Euthanasia Essay: Assisted Suicide and Dr. Kevorkian -- Euthanasia Phy

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced fifteen to twenty years in jail for a second grade murder charge. There is no doubt that Dr. Kevorkian injected lethal drugs into Thomas Youk, killing him within minutes. But was the murder committed as an act of rage? No, it was done as an act of kindness. For the onetime(prenominal) ten years, Dr. Kevorkian has been performing assisted suicides. In that time, Kevorkian claims to have eased the suffering of 130 patients. He has also been fighting to legalize euthanasia. There are several(prenominal) people that support Kevorkians views of euthanasia, yet there are still many people that think that what Kevorkian is doing is wrong. Until the later part of April, when he was convicted of second degree murder, Kevorkian had been found not guilty of assisted suicide charges on four separate accounts. Is Jack Kevorkians actions one of a hero or of a madman? Currently, the only state that assisted suicide is legal is Oregon. Euthanas ia is illegal everywhere in the United States. Euthanasia is a better preference than assisted suicide. Euthanasia differs from assisted suicide in that the physician actually injects the lethal drug instead of prescribing it. Because patients are required to take the lethal drug themselves, there is the chance that they may take the drug the wrong way. This could cause the patient to survive the lethal dose and do more harm. There is a twenty-five percent chance that a patient will fail to kill themselves by assisted suicide (Smith 37). Dr. Kevorkian, the most outspoken euthanasia activistic in the United States... ...is argument is wrong. Works Cited Corry, John. Who is Jack Kevorkian, Really? Readers Digest. April 1999 87-92. Goldstein, Frederick J. Dr. Jack Kevorkian Friend or Foe? The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. January 1997 1-3. Grace, Julie. Curtains for Dr. Death. epoch 5 Apr. 1999 48. Lessenberry, Jack. Death Becomes Him. Vanity Fair July 1994 102-113 . McHugh, Paul R. The Kevorkian Epidemic. The American Scholar. Vol. 66. 1997 15-27. Nelan, Bruce W. Fasting for the Right to Die. Time 15 Nov. 1993 89. Shapiro, Joseph P. Dr. Death Has Yet Another Day in Court. U.S. News and World Report 29 Mar. 1999 37. Shapiro, Joseph P. Dr. Deaths Last Dance. U.S. News and World Report. 26 Apr. 1999 44. Smith, Wesley J. Death Wars. National Review 14 Jul. 1997 36-37.