LOVE HER OR HATE HER, SHE'S STRUCK AN AUTHENTIC NERVE
When she wrote on her Facebook page a few weeks ago that government death panels were the fruit of ObamaCare--the health care plan pushed by the President--many op ed writers opined that she was a nut, a basketcase, and truly weird. Must be a real surprise to them that her accusation stuck and for weeks now, the powers that be have struggled to refute her.
Fact is, the proposed health care initiatives in Congress don't actually say "death panels", but they don't have to in order to make Palin's accusation true. Government, governed by cost concerns, shouldn't be in the business of helping folks make end of life decisions. Also, government, infused by ideas from noveau eugenicists like Dr. Emmaneul (Rahm Emmanuel's, the President's Chief of Staff, brother), will in fact make choices that benefit those who have more "life years" to give to society. Bottom line is: we just don't want government to make choices that are better left between patient and family. Some say that insurance companies do this already. True, but they are not the government. Bad as they can be, they do not have the overarching reach that government will have. Palin was right to sound the alarm.
Many years ago, Charlton Heston was in a fine little film called Soylent Green. Society, with the best of intentions, tried to solve its problems by taking away the dignity of human beings. Cal Thomas, the famous op-ed writer, says it best when he talks about the bottom line being what we think of human beings. Are we going to hold human beings as made in the image and likeness of God, or are they just a piece of slime, genetically the same as other animal life? The answer by society will determine whether Sarah Palin's "Death Panels" are a reality or just a figment of imagination.
One part of the problem with section 1233 is the standardization of advice on the continuum of care. Even existing forms make it difficult to specify a Christian approach to end-of-life decisions. Do we really want the government providing the lead on this issue? I think not. However, for Medicare to cover such discussions with professionals without specifying the nature of the discussion seems good on the face of it.
The fact that such legislation is promoted by Compassion & Choices, originally formed from the Hemlock society is reason for concern.
Posted by: Michael Maedoc | August 25, 2009 at 10:13 AM