Some medical doctors among the free—spirited Dutch, who have been living in a half—century reaction against their Calvinist past, have now instituted the Groningen Protocol,  which permits an independent committee to euthanize the terminally ill who do not have "free will": namely, babies. They have done this several times, and it is now coming to light. Their Parliament is taking up the debate.
 
There are no official guidelines for ending the lives of those who are unable to make their own decision, such as in the case of a baby, but Groningen Academic Hospital has conducted such procedures under its own, internal guidelines.
 
It is time this hot topic got more time in the blogosphere, especially here at the American Thinker, which boasts a wide readership, many of whom are religious and care about life. Evangelical blogger and radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt  has been almost the lone voice in the wilderness on this scary policy, and he is taken so seriously among the leaders of the Republican Party that he has prompted senators to research the policy and possibly to draft a resolution condeming it. Link to his website and read the sad story of parents whose adopted infant would have surely been euthanized had it been birthed and abandoned at this Dutch hospital.
 
It is no exaggeration to draw parallels between this current policy in Holland about humans with no free will, and the practice of Nazi Germany against humans with no free will, like the mentally retarded and other mentally impaired victims. The rest of the story does not need to be repeated here.
 
Jim Arlandson  12 4 04