I always said all my life, if I wasn't born and they gave me the question, I'd say, I don't want to be born. Jack Kevorkian More Quotes by Jack Kevorkian More Quotes From Jack Kevorkian My aim in helping the patient was not to cause death. My aim was to end suffering. It's got to be decriminalized. Jack Kevorkian causessufferinghelping If you don't have liberty and self-determination, you've got nothing, that's what this is what this country is built on. And this is the ultimate self-determination, when you determine how and when you're going to die when you're suffering. Jack Kevorkian determinationselfcountry You're basing your laws and your whole outlook on natural life on mythology. It won't work. That's why you have all these problems in the world. Name them: India, Pakistan, Ireland. Name them-all these problems. They're all religious problems. Jack Kevorkian religiouslawnames The American Medical Association says the humane way is to let people starve and thirst to death. If you did that to an animal, youd be put in jail immediately ... In the face of such insanity masquerading as authority, who wouldnt be strident? Jack Kevorkian humane-wayjailanimal My intent was to carry out my duty as a doctor, to end their suffering. Unfortunately, that entailed, in their cases, ending of the life. Jack Kevorkian racistdoctorssuffering Anytime you interfere with a natural process, you're playing God. God determines what happens naturally. That means when a person's ill, he shouldn't go to a doctor because he's asking for interference with God's will. But of course, patients can't think that way. Jack Kevorkian doctorsmeanthinking She made the decision that her existence had lost its meaning. And you cannot judge that. Jack Kevorkian umpiresdecisionjudging I would not want to live with a tube in my neck and not be able to move a finger. I wouldn't - that to me is not life. Jack Kevorkian ablewantmoving I hate to say this, but I'll repeat it: After death, all we know that you do is stink. Jack Kevorkian after-deathstinkhate I have a natural right to do whatever I want with my body as long as it doesn't affect anybody else or any other property. Jack Kevorkian bodywantlong In quixotically trying to conquer death doctors all too frequently do no good for their patients' ease but at the same time they do harm instead by prolonging and even magnifying patients' dis-ease. Jack Kevorkian doctorseasetrying I knew I was getting into one of the most illegal things in the world. It was the right thing to do. Jack Kevorkian illegal-thingsthings-to-doworld As a medical doctor, it is my duty to evaluate the situation with as much data as I can gather and as much expertise as I have and as much experience as I have to determine whether or not the wish of the patient is medically justified. Jack Kevorkian doctorsdatawish All the big powers... they've silenced me. So much for free speech and choice on this fundamental human right. Jack Kevorkian speechchoicesfundamentals Am I a criminal? The world knows I'm not a criminal. What are they trying to put me in jail for? You've lost common sense in this society because of religious fanaticism and dogma. Jack Kevorkian common-sensejailreligious Well, let's take what people think is a dignified death. Christ - was that a dignified death? Do you think it's dignified to hang from wood with nails through your hands and feet bleeding, hang for three or four days slowly dying, with people jabbing spears into your side, and people jeering you? Do you think that's dignified? Not by a long shot. Had Christ died in my van with people around Him who loved Him, the way it was, it would be far more dignified. In my rusty van. Jack Kevorkian your-sidehandsthinking Despite the solace of hypocritical religiosity and its seductive promise of an after-life of heavenly bliss, most of us will do anything to thwart the inevitable victory of biological death. Jack Kevorkian seductivevictorypromise I'm trying to knock the medical profession into accepting its responsibilities, and those responsibilities include assisting their patients with death. Jack Kevorkian medical-professionresponsibilitytrying When your conscience says law is immoral, don't follow it. Jack Kevorkian immorallawadvice Five to six thousand people die every year waiting for organs, but nobody cares. Jack Kevorkian waitingpeopleyears
