Now I have seen everything. Opponents of assisted suicide have vociferously criticized the puff piece biopic being produced by HBO and starring Al Pacino—and who do the media quote in a story about the criticism? Supporters of assisted suicide, including Derek Humphry! From the story:
Even Hemlock Society founder Derek Humphry, now 79 and the self-described “grand old man” of the assisted death movement, said Kevorkian’s methods were “too perilous and risky.” Humphry wrote “Last Exit,” a how-to guide for people wishing to end their lives, after helping his terminally ill wife, Jean, end her life with an overdose of medication. In 1989, when Kevorkian was still practicing medicine in Los Angeles, he and Humphry “quarreled right on the spot.”
“He came to me hoping that I, as head of Hemlock, would send him the patients,” Humphry told ABCNews.com. “I said, ‘No,’ I don’t believe there should be a clinic for assisted suicide. It should be done at home or in a hospital.”
“He stormed out of the room and has never spoken to me since,” Humphry said.
“He came to me hoping that I, as head of Hemlock, would send him the patients,” Humphry told ABCNews.com. “I said, ‘No,’ I don’t believe there should be a clinic for assisted suicide. It should be done at home or in a hospital.”
“He stormed out of the room and has never spoken to me since,” Humphry said.
Fact checker! The book is Final Exit, not Last Exit, and Kevorkian was not practicing medicine in LA, he was unemployed. Moreover, he was a pathologist when he did practice medicine and so didn’t deal with living patients. Moreover, Humphry supported Kevorkian! He railed against the murder conviction and organized letter writing campaigns against K’s jailing. And who is Humphry to call anyone “reckless?’
But I digress. Here’s the point: It’s now official: Opposition to assisted suicide does not exist. There are only supporters.
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