Democrats have pooh-poohed "death panels" as just so much hyperbole. But anyone with disabled friends or family members know how tenuous is the thread between health and illness, life and death. Take Representative Trent Franks's story.
“But I would cite just one (story) that has a personal connection to me,” Franks said. The story involved an “old man” and his firstborn son, who was born with deformities of the mouth – a “missing pallet” and other issues, Franks said.
“And the doctors at that time in the small hospital said, ‘Well you can’t breast feed this child, you can’t feed him. So the best thing to do is to do away with him in a merciful manner.’
“Well, the man said ‘No, this is my first child, we’re going to take him home and do the best we can. We’ll make a machine to feed him.’
“The machine turned out to be an eyedropper and a pill cup,” Franks said. “And the child grew up to be big and strong. And of course I’m thankful to that old man, because he was my dad.”
Franks said he had 11 surgeries before he was 9 years old.
It isn't about scare tactics. It's simply that once the government is determining which procedures can be afforded and which cannot, the disabled and elderly will be the first expendable souls. Our system is expensive because doctors and hospitals and organizations for the disabled work to provide the best care available.
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