is a powerful and moving documentary that really opened my eyes to what assisted suicide is and allowed me to develop opinions and feelings on the topic. Before watching the documentary I didn’t know exactly how assisted suicide worked, but I supported it. I believed it should be in a person’s control and their own decision in certain circumstances to choose life or death for themselves. After watching the documentary, my opinion still holds strong, except I now take it more seriously. Obviously life versus death is a very serious matter, and while I still believe it should be the person’s decision, the choice one person makes can leave devastation in their wake. Their families are left broken and grieving. Losing a loved

“A serial mercy killer” (The Right To Die, 80). This is what some would define what Kevorkian did. Kevorkian, however does not feel this way. He performs his acts for the greater good in his eyes. However, he never hesitated to try any other treatments that could result in the patient’s improved health, whether it be antibiotics, or even experimental drug maintenance programs (The Right To Die, 82). He feels that medically assisted suicide is an essential option to those that are incurable and dying (The Right To Die, 83). Kevorkian’s main concern for his terminal patients was their comfort and confidence in their decision. He explains the death his patient’s experienced as being “like a painless heart attack in a deep sleep”(The Right To Die,

Kervorkian’s background was one that was very interesting and many people still, to this day, question his works. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan on May 26, 1928

When death is brought into conversation, most might think of the elderly peacefully passing away in the night or the opposite with horrific accidents where an individual cannot be saved, but very little do people consider individuals who make the choice to end it all. As all should know, this act is called suicide and most have a negative perception of it. But what if it is for the greater good? In one of many cases, California native, Brittany Maynard, made the decision to end her life after suffering through the pain of debilitating headaches caused by brain cancer. Maynard received help in her departure through the use of physician-assisted suicide. The acceptance of this procedure is very limited seeing as though it is only legal in a

Physician-assisted suicide not only affects the patient, but it can also affect the family and the physician. The patient will end his or her life, which can make them feel like a they have failed. The family will lose a loved one, and that can be very challenging because they may feel like they didn’t do enough to help them. The physician is also affected, because they can be put in prison if they do not perform physician-assisted suicide legally. In the 1990s, Jack Kevorkian was jailed for over eight years for illegally performing physician-assisted suicide of almost 150 patients (Hastings Center

     On April 13, 1999, the most recognized physician performing assisted suicide, Dr, Jack Kevorkian, was sentenced to ten to twenty-five years in prison for second degree murder and three to seven years for delivery of a controlled substance. Assisted suicide happens when a person commits suicide with the help of someone else. Physician assisted suicide is generally pain free and, as some would say, the most peaceful way to die. Should it be the right of terminally ill patients to decide if they want to seek out physician assisted suicide to end their intolerable pain, or should it be up to the courts?

Is euthanasia murder or is it actually saving someone from extra pain and suffering? This is just one of the questions that are causing so much debate in our society today. Should euthanasia be illegal?

Recently there has been a great debate over physician assisted suicide and whether or not it should be legal. Well, first off physican assisted suicide is when a doctor intentionally provides a patient with knowledge or means to commit suicide, including counseling about lethal doses of drugs, prescribing such lethal doses or supplying the drugs. The two perspectives that are typically arise is that it unethical and contrary to that, some believe that it is the patient's right. This topic is especially prevalent due to the fact that in recent years a few states in America have made this practice legal. Although death isn't always the only answer, patients should have the right to decide for themselves regarding physician assisted suicide because it’s their physical, mental and financial pain.

Ever since Dr. Kevorkian or “Doctor Death” drove his car around the united states assisting over 40 patients to take the own lives physician aid in dying has been a topic which has sparked controversy (DiManno). Although his actions did receive large amounts of negative feed back it did lead much of the population to the question of whether or not it should be legal for an individual to have medical assistance to take their life in certain situations such as terminal illness or chronic physical pain. Through the years this idea has adopted the name physician aid in dying. Personally I believe that we should, because when it comes to our body we should have 100% control over what we choose to do with it. Even if that is choosing to take our own life in times of great physical pain and suffering. Although physician aid in dying is already legal in five states, I believe that it should be legal in the remainder of the states in the United States. While I know that the thought of a doctor prescribing a lethal dosage of a medication to help a patient to take their life can be disturbing to some people it should not be illegal. If that were the case eventually it could be illegal to get tattoos or have hair cuts that may be disturbing to some people. The way I see it is that if PAD is really what someone wants it should be an option to them no matter what state they live in. The thought of someone suffering from a

