Open Letter to Philadelphia Radio Talk Show Host Michael Smerconish about Terry Schiavo

Me | 2/24/2005 | Me

[TorahTrueJew]

As an introduction, there is a local "conservative" talk show host in Philadelphia named Michael Smerconish. He calls himself conservative, but is even more liberal than Sean Hannity. He is always talking about things that bug him, and how the government ought to make laws against these common annoyances. Today, he actually said that Terry Schiavo's husband loved her and had her best interests in mind, and that he would want to die too if he were PVS like her. I was shocked, so I wrote this letter to him. It is important that we get ALL media talking the truth, especially talk radio, since if talk radio isn't supporting her, nobody will. I sent this letter to him tonight, and thought you'd all like to see it.

Dear Michael, My wife and I listen to 1210 everyday, from Smerconish to Dom, we listen to everybody. We always joke with each other about your liberal comments, oftentimes when you think some new law should be passed against something that annoys you. I have to admit to you, we jokingly call you, "Michael Jerk-onish" when you say something really pro-big government, or just throw softball questions at really liberal guests.

Today, however, your show ceased to be amusing. We always cringe when you have on that Bio-Ethicist Arthur Kaplan. Every person I ever met or heard speak called a "bio-ethicist" was anything but ethical, and Kaplan is no exception. The things I hear him say are terrifying. When you told him that you saw video of Terry Schiavo interacting, he calmy explained that it was all "reflexes", and that she was for sure unconscious. He sounded like the doctors who tell you that the movement of a baby at 9 months gestation inside the mother's womb is all reflex, and that the baby isn't really aware of what is going on. You accepted his explanation and decided that her husband must be correct in trying to kill her.

I cannot believe you could even engage in a conversation like this, much less agree with him. Terry Schiavo is a living, breathing human being. Who cares if her eyes followed the balloon because she liked it or because her "eye muscles reflexively followed the color and light"? It is an academic question that can be debated among teams of doctors trying to find ways to make her better (something no doctor has been allowed to try since he won his lawsuit). The only thing she needs to keep her alive is food. Many doctors say she can even eat by mouth, but her husband won't allow it. Babies and small children must be fed. The elderly must be fed. Many people who are in accidents and are handicapped must be fed. Relying on others to feed you is NOT life support. Last year, Oreilly interviewed a woman who was diagnosed by all the doctors as PVS. She had been operated on with no anesthesia, and was in the process of being starved to death when she finally regained the ability to talk. She has since told her story. She was aware of everything going on around her, and described the excrutiating pain of not only hearing her starvation discussed, but what it felt like to starve to death. It is a horrifying way to die. Can you imagine the outcry if we decided to execute the prisoners at Abu Ghirab by starving them to death? What if we tortured them by starving them for 3 days? Why no outcry at starving this poor woman to death?

If you are intellectually honest, and you really think that she is PVS and deserves to die, then I challenge you. Tomorrow morning, at 7:30am (when I am listening), announce that you support blowing off Terry Schiavo's head with a shotgun. If you are condemning her to death, then at least, on the doubt that she may still feel pain, let the death be painless. If you refuse to support blowing off her head with a shotgun, then why do you support starving her to death? Mass murderers are entitled to execution without pain, so why not Terry Schiavo?

Please do not politicize the issue of Terry Schiavo. It is not a right/left, prolife/prochoice, liberal/conservative issue. There is a mountain of evidence that her husband does not have her best wishes in mind. There are written statements by nurses who attended to her indicating abuse. Her husband could be afraid that should she recover, she'll tell the police about what he's done and he'll be criminally liable. The only doctors allowed to examine her closely have been pro-euthanasia doctors, hand-picked by a lawyer who has made a career (and a book) out of right-to-die cases. Her parents have offered Michael all the remaining money from the lawsuit, all the money from her estate, and complete freedom from further litigation. All they want is their daughter. Her husband is now essentially a bigamist, living a common law marriage with another woman, and it is inconceivable that he really has his wife's best interests in mind.

