Dr. Jack Kevorkian
(aka the 'Suicide Doctor' and 'Dr. Death')
has been getting a bum rap:

• He accepts people with little chance at a painless death, and he removes their pain.

• He takes people who see no likelihood of a dignified passing, and he helps give them dignity.

• He embraces people who don't have any meaning left in their lives, and he imbues their life, and their death, with enormous significance.

• He stands unwaveringly at the flashpoint of one of the greatest taboos of our culture.

• He resolutely advocates a perspective that most of us avoid, and even ridicule, rather than deal with responsibly.

• He espouses a concept which is accepted and legal in other countries, yet he continues to risk jail and severe public censure here, to assure that euthanasia remains prominent on our society's agenda.

• Future generations will likely revere him as a courageous visionary, yet there are forces at work today which threaten to destroy him.

• Perhaps most importantly of all:  he has discovered his purpose on this planet, and despite the unpopularity of his calling, he steadfastly continues to follow it.

For all these reasons -- God bless you, Dr. Kevorkian!

I pray it doesn't happen this way, but if I die slowly and painfully,
I hope that there will be an angel like you still around.