Assisted Suicide

Re the hysteria caused by Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s recent “60 Minutes” appearance:

Those who are angered, shocked, or repelled by Kevorkian’s modus operandi would do well to put themselves in the position of his truly desperate patients. Who are we to say that suicide, assisted or not, shouldn’t be an option for these people? Kevorkian’s patients, along with their loved ones, should be free to determine when and how to end the suffering: The state has no business intruding upon such an intensely personal and private decision.

If Kevorkian is again brought to trial, I hope the jury will be made up of thinking, compassionate people. If so, he will never be convicted. To prosecute him is a waste of time and money, and to vilify him is an affront to those who have bravely faced the grimmest of all possible choices.

KENNETH A.J. LEIGHTON

Anaheim Hills