Dr Webb's angry response to my letter misses the point. I am not an
idealogue but after 35 years in clinical practice in a wide variety of
settings I wish that I had spoken out more publicly about the present and
potential abuses in medicine.
I do not know if he is a physician or not or whether he has ever been
in practice whereas I have seen how limited change extends without
planning way beyond the original intentions. I have worked in a unit where
abortions were carried out and ,contrary to general opinion, it is a
bloody and dispiriting business. What started in the UK as limited
terminations ( and what an accurate description that is) for therapeutic
reasons has moved on to essentially abortion on demand and its use as a
contraceptive. I have little doubt that limited killing of newborns will
extend gradually to the termination of other handicapped children and then
adults especially when medical people feel justifiesd and unafraid of
legal retribution.
Whatever our disagreements, he should read some history of the second
World War and in particular what the Nazi policy was towards Jews,
gypsies, handicapped children and others with medical support in many
caaes. I was not calling the Dutch Doctors Nazis but asking if they had
forgotten what happened on their doorstep within living memory and about
which we must constantly be on guard.
Rapid Response:
Re: Re: Dutch Doctors and killing of patients
Dr Webb's angry response to my letter misses the point. I am not an
idealogue but after 35 years in clinical practice in a wide variety of
settings I wish that I had spoken out more publicly about the present and
potential abuses in medicine.
I do not know if he is a physician or not or whether he has ever been
in practice whereas I have seen how limited change extends without
planning way beyond the original intentions. I have worked in a unit where
abortions were carried out and ,contrary to general opinion, it is a
bloody and dispiriting business. What started in the UK as limited
terminations ( and what an accurate description that is) for therapeutic
reasons has moved on to essentially abortion on demand and its use as a
contraceptive. I have little doubt that limited killing of newborns will
extend gradually to the termination of other handicapped children and then
adults especially when medical people feel justifiesd and unafraid of
legal retribution.
Whatever our disagreements, he should read some history of the second
World War and in particular what the Nazi policy was towards Jews,
gypsies, handicapped children and others with medical support in many
caaes. I was not calling the Dutch Doctors Nazis but asking if they had
forgotten what happened on their doorstep within living memory and about
which we must constantly be on guard.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests