Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

[j-kid]

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Dr. Jack Kevorkian dies at 83; 'Dr. Death' was advocate, practitioner of physician-assisted suicide
Former Michigan pathologist Dr. Jack Kevorkian claimed to have assisted in the suicides of more than 130 terminally ill people between 1990 and 1998. He served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after he administered a lethal injection himself........................</span> Go here for MORE info:

[Cultcha]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

I wonder what people here on jamaicans.com think of Dr. Death?

Personally, after watching my mother die in a slow, drawn out painful way I believe that if someone is suffering from a condition that is incurable and where constant pain has led to a quality of life they can no longer deal with and they are found mentally capable of making the decision to end their own life there should be some form of assistance available to them.

[j-kid]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

Me personally, tink it should bi left up tuh di individual, and their families. I still think he was very stupid fi gi 60-Min di tape wid di evidence and den dared di Government fi arrest him. Also serving as him own Attorney.

Di contradiction is, dat is exactly whe Hospices is allowed fi duh legally.

[R_C]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

I always wonder how many people who support &quot;assisted suicide&quot; would be willing to &quot;assist&quot; in the death of another person, be they family member or or not. Just like the death penalty and other forms of murder, it is always easy to support the killing of another human being when we can delegate the dirty details to someone else.

The science of pain control is far more advanced than it used to be and people who suffer in pain at the end of their life are doing so many times because they are either in the care of incompetent doctors, sometimes because family members may want &quot;everything done&quot; or because they not getting any care at all.

Many hospitals are moving towards a more hospice oriented approach for terminally ill patents...which is to Allow Natural Death (AND) and family members or the patient themselves can request this when they are admitted. This is somewhat different from Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) where extraordinary procedures (..short of a full code) that prolong suffering are still permitted.

For my own part, hospice care in my home is in my <span style="text-decoration: underline">advance directive</span>. I don't want anyone murdering me.

[mountaingal]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

rc, my understanding is that kevorkian provided the mechanism for others to kill themselves, not that he himself pushed a button.

which may be splitting hairs. i may be wrong on it too. ETA - mi juss see seh im was incarcerated for administering a lethal injection.

i've read commentary for and against his methods. those for him speak of him giving people dignity in their choice of how they want to live/die. those against him speak of his methods exploiting those who are alone and essentially dont have someone to help them thru a painful death.

his legacy apparently includes a clarification in some states of laws around assisted death.

[SandiF]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

That's my understanding as well -- the terminally ill patient voluntarily and gave him permission for voluntary euthanasia. Michigan state has a stance against voluntary euthanasia and what he was doing went against the laws of the state books.

The case was very complicated since it was not a cut and dry &quot;assisted suicide&quot; case. The patients voluntarily requested, they wanted it due to the terminal condition of their illness and he was the source to provide it.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MGee</div><div class="ubbcode-body">rc, my understanding is that kevorkian provided the mechanism for others to kill themselves, not that he himself pushed a button.

which may be splitting hairs. i may be wrong on it too. ETA - mi juss see seh im was incarcerated for administering a lethal injection.

i've read commentary for and against his methods. those for him speak of him giving people dignity in their choice of how they want to live/die. those against him speak of his methods exploiting those who are alone and essentially dont have someone to help them thru a painful death.

his legacy apparently includes a clarification in some states of laws around assisted death. </div></div>

[R_C]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

Sandy and MGee your points are well taken and agree it is a complex matter. For example, many people who are terminally ill do get severely depressed and frightened when they don't have adequate medical care (particularly pain and nausea control**) and companionship and do become suicidal. I just think that it is sad when we have doctors offering to kill you instead of offering adequate care and allowing you to die naturally.

(**Which brings up the issue of so called &quot;medical marijuana&quot;f for people who are terminally ill by the way but that's another thread......)

[Peasie]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R_C</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For my own part, hospice care in my home is in my <span style="text-decoration: underline">advance directive</span>. I don't want anyone murdering me.

</div></div>

I too have made advanced medical directives for my own end of life event. I made these arrangements so that my children and medical caregivers will have no doubt as to what my wishes are. For me, it is not so much murdering me in the hospital as much as prolonging a painful death. There is a difference, I think.

[R_C]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

Agree with you about the prolonging a painful death part....but if I can have some more time with my loved ones and be relatively pain free, don't kill me. On the other hand, lets say I'm terminally ill and my kidney's shut down, one of those sentinel events that tell us things are coming to an end, don't put me on a dialysis machine, allow me to die naturally. Or if my breathing slows down or becomes irregular, another sentinel event, yes I can have oxygen if it will make me comfortable, but don't intubate me and put me on a ventilator. On the other hand, please don't run for the vial with the lethal injection in it either thank you very much.

<span style="font-size: 8pt">Geezas ! Is wah wrang wid mi tonite doah eeh ? I think I need to watch a comedy.</span>

[CeaBee]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

<span style="font-size: 8pt">RC mussi really rich the way him a worry bout fambly murdering him</span>

[R_C]

Re: Doctor Death is Dead at 83.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CeaBee</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 8pt">RC mussi really rich the way him a worry bout fambly murdering him</span> </div></div>

BOAL !!

Actually CeaBea, is the doctors and the health insurance companies that I get concerned about the most.