A case of assited suicide

Those Silly Double Standards “A Case of Assisted Suicide” is an essay written by Jack Kevorkian in which the author narrates the first use of his Mercitron machine on a patient. Kevorkian is simply telling a story about his first assisted suicide, he is also bringing to light some of the double standards in the medical field. Kevorkian mentions is that he himself is criticized for assisting a patient in suicide after knowing them only two days, however the author explains”When a doctor refers a patient for surgery, in many cases the surgical specialist performs his ultimate duty after personal acquaintance with the patient from a mere hour or two of prior consultation”(320) and “It is absurd even to imply, let alone to protest outright that a medical specialists competence an ethical behavior are contingent upon some sort of time interval, imposed arbitrarily or by fiat”(320). The author also explains that while he is criticized for executing the procedure in a “rusty old van” people do not have the same qualms about places people are born, as they do where the die, and that the event is more important than the setting (320). In essence, Kevorkian shows his specialty has lead to many double standards, and criticisms in the medical field.196