Posted on 03/27/2005 3:23:40 AM PST by expatguy
Last night I sat down with local friends of mine here the subject of the Terri Schiavo case came up. I found myself in a very difficult situation in my attempts to explain what is happening in my country, how our country's judiciary has come to this conclusion and why Terri Schiavo must die by starvation and dehydration.
A simple and yet painfully legitimate question was asked of me. "Why does your country not just give Terri Schiavo a lethal injection or simply put a bullet in her brain?"
How does one answer such a question?
For years the United States has at times worked hard to become a credible and consistent champion of human rights around the globe. No more. As the entire world watches this entire drama unfold right before their eyes and many are absolutely horrified and chilled beyond belief at what they see. A great nation using a corrupted court system to legitimacy their atrocities, the most heinous of human rights abuses.
When a great nation such as ours starts to dehumanize individuals in the way that Terri Schiavo has and is being dehumanized in an organized effort to justify and rationalize the killing off of those members of our society who are sick, disabled, no longer productive, "have worthless lives or lives not worth living" or "wish to die" then we have lost the moral high ground.
When great men stand by and mumble to themselves "...Well the courts have decided" and do nothing as an omnipotent judiciary and corrupted court system misuses the law to legitimize atrocities committed against our fellow man, then we have truly fallen as a people.
Human rights are those we possess by virtue of being human. They are God given rights, natural rights, i.e., rights we possess by nature, not by law. They are not rights granted to us by any government, and so they cannot be taken away by any government, regardless of what laws it may pass and what degree of violence it may employ to enforce its laws.
"The World's Superpower and Champion of Human Rights around the globe is starving and dehydrating a disabled woman to death and underage children who bring her water are being handcuffed and arrested."
Does that sum it up? Did I miss anything?
What right do we have now to excoriate others? What right do we have to speak out against human rights abuses around the globe?
So what if nations enslave their citizens or put their underage children to work in dangerous factories? At least they don't starve their disabled citizens to death.
If China decides to put a bullet in the brain of all their retarded school children tomorrow, what can we say or do?
Next time we want to whine because Libya or Egypt is on the United Nations human rights council we better learn to bite our lip.
A dark shadow or moral sovereignty has not only fallen on America but now on the entire world. God help us all.
Thank you, well done!
Well said and PING.
It is a crime against humanity.
Good post. People are horrified all over the world about this case. What if it was you they wanted to kill?
Thought you might be interested in seeing how the world is looking at this terrible tragedy unfold and how it will not only affect us all, but the entire world.
Please PING those whom you feel might be interested as our Admin Moderator in all their wisdom felt this needed to be moved to chat!
All of us have now died a little inside.
Deserves another PING!
"Why does your country not just give Terri Schiavo a lethal injection or simply put a bullet in her brain?"
An Iranian friend of mine asked that too.
The original question was, "Why are you killing that woman in Florida?" "Why doesn't Pres. Bush stop that"?
And when I tried to explain about law, the lethal injection question came up. Needless to say, the answers I tried to give made no sense to my friend. They don't make any sense to me either.
Same here! Our friends cannot understand why, since the parents want to help, there is even the slightest question. Following a stroke, my wife's Aunt is being cared for by her family and is at home with a feeding tube. She is minimumly responsive but there was never a question. Everyone is hopeful. There are many hospitals and situations where even this level of care is not available but, that is another question entirely.
Seems like if they can deny her food and water, why
stop there? A couple of strips of duct tape and it's
all over.
I simply don't have the words to explain it and that is what makes it all the more evil.
We know it is wrong and so we try to make it more palatable for ourselves.
Putting a bullet in her brain or giving her a lethal injection would be considered um.. "killing"
Can anyone find the words to answer the question?
Thanks. I'm not sure how we got to this point in our history, but we've crossed a line..
I was thinking about the uproar over thalidomide babies, and how that was fuel for the argument for abortion.
How little by little, over a period of time, a group was able to change people's opinions on abortion, and we crossed a line, and 44 million aborted lives later something that was touted as an avenue of relief for cases where there was incest, rape, severe mental or physical handicap of an unborn child has now become acceptable for any reason or for no reason.
When Kenneth Cole ran his ad showing a woman holding one of his purses with the caption, "After all, it's a woman's right to choose." it pretty much showed how low we'd gone.
When one's catchy advertising slogans equate human life with a handbag, we've crossed a line.
On to the next threshold:
I think this one started out framed as "quality of life", and then, "death with dignity", and "right to die"...They can stop the PR campaign now. It seems our legal system, and most of the American Public has jumped on board.
And just like the destination for some of those chosen to board Hitler's trains, the next stop is going to be as sad, and as far reaching for some of the most vulnerable in America.
Please excuse the lack of cohesion in my reply. I am overwhelmed at what I am witnessing in my Country.
Outstanding post! Thanks.
I am horrified and sickened by the judicial activism that is killing innocent Terri by supporting a man -- a husband in name only -- who wants her dead.
Judge Greer's order to have Terri's feeding tube removed and also forbidding the oral administration (a natural process) of even a drop of water by mouth, is the essence of evil.
My heart breaks for Terri and her family and my prayers go out to them.
My heart breaks for our country, too.
Easter Morning Bump.
Thank you for the post. I am very disappointed to see things going as they are with this case. It is amzaing to me that our legal system has decided to uphold this whole thing as "her wishes" despite the fact that this claim remains without any form of documented support. That is a disturbing trend for me. Apparently, what you say really can kill you now. Heck, someone can just say you said it and it can still kill you!
What makes matters all the worse FRiend is how many will now suffer worldwide because of this case.
Amen!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.