S1E3 The Reaper's Helper (Broadcast in October 1990) ?
Homosexual and AIDS in 1980s-90s / Mercy killing - Euthanasia / Assisted suicide
◇ From the point of view of the era in 1990, after more than 20 years of homosexuality affirmative action, the discussion of homosexuality and sexual minorities has become a hot topic among people on the east and west coasts. The degree of tolerance and support has increased, and DC comics have also appeared. Openly coming out superheroes, even as the resurgent conservatism of the Reagan era lingered into the 1990s, cities like New York and San Francisco have always been at the forefront of open and avant-garde culture, in mainstream theaters and galleries and museums. Related performances and art exhibitions are emerging one after another, and some well-known companies have also begun to face up to the rights of sexual minorities.
◇ However, since the outbreak of AIDS in the 1980s, as a public health issue, it has been ignored or even discriminated against by the federal government, causing it to run out of control and rampant gay plague prejudice and panic in mainstream society. At the same time, a series of radical activities of anti-AIDS organizations represented by ACT UP, such as "Stop the Church" in 1989, made the conflict between homophobia and anti-homophobia even worse.
◇ By the end of 1990, although Congress had passed two AIDS-related bills and the FDA had approved AZT, the anti-AIDS process was still slow and AIDS was still regarded as an incurable plague. The number of AIDS deaths in the United States that year exceeded 30,000, while The total number of deaths exceeds 120,000. AIDS patients withered like fallen leaves in an environment where they could not understand and treat. They were driven out of their residences, refused first aid, disconnected from relatives and friends, gave up, and gave up in despair. This episode of L&O was created in the context of this era. The deceased was a gay AIDS patient who tried his best to die but did not have the courage to kill himself, and another gay AIDS patient assisted him in his death.
◇ Euthanasia and assisted suicide, the main difference is whether the "death button" is pressed by the deceased. The focus of this episode is also here, not the long-term wishes of the deceased, not the unbearable pain of the disease, but who pulled the trigger and directly caused the death.
◇ It is said that this episode is based on the events of Dr. Jack Kevorkian (famous for supporting euthanasia and assisting hundreds of terminally ill patients to commit suicide in the 1990s), but this Dr. Death's public assisted suicide case can only be traced back to 1990. In June of this year, it may not be directly related to the script of this episode.
◇ Prosecutor Stone's consideration of the social impact of such issues is better than his sympathy for the suspect. For him, this is not a sure-fire prosecution (or even a deliberate loss), but a media-focused discussion of issues to issue A warning about the legitimacy of euthanasia/assisted suicide, "what gives you the right to decide how I should live the rest of my life?" This is also related to the character's Catholic background.
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