May 4, 2018

Letters to the Editor

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Tragic case of British toddler shows without a ‘right,’ things go very wrong, reader says

Alfie Evans, a 23-month-old British toddler, died on April 28. He was taken off life support against the wishes of his parents, who had wanted to take him to Italy at no expense to the British National Health Service. Pope Francis had offered to have him transferred to the Vatican children’s hospital. The Italian government agreed to fly him there, and even granted him citizenship.

The hospital authorities and a judge in Britain had other ideas. They decided that it was “better” for Alfie if he were allowed to die because he had a serious illness that they deemed incurable. They thought it was in his “best interest.”

Alfie’s case is a chilling wake-up call to the world regarding the dignity of each human, the danger of state tyranny over individual rights, and the rights of parents to decide what is best for their children.

Secularization is eroding the sanctity of individual human lives. The unborn are under attack through abortion. The disabled and elderly are targets of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Critically ill “less useful” people are denied treatment, or treatment is withdrawn in utilitarian societies.

When God is replaced by government, there are murderous consequences. This was proven in the 20th-century totalitarian Nazi and Communist regimes.

Perhaps we in our country should see this as in our future, and start to be more vocal and speak up against those who say there is no right or wrong.

Without a “right,” things go very wrong.

- Dr. Stephen O’Neil | Indianapolis

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