by James Kilpatrick

About the author: James Kilpatrick is a syndicated columnist.

At the time the New York suit was filed in 1994, George A. Kingsley was slowly going blind. A victim of AIDS, he was suffering terribly from parasitic infections that had caused lesions on his brain. He knew he was in the terminal phase of his illness. In an affidavit, he said:

“It is my desire that my physician prescribe suitable drugs for me to consume for the purpose of hastening my death...”

Profoundly Important Cases

Across the continent, John Doe, a 44-year-old artist in Washington state, signed a similar statement. He too was going blind as a consequence of AIDS. He was in constant intractable pain. He too wanted his physician to help him die.

The laws of New York and Washington make it...