Posted on 03/23/2005 7:46:48 PM PST by LibertyGirl77
As I write this, a woman lies dying in Florida. She is dying a slow death, death by starvation. It’s the kind of death we as a nation spend billions trying to prevent each year. All over the world, the cry is heard: “Our people are hungry. Please send nourishment.” And we do. Last year’s foreign aid budget was more than a trillion dollars. By comparison, the national budget deficit was “only” $665 billion. We spend A LOT of money trying to prevent death by starvation.
Only in this case, far from sending aid, the government is actually ordering Terri Schiavo to starve. Terri Schiavo, of course, is the 41-year-old Florida woman who collapsed fifteen years ago (ostensibly due to a chemical imbalance brought on by bulimia) and has not yet recovered. She spends her days in a Pinellas Park hospice, awake but apparently minimally aware of her surroundings. She cannot speak, she cannot walk, she is partially blind and, perhaps most pertinently, she cannot swallow food. Because of this, she requires a feeding tube for nourishment.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has fought a lengthy court battle to have her put out of her supposed misery. Eight years after she collapsed, Mr. Schiavo recalled a conversation he claimed they had while watching a TV movie about a woman on life support in which she said “I wouldn’t want to live like that.” Based on Mr. Schiavo’s claim, a series of both state and federal courts have ruled that he may withhold nourishment from Terri in order to end her life -- the life she supposedly “would not want to live.”
Okay. Forget for a moment that it took Michael Schiavo EIGHT YEARS after Terri’s collapse to remember this so-called conversation. Forget that he has already received more than 1.5 million dollars from a malpractice suit concerning Terri’s care and reportedly stands to gain even more upon her death. And forget that Michael Schiavo has, for all intents and purposes, a new wife (a longtime girlfriend who bears the title “fiancee”) with whom he has fathered two children. Just for a moment, put all that aside and assume that Michael and Terri really did have that conversation, and that Terri’s words were as Michael claims.
The fact is, even if it were all true, it flat-out doesn’t apply to this case. Period. End of story. Terri Schiavo is not brain dead. She is not in a coma. She is not on life support. She responds to stimuli, smiles at her mother, and expresses agitation and distress. Yes, she is severely handicapped compared to the vibrant, intelligent young woman she apparently was at 26 years of age. But she is conscious, and aware, and most certainly alive in the truest sense of the word.
I must stop here to tell you about a friend of mine with a young adopted daughter. Mary Jo* is four years old, and cannot swallow. Because of this, she is nourished via a feeding tube hooked up three times a day to give her meals -- just like Terri Schiavo was before her husband succeeded in getting the courts to put a stop to it. Mary Jo is severely mentally retarded thanks to a biological mother who was a heavy drug user. She cannot speak or reason, and may never walk without assistance. Certainly, her life will be one long, miserable trial in more ways than anyone reading this column can imagine.
But she smiles. Oh, the smiles. Her mother says they light up the world. And when her mama snuggles her close, those contented sighs . . . that’s communication, is it not? If you asked her if her life had meaning, she wouldn’t be able to answer. If you asked her mother . . . well, you might get punched in the face.
Then there are the people who say Terri “can’t participate in life,” that she “isn’t contributing anything anymore.” I beg to differ. Terri Schiavo is contributing more to this world than most of us ever will. She is teaching those around her -- the doctors, nurses, family, friends, reporters, and everyone else -- compassion. Unconditional love. Humility. Servitude. Patience. All virtues that seem to have fallen by the wayside in our utterly self-centered, comfort- and convenience-oriented culture that has no time for a woman such as Terri -- a woman so completely helpless as to need diapers changed and private parts washed and simple balloons waved gently in front of her face as a form of entertainment. This, of course, is the same culture that encourages us to abort genetically impaired babies because “no one would want to live like that.”
Well, a lot people DO live like that. There are countless human beings in America today, with varying levels of “consciousness,” who are helpless, and humble, and unable to do the simplest things to keep themselves alive. They rely on the love and compassion of family and medical professionals to allow them to enjoy their lives -- lives very, very different than yours or mine, but lives with value, all the same. Lives that teach a humbling lesson to those of us who enjoy good health and good fortune: In an instant, it could all be gone.
