It is becoming more difficult than ever to deny that we have become a nation gripped with death. When a culture openly celebrates killing, when murderers are excused and violence is cheered, and when polls reveal that more than a third of Americans believe that killing the President of the United States can be justified, then everyone is at risk. No one is safe.
We see the signs almost daily. After Charlie Kirk was assassinated, social media was filled with posts mocking or even applauding his death. When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down late last year, a vocal fringe celebrated the killing and even praised the accused.
This did not happen overnight. From mothers lauding their abortions to my sister Terri Schiavo’s needless, inhumane, court-ordered dehydration death, the devaluing of human life has taught our culture to excuse – and even cheer – the destruction of the innocent.
Get the latest pro-life news and information on X (Twitter). Follow @LifeNewsHQ
How did we get here? Sadly, we live in a nation that has bought into an age-old lie: that life is not sacred, that certain lives are “worthless,” and that death is the solution to suffering.
This pattern is nothing new. History is filled with societies that have targeted the weak, the disabled, and the marginalized, denying them rights and care, branding them as burdens, and stripping away their autonomy and dignity. From forced sterilizations to euthanasia programs, from systemic neglect to state-sanctioned killing, the story repeats itself: when human life is no longer sacred, cruelty becomes policy.
A chilling example is the Nazi T4 euthanasia program, which operated from 1939 to 1941. This program intentionally murdered hundreds of thousands of individuals deemed “unfit” for life due to their disability, mental illness, or perceived social value. Lives were evaluated not based on their inherent worth, but rather on productivity and ability.
A similar and equally pernicious mindset began in the 1920s with a eugenics movement in the United States that was embraced by politicians, scientists, and public figures. These viewpoints undermined the American education system, through which eugenics was actively taught at 376 universities and colleges across the country – even at exalted institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
The echoes of this thinking remain today, seen in abortion policies and the destruction of unborn lives based on disability or perceived “quality of life,” which has resulted in the unthinkable figure of over 60 million abortions since the 1973 Supreme Court ruling.
Abortion and an untold number of medically defenseless deaths reflect the costs of a society that has come to accept the elimination of its most vulnerable. Once we normalize the killing of the most innocent, no one is truly safe. This mentality is fueling the authority of death-centered bioethics.
For example, modern bioethics is largely responsible for redefining feeding tubes as “medical treatment,” thereby allowing doctors to withhold life-sustaining care and threatening the welfare of countless medically dependent individuals. Beyond that, across all hospitals today, DNR orders, terminal sedation, broad brain death definitions, and assisted suicide perpetuate this trend.
Patients are increasingly reduced to numbers or budget considerations; their lives are judged based on convenience or perceived productivity. Families are often silenced, left powerless to protect their loved ones. These policies erode trust between patients, families, and healthcare providers, leaving the most vulnerable in our society in the crosshairs.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this expanding worldview. Healthcare elites determined which lives were “worth saving.” Policies that sent COVID-positive patients and those with disabilities back into their nursing and group homes killed thousands. Families who tried to advocate were often ignored or overruled, demonstrating how easily a society can devalue human life under the guise of efficiency or public health.
Canada’s assisted suicide laws illustrate yet another result of this thinking, crossing a line that most of us never thought possible. Initially reserved for the terminally ill, lethal drugs are now available for those with chronic conditions, disabilities, and mental health struggles. By the end of 2024, roughly 16,500 euthanasia deaths occurred, representing 5% of all deaths in the country. Since legalization, nearly 90,000 Canadians have died under assisted suicide laws. These statistics are more than numbers; they represent human lives cut short, abandoned, and families left to grieve the preventable loss of their loved ones.
Still, hope exists. At the Life & Hope Network, we witness daily recoveries that defy expectations. Proper care, dedication, and advocacy allow patients to regain independence, proving that the premature withdrawal of care or pressure to end a life robs every individual of their God-given potential.
We see families restored, patients thriving, and lives saved by the hope inspired by those who see the blessings in caring for their loved one, rather than accepting death as the answer. Each recovery underscores that life, no matter how dependent or disabled, carries inherent dignity. It serves as a reminder that our medical system can be a force for healing when guided by conscience, ethics, and faith.
Terri’s death – and the countless others who have died prematurely – remind us that it is our duty and moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable and to promote a culture of life, no matter how inconvenient.
In doing so, we reaffirm Christ’s eternal truth that every life, no matter how small, frail, or dependent, is infinitely valuable. The future of our society depends on it, while the hope of countless families rests on our willingness to act fearlessly for those who cannot speak for themselves.
LifeNews Note: Bobby Schindler and his family work as patient advocates, establishing the non-profit Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network in honor of his sister, Terri. Click here to learn more about the Life & Hope Network.
