Posted on 06/05/2005 11:45:26 AM PDT by 8mmMauser
"Too Late To Die Young: Nearly True Tales From a Life," by Harriet McBryde Johnson.
About two years ago, Harriet Johnson appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. If you saw her portrait, you probably haven't forgotten it.
A thin woman in a wheelchair leans forward, a purple shawl draping one shoulder. Johnson describes it this way in her new memoir: "The portrait has been described as beautifully disturbing, and most nondisabled people seem to see it that way. I'd prefer to call it disturbingly beautiful, but I'll take it the other way around if I must."
Johnson has an unnamed muscle-wasting disease, but don't dare say she "suffers" from it. She insists on being her own complicated person, a Southern lady, for instance, as well as a socialist, an atheist, a lawyer and a born storyteller with a wicked sense of humor.
She eschews pity and sentimentality. She supports the work of Not Dead Yet, a group of anti-euthanasia activists who demonstrated outside Terri Schiavo's Pinellas Park hospice earlier this year, dramatically sliding out of their wheelchairs and lying on the ground.
And though Johnson hates the hackneyed trope of triumph in the face of disability, she nevertheless has a string of interesting adventures. She runs for elected office. She travels to Cuba to discuss disability rights. She protests the Jerry Lewis telethon annually in her hometown of Charleston, S.C., and she bribes her friends to join her with promises of free food.
Her gripe with the telethon is its grim prognostications. When she was 30, her mother became ill, and Johnson had to accept for the first time that, contrary to all expectations, she might indeed outlive her parents. "While anyone may die young, it's not something you can count on," she writes. "You have to be prepared to survive." It's that angry, proud but utterly normal brand of survival that is at the heart of Johnson's memoir.
The most fascinating chapter is her encounter with the philosopher and animal rights activist Peter Singer. (It was this encounter that rated The New York Times Magazine cover.) Singer believes that in some cases it is morally acceptable for parents to kill severely disabled infants. Johnson disagrees, so much so that she fears even debating him would dignify his ideas as socially acceptable. Nevertheless, she meets him, travels to Princeton University to debate him and ends up with a great story about it.
The best memoirs don't necessarily tell every event in a person's life, but they do capture the voice and the emotional feel of the author. Yes, it's impossible for a nondisabled person to fully know what Johnson's life is like. But her writing is so vibrant, so interesting and so funny that you can't help but feel as if you're in her world, sitting beside her and hearing her story for yourself.
"...Quitting this class of men, I turn with the warm ardor of a friend to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake.
Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you.
It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all. The far and the near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike. The heart that feels not now is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole, and made them happy. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light. Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it? What signifies it to me, whether he who does it is a king or a common man; my countryman or not my countryman; whether it be done by an individual villain, or an army of them?
If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference; neither can any just cause be assigned why we should punish in the one case and pardon in the other. Let them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man.
I conceive likewise a horrid idea in receiving mercy from a being, who at the last day shall be shrieking to the rocks and mountains to cover him, and fleeing with terror from the orphan, the widow, and the slain of America."
GOP donations are down and except for a few standout candidates, put a fork in it.
Thomas Paine was right. "Who's running for cover from the "slain". Greer can't escape his guilty conscience and he cannot repair his image as a judicial despot.
Pinellas County's Republican Party no doubt has lost part of their base because it's full of RINOS who are okay with killing people "like her".
Post 241. I won't mention any names but I can think of Floridians with handlers who need to read Thomas Paine's Crisis No. excerpt from 1776.
"If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference; neither can any just cause be assigned why we should punish in the one case and pardon in the other. Let them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man."
"sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish" [the Courts].
If they had were smart, the Republican Party would ex-communicate George Greer. SHOULD READ: "If they were smart, the GOP would ex-communicate George Greer". I HAVE ex-communicated the GOP until they listen to their base.
2003 views milemarker. Good job, 8mmmauser.
Good morning Ping to Terri Dailies June 2005
Thanks for the ping!
I wish I could agree with you more but cannot fully.
We would have the same reaction as you with our own child. In fact we did once, but it was a bit different.
In this case, we watched as poor Mary, Terri's own mother and poor Bob, Terri's father were physically blocked by armed jack booted cops. Behind them were police dogs and after that an area covered by SWAT snipers. They were prepared to block at all costs with even armed guards at Terri's bedside so she could die properly.
It used to be that the Governor and not a tinpot judge was the leader of a State. That is the way our country was set up to be. He had legal options at hand, alas. I really wish he would have taken them.
And, I repeat "THE POLICE LIED" and furthered their role as accomplices. They weren't protecting anyone. They were making sure that Terri would be killed.
Terri wanted to live but the armed officer in the hallway to her room covered up of Terri's attempt to voice her desire to live and said that Atty Weller made it up. The cops lied and Terri died.
Terri knew what the tube coming out meant. She knew full well that she was going to suffer and die. For what? State sponsored judicial homicide courtesy of the State of Florida.
Anyone know if MS has remarried?
I haven't heard if HINO remarried. I doubt it. Maybe the concubine's afraid to take that step. They have so much money, they'll stay together for the money but not to marry.
When Jeb Bush promised IN A SPECIAL PRESS CONFERENCE that he'd go in no matter what but the next day he deferred to George Greer, the plane came back with this.
8mmmauser, so where's Hospice Woodside in this photo? Any idea? Advertising Air Force was one of us. God Bless em.
I was talking with Brother Hilary when the guy came running out of the hospice in a state of almost shock. He came to us, to tell Brother, was breathless in telling us what just happened. He said happily that a cop actually witnessed it so they had good proof it happened. Then he and Brother rushed in to brief Atty. Weller and the others. He was thrilled because he was so sure it was good proof.
Well, not in Pinellas Park. That cop got amnesia real fast-like. The State of Greer doesn't need proof. They have a judge instead.
FV X marks the spot. To the left of the X is Stephanie's shop, above is the Winn-Dixie and the place where the cops ticket cars of people demonstrating.
That X is the spot!!!!!
8mm
Thanks. So the death camp is at the large X. Arlene is causing rain today. I'm not afraid... yet. I hope this summer's not like last year. It was one after another heading right this way.
Meanwhile, Arlene is headed this way.
New book re: Firht4Terri by Cheryl Ford, RN and Dr. J. Craddock on my web site www.conservative-spirit.org. (not my book).
Fight4Terri, not what I typed. (I need to clean my glasses).
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