Father: 'System; Killing my disabled daughter

Worldnetdaily.com ^ | July 19, 2008 | Staff Writer

[Lesforlife]

MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

WorldNetDaily Exclusive

Father: 'System' killing my disabled daughter 'If they treated a dog this way, they would be doing jail time'

Posted: July 19, 2008 11:10 pm Eastern

The father of a disabled Delaware woman who recently earned the support of state lawmakers says the system – of courts, lawyers, hospitals and disability agencies – literally is combining to bring about the death of his daughter.

"The court system should not have the right to impose this kind of treatment on a mentally disabled person," Randy Richardson told WND today. His daughter, Lauren Richardson, has been disabled since an apparent drug overdose nearly two years ago.

Judie Brown of the American Life League recently issued a call to those who are concerned about such cases to help.

"The governor of Delaware, Ruth Ann Minner, is being asked by pro-life Americans across this nation to intervene in this case in order to save Lauren from what many fear is an imminent court order dictating that Lauren be starved and dehydrated to death," she wrote. "I am asking you to be one of those who communicates your passionate belief that Lauren's life is sacred and deserves to be protected from those who would order her death. The governor's e-mail address is governor.minner@state.de.us."

(Story continues below)

[ought-six]

Another in a long line of government-sanctioned murders of innocent American citizens, whose only “crime” is they are an inconvenience to the powers that be.

Jesus weeps.

[ikka]

“Lebens unwerten lebens” or something like that...

[GovernmentShrinker]

I don’t know anything about the specifics of this woman’s medical condition, but if her father wants to take her home AT HIS OWN EXPENSE, he should be allowed to do so unless there is solid evidence that Lauren indicated before she lost the ability to communicate that she wouldn’t want to be kept alive in this sort of condition. IF such evidence is present, then our society and legal system needs have the decency to respect her wishes and provide euthanasia, just as we do for animals. NOBODY wants to be slowly starved and dehydrated to death. The father is right that starving a dog — even one with no significant cognitive function left — would risk a prison term. It’s really insane that our legal system permits slow starvation and dehydration leading to certain death, but won’t permit a quick painless injection leading to certain death.

[TruthConquers]

If starvation and dehydration are so compassionate, then let it be used for capital punishment.

Otherwise, they are the typical hypocrites they always have been. They should be called on it.

[Texas Songwriter]

This is a report which will be seen too often, then accepted as norm. In the 1880's as Germanys' Haeckel and others propounded societies acceptance of ridding itself of the inferior eleements, having been conditioned by Malthus and Darwin and soon to be massaged by Nietchies' morality, the substitution of a JudeoChristian world view by one of Darwinian imperatives...that only the superior deserved to live, that the inferior were to be done away with, an entire infrastructure was set up in German, France, Great Britain and being absorbed into the USA as the century turned and the Eugenics Movement was born and fluorishing. That man came from animals and not in the image of God, was the morality which was adopted. Look around you folks. It takes the same shapes and forms today. When Barack's 'national health care program' gains full steam over the next 10 years, this same story will play out here in America. The educrats have primed the pump and minds are ready to receive just such decisions. They will even create nice euphemistic sounding terms and redefine morality in such a way as to make it seem we are doing Grandma a favor by killing her. She is no longer a producer for society...a negative element. So, for societies sake, she will have to go. Much money will be saved.

All of this has played out before and led to 1933's Germany and on through 1944. After the world acknowledged that this 'unnatural selection' had created such cruelity and death, did the west finally turn to denounce such. But they were on board with Haeckel, Nietche, then Mead, Sanger (USA). But the people back then recoiled at such behavior advocated by the higher thinkers. I wonder how the masses will accept it now.

[Gondring]

...unless there is solid evidence that Lauren indicated before she lost the ability to communicate that she wouldn’t want to be kept alive in this sort of condition.

Family members, including her mother and uncle, testified that she had expressed this. The court found them credible witnesses ("clear and convincing" evidence of this being Lauren Richardson's wishes was met)

Also from the ruling...

