Poor old Jack Kevorkian just got out of prison after serving 8 years (could it really have been that long ago?) for aiding terminally ill people to end their suffering. I'm sure there are people who have wantonly murdered perfectly healthy people who haven't spent that long in prison.
I have a suicide pact with a close friend in the case that I am terminally ill, in unbearable pain, and ready to go onto the next level of existence. My only stipulation to her is that she get a second opinion in case I'm unable to tell her what I want.
I watched my husband spend the final year of his life in misery. There was no question of prematurely ending his life because he clung to it so tenaciously. But I was willing and ready to help him if his suffering became too much for him.
I've never understood why the church and our laws frown on assisting someone to pass over when they are in unbearable agony with no hope of recovery. If the person is still in sound mind and all of his doctors and care givers understand that this is truthfully the patient's wishes, then why is it wrong to help them leave?
I've spoken to a lot of people about this subject and most feel as I do. I'm not afraid of dying but I'm terrified of hanging on in pain which will only worsen and which I can't survive.
Jack Kevorkian was a brave man to stand up to the establishment and do what he felt was right. His actions were beneficial to many people who had no other recourse. I hope my "Jack Kevorkian" will be around when and if I need her.
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