Physician-assisted suicide."Checkbook euthanasia."
"Cost containment" that becomes, in fact, "care containment."
These are just a few of the phrases relevant to the unraveling of our culture's historic respect for the sanctity of life. There are many others used -- "futile care"... "death with dignity"... "prolonging the dying process"... "quality of life"... and so on. Such phrases have helped the euthanasia lobby win great ground in their battle against those Judeo-Christian virtues that have protected life even in its weakest, most vulnerable conditions.
But now, armed with a handful of these innocent-sounding phrases and their air of authority, the powers that be in the medical professions are moving even farther, suggesting to troubled families who are dealing with a very ill loved one that oxygen, food, water and antibiotics are somehow invasive enemies which must be eliminated.
Instead of protecting life, the system is being manipulated to insuring that sick people do not, well...bother us very much.
This is why I support the Nebraska Humane Care Amendment, the explanations of which I've been posting here at the Vital Signs Blog. Those installments published (so far, there's a couple more coming) can be found by clicking on these links: one, two, three and four.
To illustrate these issues with a dramatic personal example, I suggest you read the experience of Pamela Winnick as she described it in this Wall Street Journal article.
