The country we know as Great Britain or the “United Kingdom” is composed of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Most of our legal system is loosely based on “English Common Law”.  The majority of the original group of Europeans who settled in North America were from those countries.

The history of Great Britain is rich and complex, replete with stunning accomplishments against their adversaries and infamous acts of aggression against their own people.  Winston Churchill once said that if the British Empire lasted another  thousand years, the period of the Second World War would be considered to be their “Finest Hour”.

Unfortunately, the current state of affairs with regards to their socialized medical system may indeed be one of the lowest points in the history of that nation.  If we have one awful example to point to, of why we don’t want a British style socialized medical system, it must be the case of twenty-three month old Alfie Evans.

This toddler was admitted to the hospital over a year ago with a severe respiratory infection.  Although a definite diagnosis has not been determined, it is suspected that he is suffering from a rare condition called Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome.  This condition is considered to be universally fatal, with death generally caused by respiratory failure. 

Alfie has been in a semi-vegetive state in that hospital, constantly on life support, including a respirator. For many months the hospital, supported by the British National Health Service, has wanted to take him off life support.  They have also denied the ability of Alfie’s parents to remove him from the hospital and seek alternate healthcare elsewhere.  Although hospitals in several countries, including the United States, and most recently Italy, have offered to admit the toddler into their facilities for treatment, at no cost to the parents, or indeed the British Government.  This has been denied by the NHS, and most recently by a British Judge, who ordered Alfie taken off life support.

However, Alfie didn’t succumb to the removal, but continues to survive.  If he does die before alternate treatment can be attempted, it must be considered as nothing less than sanctioned murder by a governmental “Death Panel”.  A situation which we were warned against with the passing of “Obamacare” in 2009.  We definitely don’t want that much governmental control of our healthcare  EVER to occur in this country.  We must pray that the British government will come to their senses, and allow little Alfie a chance at survival, even if that chance is a slim one.