The documentary Kevorkian features one of the most controversial men in United States history. Dr. Jack Kevorkian, labeled as “Dr. Death,” is an Armenian-American pathologist who helped dozens of terminally ill patients in the U.S. undertake physician-assisted suicide (Crime T.V. 3, 2014). The thought-provoking film reviews Dr. Kevorkian’s convictions about life, death, and the future, but most importantly, individual right to suicide. The outspoken doctor becomes a polarizing figure and a strong advocate for assisting dying patients in critical conditions. His musings about this controversial topic manifest in his lack of regret for serving a prison term of eight and a half years, unsuccessful bid for a congregational seat, and move to introduce the right-to-die bill.
Perhaps the most interesting topic about the assisted suicide enthusiast’s career is the ethics of medically-assisted death. The most debatable issue is whether helping terminally ill patients to commit suicide amounts to a breach of the right to live. It is time to consider whether human beings have a right to die in a dignified manner. As depicted in the film, Dr. Kevorkian’s medical practice raises autonomy and the right of persons to decide the way and time of their death. It provokes new thinking and challenges the audience to recognize and accept that human life has a natural ending; thus, people should not continue suffering simply because there is a potential treatment for their condition. As demonstrated by Dr. Kevorkian’s conviction about life and death, the concern about euthanasia or assisted dying is not just about staying alive. Instead, it is also about the discretion to choose against unbearable life and in favor of one’s death.
Another rationale for assisted death is the elimination of unnecessary suffering among terminally ill patients. For instance, the right-to-die activist witnessed her mother experience severe pain and suffering occasioned by her chronic cancer battle. Moreover, he received countless letters from desperate patients requesting assisted suicide and helped them die with dignity (Crime T.V. 3, 2014). This practice should not be considered criminal or deprivation of life, and, instead, it should be seen as a right to allow people in dire need to avoid unnecessary suffering and die in a peaceful and dignified manner.
Reference
Crime T.V. 3. (2014). Kevorkian [Video]. Web.