Dr.

Jack Kevorkian: An Advocate for Assisted Suicide

Junior Division Group Website Emily Swenson, Madaline Leis, and Autumn Ritter

When searching for a National History Day topic, we knew what would best fit our preferences. Given our age, we wanted a topic we didnt know much about but was still close enough to our generation to make connections. Each of us have personally known a terminally ill being, making it easier to understand Kevorkians thoughts and actions. After doing minor research, we became passionate about this topic. Many people know Jack Kevorkian and the

controversy he brought upon society, but most citizens do not know the in-depth reasoning for his actions. First, we conducted online research in history class with help from our teacher. Later in the process, we took two trips to the La Crosse Public Library in Wisconsin, where we found reference books and other printed sources on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide; we also downloaded several newspaper articles concerning Kevorkian. Every time we found a credible source we perused through the index for information relevant to our topic. The information we found helped create each page on our website. After we had qualified for State, we composed an email to the Mayo Clinic Health System asking whether or not it is legally acceptable to interview a few of their doctors regarding their thoughts on Dr. Kevorkians actions. Later that day, we received a response saying that it would not be appropriate for the physicians to comment on his practices. They suggested we contact an ethicist, specifically one interested in medical ethics, for we contacted six ethicists and philosophers from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. These responses were included in our website. We chose our category based on personal interest, the areas in which we excel, the advanced technology that our school offers, and the generation we live in, we believed a website would be the best option. We were able to find more media on Kevorkian than printed information, so creating a website was beneficial when it came to incorporating primary sources. Instead of working as individuals, the three of us decided to work as a group, increasing our research and the amount of work we can accomplish. Each of us are very hard working and motivated individuals, so when our strengths were combined, we formed a well-working team. Our topic relates to the NHD theme, Rights and Responsibilities because Kevorkians line of work was criticized and disapproved of, and a world of controversy was created after his

entrance into the public eye. This is what Kevorkian wanted: to make society aware of the situation and legalize euthanasia. He tested the rights of the terminally ill beings and the responsibilities of physicians as to whether or not assisted suicide should be legal. Kevorkian also tested the rights of civilians and their personal decision on the legalization of assisted suicide. Kevorkian once said, If Im a criminal, then, you can look at me and say Youre a criminal then throw me in jail, but keep me there because if I get out, Ill do it again. (Word Count: 500)