People have different ideas of a good essay. Essays that are interesting to the readers. For an essay to be considered a good essay, it has to be entertaining, the readers should be able to picture an image in their mind. For many others, they may have different ideas about what a good writer is. For example, I don’t like it when writers give out too much information. They will describe things and go on and on about it. Others might like this, but I don’t like it when the writers do this. Most writers have one of the qualities that I think makes a good writer. They don’t have to have all three qualities for me to think that it’s a good essay.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was charged with second-degree murder and served an eight year prison sentence. (Fridstein. 1). This accomplished physician graduated from the University of Michigan with an impressively high IQ. He was a writer, inventor, movie producer and classical composer. (Kevorkian). Why would a man so intelligent and successful end up in jail for murder? Well believe or not he purposely challenged the legal system in a one man crusade to ignite a national discussion on the subjects of assisted suicide, Euthanasia and one’s constitutional right to choose. Euthanasia is a medical procedure that involves a person being induced with a soothing, relaxing medicine that allows them a peaceful passing. Dr. Kevorkian’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, summed it up best when he said, "We’re just talking about the right not of children and not of mentally incompetent people but the right of mentally competent adults to make decisions about their own bodies as to how much suffering they have to undergo.” (Kevorkian). Euthanasia is not for people experiencing temporary illness or unhappiness. It’s for people who are imprisoned by their own unbearable physical pain for the rest of their lives with no way out. Is it fair to not give those people a choice? Is it fair to make them slowly deteriorate while losing their dignity? I think not. That is why I support euthanasia being legalized, “Dying is not a crime.” (Fridstein. 1).

The thin line between life and death has become an ethical issue many health care providers and the government have long tried to ignore. The understanding that life begins at birth, and ends when the heartbeat and breathing have ceased has long been deemed factual. Medical technologies have changed this with respirators, artificial defibrillators, and transplants (Macionis, 2009). “Thus medical and legal experts in the United States define death as an irreversible state involving no response to stimulation, no movement or breathing, no reflexes, and no indication of brain activity” (Macionis, 2009, p. 436).

Technological advancements witnessed in this century has given medics the ability to save and sustain more lives than ever before. Scientific discoveries are uncovering new drugs that have cured diseases that would otherwise be fatal and helped manage the untreatable ones. Hence it would be alright to say that medical technology is pulling people away from death. Ironically, as the struggle to find effective treatments and save lives continues the pleas to mercifully end lives that are deteriorating leaving the patients in immense torment and pain are becoming louder and louder. Even though Euthanasia i.e. mercy killing is not treated as an illegal act, its immorality is highly questionable as illustrated in Jack Kevorkian’s case study. Euthanasia

Arguments that are in favor of active euthanasia by physicians as stated by, Gregory Weiss, author of The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness are, “that death should be peaceful and comfortable, people have the right to self- determination, laws could require safeguards, suicide already exist, and majority of American are in favor. Arguments that oppose euthanasia by physician are, “physician should sustain life, patients are depressed and thinking irrationally, interferes with good physician- patient relationship, making suicide acceptable, hospitals can help patients deal with pain and have palliative care (Weiss). Physician’s arguments such as Dr. Jack Kevorkian can be compared and relative to the arguments in favor of active euthanasia.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian more commonly known as Dr. Death is greatly known for his opinion that euthanasia should be legalized and his work with patients seeking help. He was very important in showing euthanasia and voicing his opinion on the subject so the public could not ignore the importance of the matter. Dr. Kevorkian was said to have been involved with 130 suicides by patients who wanted to end their own lives (Nicol and Wylie 17). He had two machines he used to help the patients, one an injection and the other a mask, however both machines were operated by the patient and although Dr. Kevorkian was taken to court many times for these he was not convicted because the patient was in control. He was very careful as to not actually commit the act himself until he was contacted by Thomas Youk, a young with Lou Gheric’s disease; Lou Gheric’s disease is when the muscle stop working and eventually the patient chokes to death. Tom’s condition prevented him from actually operating the machines and therefore Dr. Kevorkian decided that he would operate the machine himself because he cared greatly about all his patients and could not let Tom live in his constant fear (Nicol and Wylie 11). Dr. Kevorkian taped Tom’s wishes and then himself hooking up the machine and pushing the button to inject the drugs. He then proceed to