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.
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the way she's being treated currently is an atrocity.
Me too. I would suggest staying out of the State of Florida as they are murdering people down there with the courts approval.
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Terri is only one of hundreds of millions who have been destroyed beacuse it is "legal" and convenient....
By the state?
And, does that mean we are supposed to say "off her, off her"?
I'm a bit dense at times. You lost me here. What's your question?
Yes, and due to Terri's wishes of privacy, etc., I'm sure it was her wishes that Michael bring to Terri's hospice room his friends, and one woman that Terri never even met, to "view" her starving and dehydrating to death.
Yes we are far removed. And, they are not preventing a re-look at the case.
Were you ever one of those on the Oklahoma Massacre threads thinking there was more behind the scenes than we were led to believe? Well - that is this for us. There is the euthanasia movement marching forward continually changing the criteria to allow people to the "offed". Now they have gotten state support and federal support for their agenda.
Something to check on
How the law is worded in your state, and I would suggest we all check periodically in our own states.
Here is what is going on in Florida...
"They also state that advanced directives providing for treatment should not carry the same weight as directives withdrawing care, and advanced directives should not compel the physican to provide them, regardless if the patient needs them (Doty).
Doty is part of the Florida Bioethics Network as well as Project Grace. One of the changes in the law in CB/CB/SB 2228 includes the Bioethics Network as part of the process of withdrawing care.
Evil doings but just watch how many of the masses will agree that others need death administered naively thinking it will never be them.
I would object the same to any person who was treated in a similar way. Terri is a warning of what could happen to any of us - in many ways this case is symbolic of how much this nation values human life. It horrifies me to know the answer is, "not much".
There was a window during an appeal and Jeb Bush was apparently doing just that when Judge Death went and shut the door on it.
The Florida Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Schiavo IS the Roe v Wade of euthanasia.
ARTICLE I
SECTION 2. Basic rights.--All natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, to pursue happiness, to be rewarded for industry, and to acquire, possess and protect property; except that the ownership, inheritance, disposition and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship may be regulated or prohibited by law. No person shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability.
ARTICLE IV
SECTION 1. Governor.
(a) The supreme executive power shall be vested in a governor, who shall be commander-in-chief of all military forces of the state not in active service of the United States. The governor shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, commission all officers of the state and counties, and transact all necessary business with the officers of government. The governor may require information in writing from all executive or administrative state, county or municipal officers upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices. The governor shall be the chief administrative officer of the state responsible for the planning and budgeting for the state.
(b) The governor may initiate judicial proceedings in the name of the state against any executive or administrative state, county or municipal officer to enforce compliance with any duty or restrain any unauthorized act.
(d) The governor shall have power to call out the militia to preserve the public peace, execute the laws of the state, suppress insurrection, or repel invasion.
[Added emphasis is mine]
I an neither a lawyer, nor a Constitutional scholar, but it would seem pretty clear to me that Governor Bush has the right to do this and that he could go so far as to have Greer imprisoned for interfering.
this is not classified as an atrocity. far from it. get over it..
Absolutely evil.....
Agreed. The culture of death in this nation is an abomination. We look at the Canaanites, who burned their children to death as Baal worship, and we cringe, we insist they were barbarians, and we are enlightened. The truth is, those children were destroyed to ensure good crops, so everybody wouldn't be inconvenienced in any way. We sacrifice our own to the same god of selfishness and convenience EVERY DAY.
Most definitely.
Which is why it shocks me that some on this forum, whose members claim to support liberty, insist I shouldn't be having a cow.
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