Terri’s Legacy, It Is Time for a Real Culture of Life Bill From Progressive America; Terri's Law

opednews.com ^ | March 31, 2005 | Anthony Wade

[Destro]

Terri’s Legacy, It Is Time for a Real Culture of Life Bill From Progressive America; Terri's Law

By Anthony Wade

March 31, 2005
www.OpEdNews.com

The circus is finally over, Terri Schiavo has gone home. The side-show has packed up their tents and will head home, learning nothing, and soon forgetting a woman that sparked such outrage. That is unless someone does not let that happen. The GOP will feign indignation and try to use Mrs. Schiavo as a weapon to reign in a judiciary they feel is out of control but all you need to know about the judge in this case is that he was a republican. There is no out of control judiciary. The true sad fact of the Schiavo case is that at every turn when someone could have intervened on behalf of life, it was a GOP decision to allow her death. The primary judge was a conservative from the GOP. The Supreme Court also refused multiple times to intervene and is controlled by the GOP. The speculation about possible executive intervention focused on two men, George and Jeb Bush, both of which stood by and did nothing while Terri died. The GOP will not do anything about this case except try and use it to their political advantage, which is all they have done for the past two weeks. No, the true legacy of Terri Schiavo needs to come from the progressives in this country. It is time to have the GOP put their money where their mouths are and pass a “Culture of Life” bill, honoring Terri Schiavo.

The first tenet of a Culture of Life Bill must demand healthcare for all Americans in this country. I do not want to hear any more of the right-wing talking points about socialism meant only to distract from the pitiful reality that in the richest country in the world, there are 40 million people who do not have healthcare. Because of these shortages in healthcare, there are 18,000 unnecessary deaths per year. That has to be completely unacceptable in a civilized society. Anyone who truly believes in a culture of life has to support a plan that would eliminate 18,000 unnecessary annual deaths. Without healthcare, Terri Schiavo would not have lasted the 15 years that she did and progress to the point that she became the cause celebre of a nation.

A nation that affirms a culture of life insures that everyone has access to healthcare.

The second tenet of any Terri’s Law would have to federally protect Medicaid, Medicare, and State Children’s Health Insurance Program from any federal budget cuts. Sound impossible? No, it is simply a matter of making priorities. The fact of the matter is that balancing the federal budget on the backs of the poorest people in this country is not the kind of philosophy that asserts life. If you hold tax cuts for the rich in one hand and the ensuring of healthcare and continued lives of the elderly and children in this country in the other, I would assume that believing in a culture of life demands that the tax cuts get shelved. Terri received her medications through Medicaid and just the cuts alone that Tom Delay is currently demanding would have jeopardized Terri’s medications.

A nation that affirms a culture of life insures the most vulnerable are always taken care of.

The third tenet of Terri’s Law would need to guarantee to the citizens of this country the ability to seek legal redress when victimized. The tort reform bandwagon is laden with millions of dollars of donations to the GOP from special interests who seek protection from being sued. The truth is that frivolous lawsuits are NOT a factor in increased healthcare costs, as they amount to less than 1% of healthcare costs. Tort reform is simply siding with corporations over people. The truth is that Terri Schiavo would never have had the money to pay for her treatment for fifteen years if Tom Delay and Bill Frist had their way. The hypocrisy from Delay is especially disturbing as his family actually sued and won the exact types of damages he is so bent on eliminating when his father passed away 20 years ago. The Delays won a quarter of a million dollars in pain and suffering and loss of companionship damages. Now, he wants to take away your right to seek the same legal redress. Terri Schiavo won malpractice lawsuits and as a result was awarded the money that was then used to care for her. Any type of Terri’s Law, needs to protect the rights of citizens who are aggrieved.

A nation that affirms a culture of life insures that people can seek recovery when wronged.

The fourth tenet, and most important right now, is that a Culture of Life bill must address state laws which allow corporations to decide the life and death of citizens. In Texas, there is a law that killed a six month old child a few weeks ago. The child was born with a very rare and severe form of dwarfism. The child was six months old when the hospital decided, against the wishes of the mother, to kill the child. The hospital stated it was mercy because the child was non-responsive. The mother emphatically disagreed with the hospital and tried to get media coverage but the hospital refused to allow the media to film the child. The fact of the matter is Sun Hudson is dead today because his mother was poor. So poor, she had no prenatal care, which could have spotted the problems in-utero, yet another argument for mandatory health care. This poor mother was granted ten days to find another treating facility that would take the child, without any money. None agreed and they pulled the respirator. The state of Texas murdered a six month old child while we were all weeping for Terri Schiavo. The person who signed the Texas law was none other than George W. Bush, Mr. Culture of Life himself. The state of Texas is also the home state of the new poster child of hypocrisy, Tom Delay. If Terri Schiavo is to have any legacy at all, it must be to end this practice of corporate-sponsored, state-sanctioned, financially-driven, murder.

