The Intimidation of American Physicians — Banning Partial-Birth Abortion

A Dutch oncologist was describing to an audience of American physicians in Amsterdam the circumstances under which euthanasia was performed in the Netherlands at a time when the practice was illegal yet widely used. Each act of euthanasia was reported, after the fact, to the local prosecutor, who investigated the case and routinely declined to prosecute any treating physician who had acted transparently and in the best interest of the terminally ill patient. The American physicians were incredulous that their Dutch colleagues were willing to place themselves at risk for criminal prosecution by providing care that might, on later review, . . .