MANIFESTO OF THE WPPFF/WILD TURKEYS/COALITION OF THE SANE

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.

#1. There is not speculation about what caused Terri to fall. She fell when she went into cardiac arrest.

#2. Terri did not have a heart attack.

#3. Regarding the "abuse", her parents and doctors didn't notice broken bones or bruising. Don't you find that odd?

The doctors who were sued for malpractice didn't use as their defense that she was abused or that MS tried to kill her.

We continually hear about "all those broken bones...broken leg, broken pelvis, head injury, broken back..."

If you read the full, unedited deposition of the radiologist, and the finding of Greer, you see that
a) it was never hidden from the Schindlers, as so often claimed, and
b) there were not the broken bones that are being flaunted.

First, remember that a bone scan is very non-specific - it only shows where there is calcium uptake more or less.
Also remember that the radiologist said he calls any discontinuity of bony substance a "fracture". He had never laid eyes on Terri Schiavo, or knew what her condition was, or why the scan was ordered.

Here is what was described in the deposition:

-Possible fractures of 2 or more bilateral costovertebral junctures - where the ribs meet the vertebrae. (This could be a result of resuscitation efforts, or even severe seizures in a woman with bulimia-induced osteopenia)
- Compression fracture of 1st Lumbar vertebra (same as above, or her fall)
- Bruised femur just above her right knee.

The rest of the so-called "fractures" were deemed by her attending physicians, who specialize in such matters, to be joint problems common among bedridden patients undergoing therapy. Her doctors ordered the bone scan because of this, and treated the hot joints.

Her right knee was stiff within the first 8 days - look at the bottom of the discharge summary - they x-rayed it on 3-5-90, and it showed no bony problems.

She also had a neck x-ray right off, and it showed nothing but the spastic rigidity mentioned above.

Also note that since Dr Michael Baden's comments of Oct, 2003 touted so often, he has said that what he sees of her is consistent with cardiac arrest as a result of a bulimia induced electrolyte imbalance.

Terri's neck was stiff when she admitted to the hospital; her medical discharge summary says she had a stiff neck "and all other muscles in her body were stiff" - which is "normal" under those circumstances. It is a common condition of neck spasticity called opisthotonus - a contraction of the neck muscles, which goes along with her global spasticity and seizures caused by the anoxic brain injury. 2002transcripts.htm

-how did her potassium get so "severely" and acutely low, surely not from "abuse";
-explain her chemical profile, (malnourishment, low calcium, hypopotassemia);
-why did he call for help at that hour; he could have just let her die, she wasin cardiac arrest;
-why no outward signs of such a beating;
-why insist on cremating her when it means an autopsy must be done;
-why ask for an investigation into the cause of her collapse by defensive medical doctors? (malpractice trial) And why would not those doctors be speaking up now?
and finally,

Why wasn't there an "attack theory" brought up at the malpractice trial, or by the Schiavos' insurance companies, if there were such "evidence" of abuse?

If a guardian or trustee is sued for acts taken within the scope of authority, then yes, the estate will ordinarily pay the legal fees for defense (depending upon the structure of the estate and the terms of the guardian's or trustee's appointment, which can include non-indemnification provisions).

But of course, lawsuits against guardians and trustees are rarely couched in terms of negligence or simple error in the performance of authorized duties. They usually allege tortious or fraudulent conduct outside the scope of authority (seeking monetary damages against the guardian or trustee individually, as opposed to simple removal).

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