A nation that affirms a culture of life does not allow money to dictate who lives and who dies.

The fifth tenet of a Terri’s Law would have to be allowing independent oversight of all environmental laws to ensure the safety and continued lives of the citizens of this planet. You cannot pretend to care about life, and pass laws that uniformly damage the health of people around this world. As I have reported before the Bush administration has passed a most ridiculous system that actually encourages companies to not clean up their mercury pollution. Most of the environmental changes made by Bush were only designed to benefit corporations, at the expense of the health of all Americans. Destroying the environment is not supportive of a culture of life. If Terri’s life could have this kind of long-reaching impact, that would be truly amazing.

A nation that affirms a culture of life protects the environment, and thus extends the life of its citizens.

Lastly, any Terri’s Law needs to set up a nation wide system of mandatory living wills. Without these documents there can be no guarantee that the Tom Delay traveling circus does not end up on your lawn one day. When we turn 18 we mandate signing up for the selective service. When drivers licenses are granted, people need to chose to be an organ donor or not. A similar mandate can be demanded from people, to make their choices in unambiguous terms. Terri’s life and now her death seem to cry out for this measure.

Terri Schiavo has passed and her legacy, if any, will take shape over the next year. If we allow the GOP to shape that legacy, you will hear about Schiavo this summer when Bush tries to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. You will hear about judicial tyranny and how Bush needs his nominees approved to reign in the judiciary. Don’t let them fool you. The judge in this case was a conservative republican. Of the 19 judges that reviewed the Schiavo case, many more were republican. The conservative, GOP-controlled Supreme Court was asked five times to intervene, and they refused. Just like there is no social security crisis, there is no out-of-control judiciary. What we had, was one of the most vetted and debated court cases in this country’s history that has reached its end today.

Legacy though still awaits Terri Schiavo. The GOP used her to bring to the forefront the issue of life and how they claim to be the party of life. The term we heard repeatedly was that they believed in a “culture of life”. Now is the time to hold them to their words. If you believe, truly believe in a culture of life, then you must support that which supports life. The core of that culture of life must include:

1. Mandatory health care for all

2. The elderly and children are always taken care of.

3. People can always seek legal redress when harmed.

4. Equal protection for life, regardless of money.

5. Environmental protections to increase life spans.

6. Mandatory living wills.

This is not socialism, it is common sense. It is time to put up or shut up. A smart progressive needs to craft this legislation and let the representatives vote what they truly believe in. It is time to line up on what side you actually are on. It is time to see if there is any real action behind the empty rhetoric we have heard so much about.

A culture of life does not allow 40 million people to have no healthcare, killing 18,000 people unnecessarily per year. It does not allow the raping of the environment, corporate protections at the cost of legal redress, and balancing the budget by cutting healthcare to the elderly and children, while handing millions to the richest with your other hand. A culture of life does more than talk about life. It does more then show up on the lawn of Terri Schiavo for a two week period in the lifetime of America. It does more than provide photo-ops and snazzy catch-lines. It says that if you believe in life than you must care equally for the six month old black child in Texas then you did for the 41 year old white woman in Florida. It says ALL life, regardless of age, ethnicity, medical state, or financial circumstances get treated with the same reverence.

If you cannot do that, then the culture of life are just words without meaning. They are just a phrase you like to say but do not really believe in. They were just two weeks of your life, pretending to care about a woman you never met, and one day will forget. The culture of life cannot be just a passing snapshot in the photo album of this country. Terri deserves better than that. She deserves her law, to truly care about a culture of all life, not just the lives of the politically expedient.

Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 37-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.

Anthony Wade’s Archive:
http://www.opednews.com/archiveswadeanthony.htm

Email Anthony: takebacktheus@yahoo.com

[Destro]

In an early posting of mine, I warned that the Left would use the Social Conservatives' "Culture of Life" mantra for their own gain. The Republican leadership inserted itself into the "Terri" issue at a time when they cut Medicaid (which Terri was on), made malpractice awards harder to win (which Terri had won and used to pay for her medical care).