And that’s really what it comes down to with Terri, is it not? When people say “I wouldn’t want to live like that,” what they’re really saying is “I hope that never happens to me.” Because it’s terrifying, really, the thought that while today you are healthy and happy, tomorrow you could be just like Terri -- without pride, without ability, without beauty . . . without any of the things that society teaches us are valuable. But it’s the truth. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. That’s why millions of people are rushing to their lawyers this week and demanding living wills.
But think about that for a minute. While it’s completely rational to say “I hope what happened to Terri never happens to me,” do you really want to sign your own death warrant? Do you really want to put in writing that “I wouldn’t want to live that way?” What would happen if that decision actually had to be made? Imagine for a moment you were aware of everything going on around you, but unable to communicate, move, or even scream: Would you want to be starved to death, or helped?
It shouldn’t even be a question . . . and it shouldn’t be for Terri, either.
*Name has been changed.
Kirsten Heffron has made a profound contribution to this debate. I pray her words travel widely and are absorbed by the asses in gowns who masquerade as judges.
Well said Liberty Girl
The Lord is Terri's Shepherd --- That's Relationship !!!
She shall not want --- That's Supply !!!
He maketh her to lie down in green pastures --- That's Rest !!!
He leadeth her beside the still waters --- That's Refreshment !!!
He restoreth her soul --- That's Healing !!!
He leadeth her in the paths of righteousness --- That's Guidance !!!
For His name sake --- That's Purpose !!!
Yea, though Terri walks through the valley of the shadow of death --- That's Testing !!!
She will fear no evil --- That's Protection !!!
For Thou art with her --- That's Faithfulness !!!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort her --- That's Discipline !!!
Thou preparest a table before Terri in the presence of her enemies--- That's Hope !!!
Thou annointest her head with oil --- That's Consecration !!!
Her cup runneth over --- That's Abundance !!!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow Terri all the days of her life --- That's Blessing !!!
And she will dwell in the house of the Lord --- That's Security!!!
Forever --- That's Eternity !!!
Congressional Subpoena & President Signs Schiavo Bill --- That's Expectation !!!
Gov. Jeb Bush takes Terri into protective custody --- That's Deliverance !!!
Face it ---- The Lord is crazy about Terri !!!
Otherwise --- Why else would He continuously deliver her from
the evil hands of her attempted murderers ???
.
Also, I wonder if Terri could be trained by therapy to speak in the same way as Steven Hawking, a famous physicist and scientist who suffered a debilitating disease, and who now speaks with the aid of a computerized voice operated by a wand in his mouth to type on a keyboard.
I just don't understand WHY Jeb Bush held that news conference this afternoon IF he intended to just let Terri die?
What has happened to Terri is not without hope. New progress in ADULT STEM CELL research has found that new brain cells can be regrown from bone marrow. Admittedly, these advancements have been only tried on chickens, but this means there is hope on the horizon for people like Terri (and Christopher Reeve) without resorting to senseless killing of human life:
http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=3107692
Additionally, adult stem cells in the nose have been found to grow into "virtually any kind of cell in the human body."
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/03/21/australia.stemcell/
Why hasn't this come up in the Terri debate?
President Bush gave Americans he would do all in his power to protect Americans against the "evil doers". Well, isn't premeditated judicial homocide an act of terrorism against an American citizen? A defenseless, innocent, disabled and abandoned woman who has not had due process of the law under the equal protection clause of our Consitution? Has Terri not been disenfranchised?
If Terri Schiavo were a homosexual, a black, a Muslim, or an illegal immigrant, there would be no debate, she would not be getting starved to death, in fact she would be used as a reason by the left to support stem cell research. The only reason she is being starved to death is because she is a white heterosexual christian (the new persecuted minority).
www.timrichard.org
Now imagine Michael Schiavo as your guardian, Felos as your lawyer, and Greer as probate judge of your estate.
Only Governor Bush can save Terri at this time.
CONTACT JEB BUSH HERE:
E-mail: jeb.bush@myflorida.com
Telephone: 850/488-4441
Fax: 850/487-0801
bump for Terri
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.