RIP Jack

[skyguy2007]

He had it right IMO....going out with pride, but the radical right went nuts on him unfairly IMO...RIP!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/us/04kevorkian.html

[NoAngel2u]

Damnit! Don't do that! Scared me Thought you meant our Jack.

I certainly hope Jack K had a peaceful passing.

[trauma]

This man was way ahead of his time. He believed in a right to die with dignity and fought for it. RIP Jack

On a side note:
Jack Kevorkian is now seeing his patients for their follow up appointments

[WinJStar]

RIP


For any of you who missed the HBO movie starring Al Pacino - You Don't Know Jack was a great movie!

[curtinsea]

I admire a man willing to do time because of his beliefs . . . . I'm torn on the issue though.

I'm ok with a right to die with dignity, I get that whole notion, and I can imagine circumstance where it's an option I would want.

But where I have a problem is when you get into the whole "assisted" aspect . . . the lines between what the individual wants and what those around the individual want could easily be blurred. We could establish parameters of course, but we all know how parameters are always subject to change (I'll use MADD as an example, they accomplished their goals but are still expanding on them, ever reaching further, eventually they will be seeking zero tolerance, and who knows what beyond that).

It's a tough call, like I said, I'm torn on the issue

[NoAngel2u]

I'm not even slightly torn on the issue. My husband died slowly and miserably from cancer over the course of 4 months. I came home from the store to him holding our shotgun, loaded of course and the only way I could get him to give it to me was to promise to help him in the end if his suffering was not controllable by the pain meds. I suppose I did "assist" him, but fortunately it was within the dosage allowances, however I would have gone over them if I had felt it was necessary.

You worry about the blurred line between what the family wants vs the patient, in reference to ending life too soon? I think that's what you meant. I have had more experiences with families that have prolonged their loved ones pain and misery because they have guilt, or are afraid, or are not ready to let go. If the patient had been able to make those decisions before they were unable to make them, it would have removed that responsibility from the grieved families.

It is a tough call, but it's the patients call, IMNSHO.

[Night Nurse]

I, too, am torn on the issue of euthanasia for the reason that it is open to abuse. With our palliative care system, the idea is neither to impede nor hasten death and to keep the patient free from pain, and anguish as much as possible. Naturally there will always be patients' families who want death hastened or impeded.

[wubders]

Obviously ,it has to be the suffering person or next of kin's call...not the gov't , or health care providers call......but much suffering is already ended thru legal dosages now...my elderly parents both have/had living wills spelling out what life extending procedures they will allow....perfectly legal with regard to life insurance...

I have a elderly extended family member currently just laying there, wasting away for months in a nursing home, like so many others.....