On this day in 2011, Dr. Jack Kevorkian died. He was one of the only doctors who never required a post visit check up. He had more assists than John Stockton.
According to Wikipedia, Jacob “Jack” Kevorkian was an American pathologist, euthanasia activist, painter, author, composer and instrumentalist.
He was obviously best known for publicly championing a terminal patient’s right to die via physician-assisted suicide; he claimed to have assisted at least 130 patients in suicide.
He was often known by his stage name, “Dr. Death”. In 1999, Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder and served eight years in prison.
He was released on parole on June 1, 2007, on condition he would not offer advice nor participate or be present in the act of any type of suicide involving euthanasia, to any other person; as well as neither promote nor talk about the procedure of assisted suicide.
As an oil painter and a musician, (I told you), Kevorkian marketed some of his visual and musical artwork. In April of 2010, “You Don’t Know Jack”, a major motion picture about Kevorkian, was released. He was portrayed by Al Pacino. Really? The Godfather to Dr. Death? Now that I think about it, it sort of fits.
Kevorkian even ran for a Congressional seat on March 12, 2008 to represent Michigan’s 9th congressional district. If there was any doubt he was a criminal, that sealed the deal for me. Kevorkian ran as an independent and received only 2.6% of the vote. He was endorsed by Planned Parenthood (joke). Too bad. He would have been a killer politician.
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Good balanced post Jerry.
I’m very uneasy about assisted suicide; it seems so clear cut in the extreme tragic cases; then you get into that grey area where you wonder whether the inconvenient relative was encouraged to take the easy way out, or the production line approach to Humanity ‘Nah we can’t do anymore with this one. Sorry bub, nothing personal,’
We should always tread carefully on ethical issues there are very few clearly defined lines, or easy answers.
Happy 4th July to you and yours
Roger
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So true, Roger, and thank you. There is a rather large parade going down our street right now!! I hate parades.
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Yeah, my sympathies, they bring out the grumps in me.
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