I was also shocked when you said that you felt that if the courts of Florida ruled in favor of her husband, that he must be correct. This logic supports both Slavery and Abortion, both of which were upheld by our country's judiciary. I suggest you read Mark Levin's "Men In Black" if you do not understand how judicial tyranny threatens our freedoms. In the case of Terry Schiavo, it threatens her life.

Terry has suffered for years being called a vegetable by the main stream media. Thanks to the internet, the blogosphere, and MOST talk radio (Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity), the message is getting out and political pressure is being brought to bear on Jeb Bush. You can do a great service to Terry by examining the case, and even if you don't have enough evidence to convince you she is alive, at least err on the side of LIFE! If she really is PVS, then she won't care that she is still alive and her family will be happy. If she isn't PVS, then you will have saved an innocent woman from death.

Sincerely, Me Suburbs of Philadelphia, PA

[Ohioan from Florida]

Terri ping! If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my Terri ping list, please let me know by FReepmail!

[MarMema]

Good Job!!! Thanks for your letter.

[MarMema]

Why is it nonsensical to show somebody how evil a position they hold is?

It is not. A picture really is worth a thousand words, and video is even better.

The death-culture-worshippers know this and that is why in this case and many previous forced-dehydration cases, video of the person they were attempting to have killed was suppressed.

[Saundra Duffy]

I hope he doesn't use your letter for toilet paper. But at least you got your thoughts posted here for thousands of people to read. Thanks for doing it.

[TAdams8591]

Michael is the guy who has bragged about his friendship with Arlen Spector ad nauseum and had him as a guest on his program many times. Spector took a group of people to Cuba. Michael was one of them. When Michael returned, he bragged about having smoked a cigar with Fidel Castro, oblivious to the sensibilities of conservatives in his listening audience which is a mistake (either doing it or bragging about it) no TRUE conservative would ever make.

There are a host of other issues large and small, for which conservatives could take him to task.

Most recently Smerkonish supported Lynne Abraham and the ridiculous charges she filed against the protestors from REPENT AMERICA.

And now this. He sides with Michael Schiavo and the court without knowing and understanding the facts of the case.

Smerconish is another intellectual LIGHTWEIGHT who doesn't belong where he is. Michael Smerkonish is solely about promoting Michael Smerkonish and nothing more.

Your letter is excellent. Far better than anything Michael has ever written. Thank you for taking the time to write it and for defending Terri to a SMALL TIME KNOW NOTHING talk show host who I stopped listening to long ago.

[TAdams8591]

He picked a HOT topic that he thought would sell. He wrote it for the proceeds, but also hoping it would help break him into National Syndication, the Major leagues in talk radio. He is totally DISGUSTING.

[TAdams8591]

"My wife and I had been getting so annoyed by him as of late, but Michael Smerconish shows us it could be a lot worse. I could go on and on about Sean Hannity. "

I've said the same thing. Michael and Sean have some similar traits, but Michael is far more Liberal and in every way far worse. Sean (I disagree with you I think Sean is conservative) at least seems to be sincere about caring for people.

[Lauren BaRecall]

When did Rush Limbaugh ever mention Terri? I stopped listening to him because he never mentioned her. He was too involved with his own case. I may be wrong, but I had gotten the definite impression that Rush didn't want to antagonize the ACLU, which has taken his part, AND defends Michael Schiavo.

Rush seemed very surprised that the ACLU would side with him, because he's a conservative, and has continually criticized them, after all. But I knew that the real issue is this so-called "right to privacy." That's what Limbaugh's case and Terri's have in common.

The anti-Christian ACLU would defend Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate, if the case had anything to do with the "right to privacy."

[Lauren BaRecall]

I don't think that Sean is a conservative. He supported Schwartzenegger over McClintock, the true conservative.

He sounds very supportive of Rudy Giuliani for any office (especially against Hillary), even though Rudy is not only pro abortion, he's also pro partial birth abortion.

I stopped listening to Sean, too.

