Jack Kevorkian Promotes Euthanasia in Speech at Nova Southeastern University
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 6, 2009
Davie, FL (LifeNews.com) — In a speech at Florida-based Nova Southeastern University, assisted suicide advocate and convicted murderer Jack Kevorkian promoted euthanasia to an audience that gave him a mixed reaction. Kevorkian punctuated his speech with a publicity stunt involving an American flag he altered to include a swastika.
Before the speech began, Kevorkian asked the audience to say the pledge of allegiance and he flipped the flag over to reveal the Nazi symbol.
Kevorkian talked more about end of life issues than he did in a previous speech at the University of Florida.
"It’s a doctor’s aim to end suffering," he said. "Any person who has his life ended justifiably, it must be done by a physician, like any operation to save a life or cure a disease."
However, she stopped short of talking about how someone could end their own life since the conditions of his parole prevent him from doing so.
"I’ll never consult with a patient on how to do it as long as I’m on parole," he said.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Kevorkian complained about that.
"I’m free to do anything I want. I so-called ‘paid my debt to society,’" he said. "You know, what a farce."
The newspaper indicated the audience wasn’t fully supportive with some boos, some people leaving midway through the speech and one person yelled, "They should use the machine on you!"
Kevorkian told one questioner "of course" he would take his own live via euthanasia should the time come.
Wesley J. Smith, a noted bioethicist and attorney says Nova Southeastern University should get flack for hosting the speech.
"This says a lot that is wrong at our universities–where social outlaws are celebrated and given huge speaking fees–and with the murderer Jack Kevorkian," he said.
"That thousands of people turned out to see him shows the decadent power of celebrity that is rotting decency and virtue in our culture," he said.
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