British opponents of assisted suicide say that the figures are a warning of the dangers of decriminalising euthanasia, as Holland did in 1984. By 1995 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Holland had risen to almost 3 per cent of all deaths.
The Dutch survey, reviewed in the Journal of Medical Ethics, looked at the figures for 1995 and found that as well as 3,600 authorized cases there were 900 others in which doctors had acted without explicit consent. A follow-up survey found that the main reason for not consulting patients was that they had dementia or were otherwise not competent.
But in 15 percent of cases the doctors avoided any discussion because they thought they were acting in the patient's best interests.
Michael Howitt Wilson, of the Alert campaign against euthanasia, said: "A lot of people in Holland are frightened to go into hospital because of this situation."
The pro-euthanasia Right to Die Movement is intentionally trying to change the philosophy of the Hospice movement by infiltrating it. A website called Hospice for Hemlock claims to represent "Hospice Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Chaplains, Home Health Aids and Volunteers" and to support "Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Self-Deliverance."
Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said "Any attempt by the Right to Die Movement to ally itself with hospice is an attempt to take over the hospice movement." Nancy Valko, a hospice nurse, warns that "Hemlock and other pro-euthanasia groups have been trying to change the tried and trusted hospice philosophy from providing compassionate care without either prolonging or hastening death to supporting personal or family ‘choice’ in causing or hastening death."
My comments: This movement, or cult, is determined to make the Schiavo case a "test case" which will lead to increasing abuses of patient's civil rights. Terri never gave her consent nor did she express a wish to die, EVER. The insane judicial tyrants of Pinellas County must be stopped in their tracks before the Death Cult approach becomes the norm.
Sen. Jim King, Judge George Greer, Attorney from Hell George Felos and others who hold or have held positions on Hospice Boards are perverting justice and the Constitutional rights of all citizens by endorsing or actively promoting the killing of U.S. citizens without their specific, written consent.