by Claudia Windal

Created on: November 05, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2010

Jack Kevorkian has certainly been a champion in the right to die debate. Much of the world has demonized him, accusing him of being a murderer and violating the sanctity of life. It's easy for us to sit on the sidelines with no emotional connection to those who have sought Dr. Kevorkian and his commitment to assist those who feel that they can no longer live with the debilitating and often painful diseases that infringe on most aspects of their daily lives.

I stand on the side of Jack Kevorkian. This is not to say that I believe his bold and often brazen manner has not been that which has turned many people against his work with the dying. As an RN for the past 35 years, I have met many individuals suffering from prolonged and/or painfully debilitating diseases and conditions. A number of them have shared their thoughts of death as the only release from the relentless agony that they experience. None of them have described seeking the assistance of someone like Dr. Kevorkian as "committing assisted suicide." They view themselves as burdens on their families, friends and society. For those unable to move their smallest muscles and who are dependent upon a host of caregivers for every aspect of their daily lives, Dr. Kevorkian becomes the hope for ending that which has been interminable to them. They view their deaths as relief from their suffering and freeing for their family members who have given up much of their own lives to care for their family member.

As I reflect on various changes in religious traditions, laws, education and the like, I find a common thread which is one or two people beginning to "break" a law or custom. I clearly remember attending Mass at St. Rose Priory in Dubuque, IA when several of the Dominicans came into chapel without habits. This had not been permitted by the order, but these men felt that the time had come for them to look like those with whom they ministered. Of course, their actions did not have the end result of death as do Dr. Kevorkians, yet, this is often the manner in which change begins. It has taken one state to legalize gay marriage and several others have followed.

We have a right to die in peace and without great pain and suffering. Hospice has been instrumental in providing care that makes this possible for many. Hospice demands one of two scenarios: returning home with strangers providing care along with family members or hospice care in either a designated area of a hospital or a stand alone hospice home. In

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