Posted on 03/26/2005 12:05:54 PM PST by wagglebee
There is a tremendous amount of suffering in the world. In the United States the suffering of Terri Schindler-Schiavo and her family has been the lead news story for weeks. Now it's the Christian Holy Week, where the suffering of Jesus is the religious focus of Christians around the globe.
Even Terri's maiden name, Schindler, is a reminder of the millions who suffered under Hitler. If you'll recall, Oskar Schindler was the man who rescued a thousand Jews from Nazi persecution and death. On Fox News, the Schindler family's spiritual adviser, Brother Paul O'Donnell, drew a parallel between the plight of Terri and the suffering of Christ. He spoke of how Terri's mother, Mary, cannot comfort her child as she dies. She cannot even offer her an ice chip to ease her pain. An armed police officer stands guard at Terri's bedside to assure that no intervention is attempted, and the death process continues.
The similarities that Brother O'Donnell points out are intriguing. Of course, this is not to suggest that the Schindlers are the holy family, but to remind us that suffering is no different today than it was 2,000 years ago. And that the persecution of man by man continues.
The court-ordered death of a disabled woman makes me wonder if we've learned anything about compassion, caring and humanity in those 2,000 years. It appears we've become more barbaric, continuing to make the same mistakes time after time, and we should know better.
Is it even remotely humane that a court has order that Terri Schiavo must die a slow, agonizing death by starvation? And where is the humanity in forcing her family to sit idly by as she dies? We don't even allow animals to be starved to death, and in many instances would prosecute any individual who so mistreated an animal.
It's imperative to point out that Terri was not being kept alive by heroic medicine. She was not on a respirator or any other form of life support. Like many disabled citizens of our nation, Terri simply can't feed herself.
Dr. Bill Hammesfahr, a neurologist specializing in brain-damaged patients, spent ten hours with Terri. He also spent months examining Terri's case, all of this at no cost to anyone. In interviews with Sean Hannity, Dr. Hammesfahr stated definitively that Terri is not in a coma and she is not in a vegetative state. Dr. Hammesfahr said that Terri is very aware, understands what is said to her and is responsive. He also explained that she could be rehabilitated if allowed the necessary therapy.
Terri's estranged husband, Michael Schiavo, claims that she wouldn't want to live this way. This comes from a man who's fathered two children with his 10-year live-in, Jodi Centonze, while remaining married to Terri. It's interesting to note that Schiavo never mentioned that these were Terri's wishes until seven years into her disability.
Since 1991, Michael Schiavo has denied Terri any therapy. Thirty allegations of "abuse, neglect or exploitation" by Schiavo have recently been filed in court by the Department or Children and Families in Florida.
The imposed suffering and death of Terri will be an atrocity. If this can happen in the United States of America, then no one is safe, anywhere.
Michael Schiavo is denying Terri her life. And we're allowing it to happen.
Isn't it, though!
But you CANNOT BREAK THE LAW! How would that be if every Governor, President, Senator, Congressman, Parent, Teacher, Priest, Pastor, Minister, Coach etc., all took the law into their own hands becuase they didn't LIKE something??????? You have to be more rational no matter how much it hurts. We are ALL hurting. You CANNOT JUST STORM THE GATES.
An atrocity that is setting legal precedent whereby a lowly judge can sentence a person to death that has not committed a crime, has not been charged with a crime and hasn't been tried and found guilty of a crime.
How long before people that do not lead "quality lives" as perceived by judicial elitists will be rounded up and sentenced en masse to "Euphoria Farms"?
This is the central reason why a court order to "remove life support" is so specious. Food and water are not life support.
The risk that the "right to die" might morph into "right to kill" is very high. We are ssing it happen in Terri's situation.
Christopher Reeve was no more able to consume food and water on his own than Terri Schiavo is, and somehow his death occurred because George W. Bush didn't allow more aborted fetuses to be harvested for stem cells.
Well said.
Aside from the tragedy of the court-ordered death of an innocent person for no reason other than her physical condition, the real tragedy stalking America is that in this one case, the courts, the political system, and the people, have spoken in favor of death. They have been presented with a clear-cut choice of choosing life over death, and they have chosen death.
The precedent being established is the principle of assumption that a person would choose death over life. This is a profound and perhaps fatal shift. When we as a people reject life in favor of death, when we choose nihilism over affirmation of moral objectivism, then we literally forfeit our moral souls. The rejection of objective, rational values is the primary cause of the rise of culture of death in America. No longer will the assumption that a person would choose to live be an operable principle. This is as profound a shift in the moral culture as the presumption of guilt over innocence would be in the legal system. In the end, such a decision in favor of death over life will stalk us all to the end of our days.
Perfectly, plainly stated. Excellent analogy. As I said on Friday, I woke up in AmeriKa. Our Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves. And Judgment will, assuredly, deservedly come on this Nation and its people.
People will eventually not be pleased with the trauma Mr. Filo is dishing out here. I predict a huge backlash. Too many folks have children and too many folks have children who have been married and divorced from scumbags. They shudder to think that those scumbags would have any say over what would happen to their son or daughter in this situation. And, you know what, this involves all kinds of parents..liberal, conservative, black, white, yellow, short, tall or whatever..Their views are based on the humanity which binds us..
You're right, of course, but how many knew it before the Schindlers woke us all up?
A simple, concise summary of Terri S. and what is happening, and what it means.
I can hardly read the Terri threads any more. It is said that one who is pained by another's pain is pleasing to God, and one who cares nothing about others' pain is not pleasing.
What then of those who delight in causing others' pain? The meaning of this horrible murder is very grave, and may haunt us for a long time. The pro-death crowd is dancing in frenzied joy at the precedent this is creating.*
Once one of God's universal laws is thrown out, they all must go, one by precious one.
With tears in my eyes,
lj
Let me know if you want on/off this pinglist.
*I am not referring to the unfortunate pro-death crowd much in evidence on FR lately, but organizations who are behind euthanasia, assisted suicide and abortion.
Slaughtering Jews and other undesirables was also legal.
Excellently said.
I think I'd like to be on your pinglist. Thanks very much.
Gotcha.
Oh, and thank you!
As much as it pains me, I believe at this point that Terri's death is now an immediate certainty. My hope is that our leaders can learn from this horrible ordeal and find the fortitude to curb the judiciary's out-of-control tyranny.
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