Dr. Jack Kevorkian
Doctor Jack Kevorkian, militant activist for patients' end-of-life rights and the right to die with dignity, has himself passed away.
Under strict conditions, it's legal in Oregon, Washington, and Montana to ask a physician for assistance to die and for that physician to render aid. Records indicate that the system has worked when it's been used and, so far, hasn't suffered abuse. During SIFF, a film called How to Die in Oregon explored the stories of people in OR who have chosen this route. I wanted to see it but wasn't sure that I could handle it and so opted out.
I have to say, as someone living in WA, there's a certain comfort in having those tools available if, God forbid, I should someday need to avail myself of them. Although I didn't always agree with his methods, I always thought Kevorkian was right. The Death with Dignity acts are, in part, a result of his controversial work, and we owe him a debt.
Under strict conditions, it's legal in Oregon, Washington, and Montana to ask a physician for assistance to die and for that physician to render aid. Records indicate that the system has worked when it's been used and, so far, hasn't suffered abuse. During SIFF, a film called How to Die in Oregon explored the stories of people in OR who have chosen this route. I wanted to see it but wasn't sure that I could handle it and so opted out.
I have to say, as someone living in WA, there's a certain comfort in having those tools available if, God forbid, I should someday need to avail myself of them. Although I didn't always agree with his methods, I always thought Kevorkian was right. The Death with Dignity acts are, in part, a result of his controversial work, and we owe him a debt.