Euthanasia Gains Steam

A proposed amendment to Belgium's 2002 euthanasia law would give children the right to decide whether they wish to be euthanized. The bill also applies to disabled infants and seniors with dementia. Existing law limits euthanasia to those over 18 and requires consent of the person or guardian. “It is strange that minors are considered legally incompetent in key areas … but might [be able] to decide to die,” Catholic Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard testified. Michel De Keukelaere, founder of the March for Life in Brussels says, “Children never choose to die.” She suggests that the law is symbolic, a “sort of the revenge of these socialist and liberal parties who want to show that Christianity in Belgium is finished.”

In the last decade, the number of reported deaths by euthanasia rose over 400%. But the Belgian Medical Journal asserts that the true number is considerably higher, and some 32% of deaths happen without “explicit request.” No cases violating the current law have ever been prosecuted. Ironically, the rationale for the amendment is that “it's already happening anyway,” and “doctors need a legal framework.”

Meanwhile, Quebec's legislature stands on the verge of enacting a law similar to Belgium's existing one. It passed last week with an 84-26 vote in the national assembly. Opposition parties will have the opportunity to offer amendments before a final vote, but the only significant opposition comes from the Liberal Party. Leader Philippe Couillard says the bill as it stands doesn't set sufficiently strict standards. One difference between Canada and Belgium is Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms that recognizes all Canadians as equal under the law. If euthanasia is legalized, it will eventually be extended to all Canadians, including children. As one opponent said, “You can't have a little bit of euthanasia.”

We wonder: How long until ObamaCare and its death panels bring the same tidings to the U.S.? People are getting policy cancellation letters now; wait until they're getting life canceling letters because the cost to keep them alive would be too great for the system.