Gus opens up with an update on UK infant Alfie Evans who continues to live despite being taken off life support. The Vatican granted Alfie citizenship yesterday, which the British Supreme Court rebuffed. Gus opines that this is a result of allowing governments and bureaucrats, aka socialized medicine, life and death decisions over family members. Afterwards, Gus fields calls on the Alfie Evans issue and the pros and cons of socialized healthcare.
Gus' pastor is being reassigned and he's getting a brand new pastor fresh out of the seminary. He asks listeners what advice they'd give to a new priest/pastor.
To England: barbarism has been unlawful for many centuries. Stop and think what you are doing to this family. Give it to our Lord Jesus. Please let our Lord take care of Alfie through those who want him to live. Pray to have Jesus surround this little boy with His Precious Saving Blood to heal him.
I really really really like Seize the Day, but this morning was so nauseated by what I was hearing that I had to change the channel.
Seriously, railing against government interference in health decisions and saying it is a sign of how bad socialized medicine is was flawed logic. When courts overrule a family decision about the care of an incapacitated loved one, it’s a huge problem especially when it results in death. But, if you remember Terri Schiavo, the courts had the same influence as they had with Alfie. Different health systems, but same high level of government interference.
Having lived in countries with socialized medicine and utilized that healthcare, there is a lot to be said for socialized medicine. There are problems with it too as there are limitations for what it can do and the priority systems can create delays in treatment.
But when I think of the “safety net” you stressed was available, the injustice of private medicine is clear to me. Catastrophic care may staunch an immediate set of symptoms but will not reverse the tide of poor health practices or chronic, silent health problems.
The short is, the government involvement in the health decisions for Alfie do not agree with our value system. I don’t think you would be taking on the government involvement if the parents were anxious to help Alfie die and the government was saying they needed to exhaust all treatment possibilities.
Please be clear about your point. You (and I) don’t like the government’s decisions while interfering. It is the decision we don’t like.