[TorahTrueJew]

I think lots of Radio Talk Show hosts don't understand that most conservatives are not "go-team" republicans. We are all varied and different, and the one thing that brings us together is values and morality. I cannot support Giuliani as, no matter what good he may do, he is pro-abortion. I cannot support Condi Rice for the same reason. Or Arnold Schwarzenneger. Or Arlen Specter. Sean always says things like, "Well, we disagree on a lot of things, but I like so-and-so and think he/she would be great in office". Smerconish, well, he doesn't even say he disagrees with lots of these RINOs.

The best talk show host, IMHO, is Glenn Beck. "My show is not about right and left, it's about right and wrong" His show makes me laugh, and he discusses not only politics but serious social and moral issues of society. And he has spent HOURS discussing the Terry Schiavo case, and made the argument nationally that the precedent could be like Germany in the 30s.

[tutstar]

Very good!

[tutstar]

I wonder if he thinks the court was right in dropping charges against the Philly Christians. He certainly thought the court was right when they were facing charges.

The guy definitely isn't conservative if he's so pro death. He has no clue!

[SkyPilot]

I wonder if he thinks the court was right in dropping charges against the Philly Christians.

I don't know, since I never heard him discuss the charges being dropped. Smerconish certainly did side with the "Pink Angels", the District Attorney, and the Philly Police regarding the arrest and prosecution of the Christians. He was very, very hostile to Christians and their lawyer when they were on his radio program. When they tried to tell their side of the story, he accused them of "spinning the truth."

Smerconish also took calls from homosexuals on the program, who tried to paint the Philadelphia 5 Christians with hate groups and terrorists. Smerconish let them talk all they wanted.

Then Smerconish wrote an article in the Philadelphia Daily News attacking the Christian group--saying basically that they got what they deserved.

When callers where upset and outraged with Smerconish's approach to this issue, he got very testy on the air, and claimed "Listen pal, I worship the same God that you do!"

Lately, there have been a number of editorials on the net critical of Smerconish's behavior. He also admitted he is good friends with the DA, prosecutors, and Judge in the Philadelphia 5 case who wanted the Christians punished for appearing at the "Outfest!" demonstration.

[Williams]

Nice try but I did NOT take Smerconish's side in any way shape or form by calling the shotgun line immature. Please try not to fall into Torah's extreme argument tactics. Smerconish is generally annoying, sometimes right on, but he falls into the category of an activist moderate who blows with the winds.

[FR_addict]

Excellent Letter!

[tutstar]

Well he definitely doesn't have a clue! For the most part (IMO) conservatives usually support Biblical values and morals. Killing someone by starving them to death isn't either of those.

[FR_addict]

"When did Rush Limbaugh ever mention Terri?"

I was wondering that too. I haven't heard Rush mention her, but then, I don't listen to his show all that much. Have people been calling in on Open Line Friday to discuss Terri?

[T'wit]

>> Terry Schiavo's husband loved her and had her best interests in mind

This would be the same husband who took his wife's wedding and engagement rings off her finger and had them made into new jewelry for himself.

A real lover, this guy. Jodi, you're next.

[bvw]

"Extreme"? There's few extremes moreso than murder. Smerconsish dilly-dallies about murder, about violence. He hung out too much and too little with Rizzo. Had he grown up with Rizzo he would have learned better how to balance violence and authority. But he was just a debutante on spring break.

[TorahTrueJew]

Moderates are as bad as liberals IMHO.

Calling oneself a moderate means that you think that when two people argue, neither side is ever completely correct and that the truth must always lie in the middle. This is the Ten Commandments and divine law to a Moderate. Nobody is ever entirely correct or entirely wrong, the truth is in the middle.

You know how democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding on what to have for dinner?

To understand moderates, imagine to people arguing. One argues that we should walk into a room of 100 innocent people and kill everybody. The other says that killing is wrong, and we should let them all live.

The moderate says we should kill 50 people, so satisfy both wishes.

Let's just say that G-d is not a moderate... There is truth and there is falsehood, and nothing in between.