HEROES--Jack Kevorkian

Dying is not a crime.
JACK KEVORKIAN

Jack Kevorkian died five days ago. He died of natural causes. His passing has brought sadness to some and glee to others. His finest achievement in life is that he made people think about end of life issues.

Kevorkian asserted that people have the right to die for whatever reasons, and this death should be as painless and as dignified as possible. For most people, the reason for death is the prospect of a prolonged terminal illness, the pain and the suffering, and the bills left for others to pay. Euthanasia was a better way to meet one's end. It was acceptance of the inevitable. Kevorkian taught us that it is better to die on your own terms than on the terms dictated to us by life.

Kevorkian helped people to die by putting together suicide machines that made the death easy and painless. The patients pushed the button to make the suicide machine work. They were the ones who made the choice, and they exerted the agency required to fulfill their wishes. Kevorkian claimed to have assisted 130 patients in this way.

Christians hated Kevorkian. For the Bible thumper, the decision to end your life belongs to God, so they use the law to force their religion on others. Kevorkian defied this, and it eventually resulted in his incarceration. Kevorkian believed in his cause, and his imprisonment was unjust.

Kevorkian has endured much ridicule and character assassination. Every one of his actions has been questioned, and people overlook the fact that the people Jack helped all made the decision to end their own lives. It was their choice, and he was one of the few doctors willing to risk his career and reputation to make it possible for these people to die with some dignity.

Other doctors do what Jack did, but they do it covertly. They prescribe morphine to patients and let them know how much is needed for a fatal dose. This process is haphazard which is why so many suicides get botched with tragic results. But this is the only way a doctor can assist these people without going to jail.

Kevorkian's legacy has been mixed and been softened since his incarceration and release on parole. The fact that he was willing to go to jail for his beliefs speaks volumes. If he is a killer, he would be the most prolific killer in American history rivaling Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the Unabomber. But no one puts him in a class with these monsters. They can't.

Kevorkian was not a monster. Religious fucktards have tried to paint him this way pointing to the man's gruesome artwork as evidence of his "depravity." On this basis, director Quentin Tarantino is a monster. People that watch slasher films are just as fucked up. But we know better.

I am an atheist and a libertarian, so I can respect and admire Kevorkian for his courage and his convictions. He advanced the argument and paid the price. The man was better than his enemies who now gloat at his passing. But Jack will have the last laugh because we are all terminal beings. The reason Kevorkian was hated was because he showed us that we are all going to die. Death happens to other people, but it is also going to happen to you. It happens to us all.

It is my hope that one day that assisted suicide will be seen as the humane act that it is and protected by law. I believe it should always be the choice of the patient and done by their hand. I can see where this sort of thing could be abused by hateful families looking to cash in or by the government wanting to ration healthcare. But assisted suicide is not about dying as much as it is about choice. If people have to die, they should go by their choice and in a state of bliss and happiness. It also gives people the chance to die in the company of loved ones and not alone as their diseases take their toll.

Kevorkian died alone. I think time will vindicate him.

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