By Jamine Chou
Thomas Youk was sitting quietly in an empty room, experiencing the last few minutes of his life. Although only 52 years old, which is still considered the prime of a man’s life, his complexion appeared too ashen for his age. His eyes unveiled his tiredness and pain. His body couldn’t bear his suffering any more, and he would have taken a gun and shot himself if only his muscles had still been under his control. Then a doctor entered the room, followed by Thomas’ loved ones. They didn’t talk much before the doctor asked the family to wait outside. The room recovered its tranquility, and Thomas knew the time had come. As the doctor picked up a needle and gave him an injection, his seemly endless suffering was at last drawn to an end. With he released his last breath, there was a smile on his face which nobody had seen for a very long time. This story is not a piece of fiction. It actually happened last September in Oakland County, Michigan. A doctor named Kevorkian assisted one of his patients, Thomas Youk, to commit suicide by giving him a lethal injection. Thomas was then suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Not long after Thomas’ death, Dr. Kevorkian sent a videotape which contained the complete process of the operation to 60 Minutes in order to reveal to the world the truth about euthanasia. Of course, right after this rash act, the doctor was charged with first-degree murder by the local prosecutor, and in April, he was convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 10-25 years behind bars. Dr. Kevorkian is already 70 years old, which means he is going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Dedicating his life for right-to-die advocacy, he maintained that people have the right to choose their death with dignity. Therefore, although he knew the consequences in advance, he still decided to send the tape to the TV network, simply to call attention to euthanasia. In fact, euthanasia has existed for centuries. Doctors all over the world secretly proceed with the operation and, at the same time, try to promote the legalization of euthanasia. The outcome is not surprising; more and more people have been joining organizations set up for its advocacy. Rationally speaking, for many patients who have been suffering from torturing and incurable illnesses, to require them to hang in there and to wait for miracles is somehow crueler than to let them rest in peace. Of course, whether to practice euthanasia or not is still on the borderline between reason and emotion. Besides emotional indecision, many opponents also claim that nobody can decide another person’s life, not even the person himself, because life is controlled not by any particular being but by members of his or her family and friends, not to mention the highest religious divinity. Others object to euthanasia based on political, scientific, and humanitarian perspectives. But when the patient is lying helplessly in bed most of the time, maybe we should pay more respect to the patient’s decision. Whether to continue their torturous lives for themselves as well as for their families or to stop the whole thing is supposed to be up to the patients. Putting those immense theories aside, how to offer patients what they need the most and how to give doctors the right to provide the best treatment for their patients should be our priority. Up till now, of all the states in the U.S., only Oregon has an officially approved law to legalize euthanasia and to regulate the rules concerning thereof, called the Death with Dignity Act. The act specifically indicates when and under what circumstances a doctor can proceed with an euthanasia operation. This legislation not only protects the patient’s interests but also ensure the doctor’s immunity while executing the operation. Other countries, such as Australia, already have national laws for euthanasia’s legalization and regulation. Elsewhere, such as in the Netherlands, there are very liberal policies on doctors’ assisting suicide and euthanasia, though none of them is officially legal. Although there are many negative criticisms in magazines and newspapers about Dr. Kevorkian and euthanasia, the truth deserves more attention. The truth is that despite the unknown manipulator of our beings, we still exert primary control over our own lives. Under certain special situations, whether to go on in misery or to end it all depends on our own decision. After all, it is we who are living our lives, not others. Thomas made the decision under his own free will and decided to let the doctor give him the fatal stroke. You may suspect that Dr. Kevorkian’s motives were not purely for his patient’s sake but also for his other ambitions; still, Youk’s choice was no lie. As the doctor goes to jail for murder, Youk is satisfied with the end of his life. His body might be murdered, but his soul was surely set free because of it. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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