After serving 8 years in prison, the infamous "Dr. Death" has been released, and he is still supporting physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. It is believed that Dr. Jack Kevorkian has helped around 130 terminally ill patients end their lives with his "suicide machine" that allowed the patients to administer a lethal dose of potassium chloride to themselves.
Kevorkian had never been convicted of anything until he allowed himself to be videotaped and televised while giving a patient a dose of the lethal drug himself. He did this to bring the issue of physician-assisted suicide to the forefront, in the hope of getting new laws passed to legalize the procedure.
One state did legalize it -- Oregon. Between 1997 and 2006, Oregon has had 292 physician-assisted suicides, an average of about 32 deaths per year. Opponents of the procedure had claimed it would lead to widespread euthanasia, but the Oregon statistics don't support that view.
The Oregon law stipulates that three elements must be present for an assisted suicide to take place. Two doctors must determine the patient is terminally ill, the patient must have less than 6 months to live, and the patient must make the request 3 times.
Kevorkian is still pushing passage of Oregon-style assisted suicide in other states. He said, "It's got to be legalised. That's the point. I'll work to have it legalised, but I won't break any laws doing it."
I have to agree with Dr. Kevorkian. If a patient is of sound mind and has less than 6 months to live, they should be allowed to determine the time and manner of their death. It is inhumane to force someone to go through a very painful and prolonged death.
You do not help a terminally ill person by making them endure a torturous, undignified and interminable path to their death. I'm glad Dr. Kevorkian is back. Since he was sent to prison, there has been very little discussion of physician-assisted suicide. Maybe now the issue will receive the public debate that it deserves.
Welcome back, Dr. Kevorkian!
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