Should Jack Kevorkian be paroled ?

[earthworm]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/OPINION01/607130308
This gentleman has committed the heinous crime of challenging the system, of standing to an unfair law, a law that must be changed..
Ours is a strange country, where "choice " is so important, yet, when it comes to a man's own life, that choice is removed, very odd....
So, our so-called Dr Death is up for parole - and this is being denied. Is this right ??

 

[ashurbanipal]

I'm not so familiar with the details of his case. Provided that he did not coerce or force someone to commit suicide, then he should have never gone to prison to begin with. Laws against suicide should be taken off the books.

 

[Navy Pride]

Yeah, I have mixed emotions about doctor assisted suicides but let the sick old man out and let him die in peace........

 

[RightOfCenter]

I'm not so familiar with the details of his case. Provided that he did not coerce or force someone to commit suicide, then he should have never gone to prison to begin with. Laws against suicide should be taken off the books.

I'm fairly certain that he just let them know the option was there, and discouraged it. He merely stood for letting people make their own choice in the matter.

 

[Befuddled_Stoner]

Yeah, having laws preventing terminal patients from killing themselves is immoral. If my death was agonizingly incipient, I sure as hell wouldn’t give a damn what anybody else’s god said about suicide. What right does the state have to legally coerce these people to endure horrendous pain until their bodies crap out? It isn’t like they’ll ever be productive citizens again, and prolonging their lives against their will only devours resources best devoted to those who still have a chance for recuperation. Sometimes it’s more honorable to take a long walk out onto the ice than it is to dwindle away and burden your family and the community with supporting you until you collapse. The very least Kevorkian deserves is being paroled, while the asshats responsible for having him thrown in jail to begin with deserve to be denied his services.

 

[Caine]

Yeah, having laws preventing terminal patients from killing themselves is immoral. If my death was agonizingly incipient, I sure as hell wouldn’t give a damn what anybody else’s god said about suicide. What right does the state have to legally coerce these people to endure horrendous pain until their bodies crap out? It isn’t like they’ll ever be productive citizens again, and prolonging their lives against their will only devours resources best devoted to those who still have a chance for recuperation. Sometimes it’s more honorable to take a long walk out onto the ice than it is to dwindle away and burden your family and the community with supporting you until you collapse. The very least Kevorkian deserves is being paroled, while the asshats responsible for having him thrown in jail to begin with deserve to be denied his services.

I agree entirely.
Nothing more to say really.
I don't even understand the justification for a law against physician assisted suicide. Its a choice. Especially if the man who performed such acts (although I don't know if this is true), did not attempt to coerce those seeking his services into going through with the procedure, but let them make the choice for themselves.

 

[Navy Pride]

I agree entirely.
Nothing more to say really.
I don't even understand the justification for a law against physician assisted suicide. Its a choice. Especially if the man who performed such acts (although I don't know if this is true), did not attempt to coerce those seeking his services into going through with the procedure, but let them make the choice for themselves.

Some people believe its wrong to take a life even if that person wants to die.........Its a tough call either way....

 

[erasamus snoggle]

I've watched a few relatives die slow, agonizing deaths. One Aunt lay in a bed for roughly 12 years suffering with MS, she even had to go through a hip replacement after a health care aid dropped her while moving her around. My Aunt wanted badly to die and was unable to do so by her own hand. The relatives would hear none of it. One young priest (most of my family is Roman Catholic) at the hospital expressed disbelief that she would even entertain the thought of suicide.

One needs to have a living will prepared spelling out their exact & specific wishes if they are unable to communicate properly with the medical folks. This needs to be clearly spelled out to relatives as well, as they may be the ones calling the shots after you've had your stroke....

I firmly support the idea of physician assisted suicide when the situation calls for it. We treat horses and other animals better when it comes to making the final decisions.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

You know who else supported euthanasia? .....Hitler. You don't want to be like Hitler ...... do you?

 

[earthworm]

Somebody would bring up Hitler..
In truth he supported some good things as well as bad..
I am not saying that physician assisted suicide is good or bad(morally)..

I am saying that man has a basic right to be wrong..

Kevorkian challenged the state courts(Michigan?), this is the heinous crime, in the eyes of the state..
Now he is high maintenance(medically), and the state has refused his parole(he never should have been imprisoned in the first place)..

The lawmakers have been negligent in their duties and the people have allowed this..
The Detroit News has 70% of the people agreeing that the courts are wrong.
It should be 100%...

 

[RightOfCenter]

The lawmakers have been negligent in their duties and the people have allowed this..
The Detroit News has 70% of the people agreeing that the courts are wrong.
It should be 100%...

If 70% of Detroit News subscribers believe the courts are wrong the citizens of Michigan should start a petition...But why go out of your way for somebody else right:doh

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

Somebody would bring up Hitler..
In truth he supported some good things as well as bad..
I am not saying that physician assisted suicide is good or bad(morally)..

I am saying that man has a basic right to be wrong..

Kevorkian challenged the state courts(Michigan?), this is the heinous crime, in the eyes of the state..
Now he is high maintenance(medically), and the state has refused his parole(he never should have been imprisoned in the first place)..