"All the medical evidence supplied by the physicians -- by the independent neurologist and by Lauren's own doctors -- is in agreement: Lauren is not in a coma but is in a persistent vegetative state. A large portion of her brain was destroyed by a lack of oxygen following a heroin overdose of August 2006. She is unable to communicate or experience consciousness. Her continued existence is dependent upon tube feeding and hydration. ... No improvement in her condition can be expected."

It seems to me that it's wrong to do anything but put the patient's wishes first. Since when does a person lose his rights when he becomes disabled?

It’s really insane that our legal system permits slow starvation and dehydration leading to certain death, but won’t permit a quick painless injection leading to certain death.

Exactly right.

Insane, and truly sick and twisted...but our lawmakers aren't going to stick their necks out and stop it. The June 1990 Cruzan decision leans heavily toward the State in its language, giving it a bit more power in individuals' lives than I'd like (funny how the State never seems to have a "compelling interest" in its citizens until it's time to take away their liberties). And I think that the focus on nutrition/hydration in that case has distracted people from the fact that we could be more civilized if we wanted to be.

[donna]

Who do you want to make these decisions?

The government?

[Lesforlife]

I never have been able to discern how hear say has morphed into
clear and convincing.

With Terri and in Lauren’s case, someone claims they
made an offhand comment and we are willing to
kill them based on another’s supposed recollection?

Utter madness!

Even if a patient says they want to die, no one has the moral authority
to take another’s life.

[ought-six]

“Who do you want to make these decisions? The government?”

No one should have the right and power to order the murder of an innocent citizen. The article isn’t talking about someone who has no brain function other than a brain stem: It’s talking about someone who is inconvenient! That could be YOU when you’re 80 years old and you’re living with your kids and you happen to shit your pants.

[donna]

Someone has to pay for care, someone has to decide. The 80-year-old should have a will, if not, the closest relative decides.

We cannot place every old person in stasis until the power fails or eternity arrives. We are supposed to die sometime - not worship the almost dead.

All that medical care could be used in Africa where children are dying.

[Harrius Magnus]

All that medical care could be used in Africa where children are dying.

Donna, I read all of your posts, and you can speak for me on this issue!  The above is the only exception.  Plenty of kids in America who could use the money.

Honestly, people live in a strange ether that only factor appeals to the heart.  It is not affordable for everybody, and that is a grim truth.  Quite frankly, we could cut down on a whole lot of Medicare expenditures such that at the time that people are clearly in the dying process, instead of taking directions from their guilt-ridden families, if we allowed the process to proceed gracefully and with dignity - which is almost invariably what every elderly person wants done if they are given the opportunity to declare these wishes prior to the event.  Alternatively, if you want to sustain Uncle Jim on life-sustaining mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition, and dysrhythmics, be our guest, and the bill goes directly to you starting NOW.  Often the dirt-throwing, teeth-gnashing disappears when people find out that they might be held accountable for the U-turns they demand (which are often for less than honorable reasons).   Consistent with this, many who only read biased reports, eagerly take up the issue to beat their Tom-Tom; but pin them down on who is footing the bill, and who is the central figure proposing the unnatural direction, and light will start shimmering through the cracks.

[donna]

With the boomers coming we’re going to face this. I agree about the children, too.

[Gondring]

If starvation and dehydration are so compassionate, then let it be used for capital punishment.

Otherwise, they are the typical hypocrites they always have been. They should be called on it.

Agreed. Lauren Richardson should be allowed to receive a more civilized method of deliverance. Why we treat dogs and criminals better than innocent citizens is a question that all should ask.

[ought-six]

“All that medical care could be used in Africa where children are dying.”

Oh, really? Well, I’ll tell you what: If I have to make a choice between taking care of my wife and some kids I don’t know, and for whom I have no attachment, the kids will get the short shrift.

[donna]

Once a nation has allowed 60 million babies to be killed, children sure do lose their status.

I’ll stick with the children like Jesus says.

[ought-six]

“I’ll stick with the children like Jesus says.”

You take care of someone else’s kids and I’ll take care of my wife. We’ll both be doing someone some good.

[donna]

I suggest that you run that by your wife.