Imagine looking in a mirror and seeing the target of the euthanasia movement.
This is exactly why people with disabilities justifiably fear California Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown signing into law the Physician Assisted Suicide bill.
Imagine a 47-year-old divorced mother of a 13-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter who chooses death over tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. Imagine 650 babies (not fetuses, babies) put to death because living with disabilities would make their lives difficult.
It’s real, not imagination.
The Netherlands has taken the lead in physician-assisted suicide, allowing death for people who feel they or their children are not leading fulfilling lives.
“The Royal Dutch Medical Association estimates that 650 newborns are killed every year because they fall into this category.” The Daily Mail reports. “Dr Eduard Verhagen, an eminent Dutch paediatric medical expert who supports this practice, says a child can even be killed on the grounds that it is distressing for a parent to watch it in pain.”
According to the report, even physically healthy people suffering from depression have been killed by doctors under Holland’s right-to-die laws.
In once case, “a 54-year-old woman with personality and eating disorders is reported to have received lethal injections at a ‘Life End’ clinic in Amsterdam. Indeed, according to Holland’s health minister, several right-to-die deaths have involved psychiatric patients.”
This is the American future envisioned by California Governor Jerry Brown, who claims to be a Catholic studiously considering this issue before authorizing government-approved suicide.
Proponents will snootily proclaim Oregon provides the historical proof that physician assisted suicide presents no risks to those who may waver on this decision to live or die.
They are wrong.
The Disability Rights and Defense Fund has researched many cases in Oregon wherein doctor-shopping evades so-called “safeguards” against killing people who may not really know what they are doing.
They report Kate Cheney, 85, died by assisted suicide under Oregon’s law even though she had early dementia. Her physician declined to provide the lethal prescription. Her managed care provider then found another physician to prescribe the lethal dose. The second physician ordered a psychiatric evaluation, which found that Cheney lacked “the very high level of capacity required to weigh options about assisted suicide.” Cheney’s request was denied, and her daughter “became angry.”
Another evaluation took place, this time with a psychologist who insisted on meeting Cheney alone. Disturbingly, the psychologist deemed Cheney competent while still noting that her “choices may be influenced by her family’s wishes and her daughter, Erika, may be somewhat coercive.” Cheney soon took the drugs and died.
As the country leading the way on euthanasia, the Netherlands presents the world with the most egregious of physician assisted suicide outcomes.
Physician assisted suicide laws expressly prohibit patients from being killed without their expressed consent.
Research by attorney Anne McTavish shows “In 1990, 130,000 people died in the Netherlands: 2,300 people asked doctors to kill them; 400 asked doctors to provide them with the means to kill themselves; 8,100 died when doctors deliberately gave them an overdose of pain medication to kill them (for which 4,941 patients didn’t consent); 1,040 people died when doctors euthanized them without their knowledge or consent (72 per cent of those never having given any indication they would want their lives terminated).”
4,941 patients didn’t consent.
1,040 people died when doctors euthanized them without their knowledge or consent.
Today, the killing of the mentally ill continues.
Minors in the Netherlands are now allowed to choose euthanasia, too. Children ages 12 to 15 may ask to die if they can get parents’ permission. After age 16, young people can make the decision with only “parental involvement.”
This is Jerry Brown’s brave new world creeping upon America, as though there were no such palliative care as pain management or therapeutic psychological counseling.
And unless you vote for candidates against the death doctors, it’s coming to your state.
Rick Jensen is Delaware’s award-winning conservative talk show host on WDEL, streaming live on WDEL.com from 1pm - 4pm EST. Contact Rick at rick@wdel.com, or follow him on Twitter @Jensen1150WDEL