Murder or Suicide? |
|
DR. Kevorkian, Mike Wallace a pair to draw to! Unique as it may sound my Father in-law bit the bullet the Saturday before Kevorkian did his job on the poor sucker he convinced was terminal. The circumstances, quite similar and yet dissimilar in their format and publicity, was very interesting. Please don’t misunderstand my stance, I believe in the ‘Death Penalty’ and I believe in an ‘Eye For an Eye’ what I have a challenge with is those who kill for pleasure, notoriety, financial gain or any manner that is clearly an advantage to the perpetrator and not an act of self preservation or in the heat of battle. Kevorkian, as well as Mike Wallace, had a motive, other than merely ending a persons misery and painful existence. Both, clamoring for attention and notoriety, risked their professional stature and hopefully, their self respect, by being involved with a person who has been told he was terminal and had but a short time to live. My favorite father in-law was tested less than 30 days ago for lung cancer, the test was positive and by the structure of the tumor it was a good guess that he would not survive. Having had a heart attack 20 years ago he was on a blood thinning agent that left him vulnerable to extreme blood loss during any type of surgery, leaving removal of the tumor not only impractical but a death sentence as well. His Physician ruled no measures to be taken to slow the growth and gave him 6 months to live While on the pain medication administered shortly after the diagnosis, my Father in-law lost most of his sensibility and good judgment and quickly succumbed to the idea that his life was indeed nearing an end and there was no use attempting another procedure or even considering prolonging his existence. I watched, as this bright intelligent man succumbed to the drugs that were there for his comfort and not to hasten his eventual demise. With close friends and relatives in close attendance this human being was reduced to a slave to his medication that was robbing him of his right to choose whether he had the strength or the will to fight for his life. Who makes these decisions? Usually the Doctor in attendance and the concerned relatives who have acquiesced to the pressure of Physicians who are being dictated to by the patients HMO or other financial contributor. Dr. Kevorkian does it for the attention, others for motives not yet revealed but possibly just as sinister. My Father in-law succumbed within 30 days of his diagnosis. Assisted suicide? Who can say, but one thing is for certain, no one offered an alternative, especially those who praise the Hippocratic oath as a part of their license.
|
|
|