European Trends Favor Euthanasia

Nowhere in the world are euthanasia and assisted suicide practiced as freely as in the Netherlands. Going back to 1985, courts looked the other way while euthanasia and assisted suicide became standard practice. In 2002, these practices were legalized by codification of existing practice into law. It doesn’t matter if you ask for euthanasia or not because someone can do it for you.

In 2005, the Netherlands traveled down the slippery slope even further by establishing a set of guidelines, known as the Groningen Protocol, allowing newborn infants with disabilities such as Spina Bifida to be euthanized when the parents consent and the infant’s quality of life is deemed not acceptable. Sounds like eugenics at work to me.

Belgium legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2002.

Switzerland has not legalized but allows assisted suicide to occur. A group called Dignitas carried out hundreds of assisted suicides for years in a downtown apartment building in Zurich, attracting patients (or should we say victims) from all over the world. Recently, Dignitas was evicted after building residents complained of body bags in elevators and ambulances in front of the building. Undaunted, Dignitas now carries out its deadly work in vans stationed in parking lots. By the way — Dignitas has changed its tactics. It now uses plastic bags with helium placed over the person’s head instead of medication to eliminate the physician as the middle “man” who has to agree to write the prescription.

Luxembourg is in the final stages of legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The House of Lords in Great Britain voted down legislation to legalize assisted suicide in 2006 but the debate still rages with some British physicians calling for guidelines like the Groningen Protocol to allow euthanasia of newborn infants with disabilities. Debate is occurring in Scotland about legalization.

In France, a woman with a debilitating illness publicly requested suicide from a court as the French people rallied to her side. After being turned down, she committed suicide. It became known she had refused treatment for her condition that could have restored her to full health and also pain medication.

In Germany, a former government minister has devised a suicide machine which is on loan to anyone wanting to commit suicide.

All of this activity emboldens the proponents of euthanasia to push forward with their deadly agenda. Here in the U.S., we are terrified that these ominous trends will reach our shores.

Barbara