The lawmakers have been negligent in their duties and the people have allowed this..
The Detroit News has 70% of the people agreeing that the courts are wrong.
It should be 100%...

Well there is a solution he could commit suicide.

 

[Navy Pride]

Physician assisted suicide is really a tough call for people who value life..........On the one hand they believe the taking of a life is wrong but on the other should a person of sound mind have the right to end their life without interference........

 

[Caine]

Some people believe its wrong to take a life even if that person wants to die.........Its a tough call either way....

These "some people" should keep thier nose out of other people's problems.

It is between the Doctor and his patient. These other people do not have anything at stake here.

 

[Caine]

Physician assisted suicide is really a tough call for people who value life

Well, when it comes to this situation, I don't believe that other people's feelings and opinions should effect how a man (or woman) lives his (or her) life, or in these cases, takes thier own life if they feel it is the best thing to do to end thier own suffering.

It is almost like the government has given themselves the duty of dictating to the people how they will live thier life, even when it comes to situations that affect nobody but the person in question themself.

Its difficult to answer the question, "Would you be willing to allow a doctor to assist you in suicide if YOU were in excrutiating pain, immobilized, and unproductive to society, just waiting around to die?" Those with strong "value of life" would simply say, "No". But they are also not the ones who are in the situation where they would rather die than continue to live and be a drain on the family's resources as well as medical resources and medical insurance coverage.

Bottom line is, If someone is so bad off medically that they think they would be alot better off dead than suffering, It not only beneficial to them in ending thier suffering, but also to everyone else since they will no longer be a drain on the Medical community that is pumping resources and money to keep them as "comfortable" as possible until they die, which could be 6 months to well over a decade.

 

[Navy Pride]

These "some people" should keep thier nose out of other people's problems.

It is between the Doctor and his patient. These other people do not have anything at stake here.

Oh, no one but you can have and opinion on the subject.......:roll:

No, it involves the family of the person committing suicide and the state of their mind.........Its a lot more complicated then just doctor/patient relationship........

 

[Deegan]

I don't think he should ever have been put in jail in the first place, I support assisted suicide for adults, but those are the laws on the book, so he must face the consequences. That said, I think he has done his time, and he should be allowed to finish out his life on the outside, so yes.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

These "some people" should keep thier nose out of other people's problems.

It is between the Doctor and his patient. These other people do not have anything at stake here.

No the thing is where does it end? What happens when Dr's. start prescribing death instead of costly treatment for people on HMO's and the like?

 

[Caine]

No the thing is where does it end? What happens when Dr's. start prescribing death instead of costly treatment for people on HMO's and the like?

Again, such a program as physician assisted suicide should be non-coerced, and not covered by healthcare. The issue should not even be mentioned or suggested by the patient's normal physician in any way, shape, or form.

 

[dragonslayer]

Yeah, I have mixed emotions about doctor assisted suicides but let the sick old man out and let him die in peace........

I agree with ya Navy.

 

[Navy Pride]

I agree with ya Navy.

Hey that is a first DS.......:2razz:

 

[jamesrage]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/OPINION01/607130308
This gentleman has committed the heinous crime of challenging the system, of standing to an unfair law, a law that must be changed..
Ours is a strange country, where "choice " is so important, yet, when it comes to a man's own life, that choice is removed, very odd....
So, our so-called Dr Death is up for parole - and this is being denied. Is this right ??

Kervorkian should rot in prison for the rest of his life.

 

[Caine]

Kervorkian should rot in prison for the rest of his life.

And if you get a horribly painful degenerative disease and become a huge drain on your family, You should deserve to rot in the prison of your own body until you finally die a slow agonizing death?????

Think about it.......

 

[Navy Pride]

And if you get a horribly painful degenerative disease and become a huge drain on your family, You should deserve to rot in the prison of your own body until you finally die a slow agonizing death?????

Think about it.......

I can only speak for what I would do if I had a family member in that condition.......I would spend every dime I have, bare any burden to help them in their time of need..............You would be surprised how many people have recovered from illness when the medical profession said there was no chance of that happening.......

Remember one thing ye of little compassion, where there is life there is hope.........

 

[talloulou]

I don't know what to think about Jack Kevorkian. I'd like to say that he's old so let him out of jail and let him be but given his track record he will inevitably be offing people 10 minutes later.

My biggest problem is that if you look at his assisted suicides case by case some of them I completely sympathize with and feel for the decision....however others I can't help but wonder if those people might not have changed their minds later.

I guess I think if someone is suffering and they are without a doubt going to die before the suffering ends then how can you blame someone for ending that suffering.....I put down a dog that was in bad shape due to prostate cancer when the only other option was waiting for his bladder to burst or his the urine to build up in his blood to deadly toxic levels. So I get that type of mercy killing.

However, in my mind, that is different from someone who isn't terminal but feels their life no longer has quality and thus isn't worth living. I understand that mindset is generally rooted in a deep depression from tragic circumstance but it can and often is overcome so maybe helping those people kill themselves perhaps isn't the best way to aid them.

Thus I'm torn.