Posted on 03/29/2005 8:58:34 AM PST by Long Cut
We, the Witness Protection Program For Freepers, aka the Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane, have through mutual discussion and rigourous thought, determined that:
1. The discussion threads regarding Terri Schiavo (hereafter referred to as "TS") have become too full of innuendo, rumormongering, hyperbole, hysteria, namecalling, paranoia, and general poor behavior to warrant participation.
2. Said threads have degenerated into "echo chambers", wherein the same, common thoughts are continually posted again and again, and the same old disreputable, unconfirmed and/or false urban myths are propagated.
3. Anyone who joins in said theads with alternative viewpoints to the most extreme posts are routinely driven away with slander, accusations, and vile namecalling.
4. No data or evidence contrary to the "prevailing opinions" are accepted, considered, or discussed; and in fact are rejected outright in most instances.
5. That the continued calls for armed insurrection, military or paramilitary involvement, impeachements of politicians and judges, and death threats are embarassing, stupid, shortsighted, doomed to failure, and contrary to most if not all conservative thought prior to this case, as well as damaging in the extreme to FR and the conservative movement as a whole.
6. That such emotional, hyperbolic, and propaganda-driven hysteria is in fact contrary to all conservatives USED to stand for.
7. That the holding up of swastika and other Nazi imagery towards the police and the Bushes, the use of children as political props, and the disruption of the peace at the Woodside Hospice can only reflect badly on conservatives in general, and should be discouraged.
8. That the pursuit of this issue to the exclusion of all others by the GOP has damaged, perhaps beyond repair, the pursuit of other important issues as well as the reputation of the GOP, FR, and conservatism.
The WPPFF is NOT of one mind as to the case of TS or its correct outcome. In fact, wide disagreement exists within our little group. However, we are united in our wish that reason and sanity be respected in the discussion, as well as the rights of all parties involved or participating. We wish to discuss this as adults and intellectuals, as conservatives and as FRiends, not as children screaming past each other on some playground of hysteria. We wish for facts and evidence to be provided, discussed reasonably, and considered fairly.
We reject all accusations of Naziism, "death cultism", or other slander as methods of debate. We reject the practice of "spamming" multiple threads, of posting unending vanities, and the posting of propaganda and calls for violence. We reject, in fact, all unseemly and childish behavior which has come to characterize this case on FR.
We DO invite others to come and reasonably discuss the issue. We have no problem with FReepers who wish to debate in a rational and fair manner, and with due respect for their fellow FReepers. We have NO problem with those whose views are formed by religion; however we reject "preaching" or "being beaten with a Bible" as legitemite debate tactics. Not all of us are Believers, and such tactics only cheapen the source.
If a FReeper finds this an acceptable meansd to discuss this and other issues, they are welcome to join in and participate. Those who find pleasure in attacks, flame-baiting, slander, stalking, and personal atacks will be ignored, and their egos will go unfed.
We assume this thread to be a zone of sanity in an overheated atmosphere. Thus, a general amnesty is in effect. If posters conduct themselves within the guidlines above, we will be happy to discuss and debate with you. If a poster wishes to apologize for past slips of the tongue, or for possible "over-the-top" statements to another, it will be graciously accepted, and your company welcome.
Please bring a sense of humor; we feel that too many have been taking themselves too seriously lately.
Let the discussion begin!
Signed,
The WPPFF, aka The Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane.
All types of thearpy.
Day long sessions.
Dead is not the right word. Non-functioning, maybe. Her personality has been forever compromised because of her brain damage, her selfness is not and will never be the same (even if they could replace the brain tissue with stem-cell therapy, she would never be the same Terri.)
Dead shows your own set biases.
It is ok if in your system of beliefs you say, "Her brain is damaaged past the point of her having any sense of self-awareness, and her personality is destroyed, therefore I believe her body should be killed because it is not desirable to to on like this," but to say she is dead is also a value judgement not based on reality, and reflects a distancing that makes it easier to excuse euthaniasia in that condition.
In reality, she is alive, and with some nursing and being fed she could live quite a while like that.
All of us have come into this with our own distaste of something about her case. If she were my child, or spouse, I would have kept her alive, in honor of that spark of life, although I might have refused having her resussitated in the first place, because she was dead from the heart stoppage. If she were yours, you would well be within your rights to seek ending that life.
I'm hair-splitting, perhaps, but I just don't feel it's right to call someone alive, even if badly damaged and not likely to get better, dead.
I should have said she isn't JUST disabled. But weren't you the one who didn't believe that Terri had a flat EEG and didn't want to actually do what freepers used to do? i.e., research?
But when it was handed to you on a silver platter by another freeper, you seemed to finally accepted it.
This calling Terri disabled frightens other disabled people such as those in wheelchairs. Charles Krauthammer is in a wheelchair but there is no one on earth who would think he does not have full capacity to think and speak and move his arms and upper body. And he certainly has cognitive abilities, something Terri does not have.
Sweetie pie: you can believe or disbelieve anything you want.
I really don't want to get caught up in assumptions. I don't know why they stopped the tape. It could have been a number of reasons. Are you positive they were selectively editing? I believe it doesn't matter. When asked to open her eyes, she did so. That is not brain dead to me and for a lot of others on this board.
The entire case?
Where do you want me to start?
Bush?
The Congress?
The courts?
The media circus?
There's plenty of scorn to go around.
just bookmarking .. I need to head out
No. Of course I'm not trying to twist your words. I'm sorry that I gave you that impression. I'm just willing, at least at this time, to give Schindlers the benefit of doubt.
Over the past few weeks my position has changed. I'm no longer certain that this is a "bad Schindlers vs good Michael" or a "good Schindlers vs bad Michael" situation. Perhaps both Michael and the Schindlers are good people who have made mistakes along the way.
And Keyes and Terry certainly shouldn't be out there discussing family values.
What level of function would be acceptable to you for someone to be permitted to live in this situation, please?
Thats it exactly. What a wonderful world it would be for them.
Don't fight with me, please. After 15 years you know (I know that you know) she isn't going to get better.
As I have already stated, I don't want her to die, but, I believe she is dead. Her body may be able to breath, but she can't eat or more other than spasmodically. Tell me you want to live like that.
I say let me die.
Same here.
My mother also knows, if my husband sues for medical malpractice, she isn't getting diddly :-)
Cheryl Ford's writings are misleading. She never mentions which state she is licensed in and tiptoes around the fact that she isn't on the ground in Florida practicing her profession. BUT she does claim to be protecting the rights of FLORIDA's disabled community. I guess the Washington disabled have no worries. Or perhaps their worries will not garner the same attention that Nurse Ford is getting in the Schiavo case.
http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/msg1x79731.shtml
She appeared to perform. Unless it is repeatable, it may merely be coincidence. It would be interesting to see her programing records from her rehabilitation. The results would be illuminating.
The task has to be set within measurable parameters to conclusively say she can tract an object.
Where were you 10,000 posts ago?
Which sounds good, of course, until you actually read the opinion of the 2nd DCA, for example. And see that they watched all the tapes. And read all the medical evidence. And so on.
(((RGSpincich)))
The voice of reason with the facts to back them up.
No kidding.
And when asked to close her eyes, they cut it off.
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