How will "Culture of Life" Conservatives (who have already shown they don't mind being big spenders) react to what the Democrats will put forward now?

Will Social Conservatives be against universal health care from conception to age 18? How can you be pro-life and not back universal health care? A case of being for the fetus but against the baby and child?

The Terri case has opened a Pandora's Box of big govt. Socialisim.

These last few weeks have not been good for small govt./fiscal Conservatives.

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.

[Constitution Day]

BTTT

[theFIRMbss]

>If you cannot do that, then the culture of life are just words without meaning

This woman's sad death
has revealed that most people
aligned with the phrase

"culture of life" don't
give a flying fudge about
the meaning of words.

[FormerACLUmember]

Is dishonest hypocritical words were a nickel apiece, this weasel would rival his buddy George Soros' wealth.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

but all you need to know about the judge in this case is that he was a republicanRINO.

Blatant inaccuracy corrected.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Yhe height of liberal cynicism never ceases to amaze me:

"..... The GOP will not do anything about this case except try and use it to their political advantage,"

[sarasota]

Perhaps we should send a few emails to Anthony?

[Destro]

I am sorry but that is a pathetic answer to this guys article/points. Either you can answer him back or this position will win out for the democrats - playing Devil's advocate: are you against universal health care from conception till 18 years of age at least? No? How can you call yourself pro-life? Pro-life for those that can only pay their own way? Those that can't pay get the plug pulled on them like in Bush's Texas........

[agere_contra]

How can you be pro-life and not back universal health care?

Very easily. I would look at Canada and the UK for an object lesson in how badly universal health care actually works

[upchuck]

Terri's Legacy, It Is Time for a Real Culture of Life Bill From Progressive America; Terri's Law

Uh-oh, now we're in trouble. Blue trouble.

[Destro]

Are Social Conservatives really CINO's? Conservatives In Name Only? They don't act like classic small govt. Conservatives.......

[Phocion]

I saw this coming too. People were saying that moral law trumps the law of the US, and therefore any extralegal or extraordinary government action to save Terri was justified. I was telling people that Democrats see gay marriage as a moral issue. They see Social Security as a moral issue. They see Medicare as a moral issue. And the door has been opened a little for them.

I don't think it's been a good two weeks for ANY kind of conservative. The state intervened and Terri died anyway. Both the social conservatives and the "keep government out" conservatives lost bigtime.

Terri might be gone, but the rift in the party still exists. And it seems certain the strength of the bond holding the whole thing together will be tested again and again over the next four years. We can only hope the Democrats continue to be inept at exploiting it.

[Destro]

Really, agere_contra? Democrats will respond that elders go to Canada for their drugs - and what kind of pro-lifer is against universal health care for babies? You just want woen to not have abortions but damn if you pro-lifers will help the unwed mother with her baby's health care costs? Shouting "socialisim" will not work now thanks to the door the Social "Culture of Life" Conservatives have opened.

[theFIRMbss]

>that is a pathetic answer to this guys article/points. Either you can answer him back or this position will win out for the democrats...

Q: Is Maria here
blowing a kiss, or giggling?
(A: She's laughing at you.)

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

They don't act like classic small govt. Conservatives...

... and, conversely: some fiscal policy-only tub-thumpers, sadly, don't act much like classically Reagan-esque, pro-life conservatives.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

[freekitty]

We need to look at our judiciary system and change it. These lawyers, judges, etc. are getting away with too much. We also need to look at the people behind them.

[nikos1121]

Thanks for the posting. This is a time for some hard boiled thinking between all of us, and to set aside the finger pointing for a moment before we lose site of some of the objectives you raised but also to fully understand some things that may not have been fully presented in the press coverage.

I've had some time to reflect on this and I listened to Tom Delay last night. Then re-read Ann Coulter's article from yesterday.

I understand what you are trying to say but I wish to make a point regarding the criticism of our president and the republican party in Terri Schiavo's case.

Talk show hosts and fellow FRs are joining the bandwagon to condemn the president and republicans. If you are listening to Michael Savage, someone I usually agree with, he is at a frenzied pitch about it, to the point that I think he is being short sighted. I think we need to step back and consider some things.


There was a bipartisan support from Congress signed by the president that asked for the federal courts to consider interceding in behalf of Terri Schiavo.

This would be similar to a Scott Peterson attorney asking for a Federal Hearing on his stay of execution in few years from now. We all know that in a situation like that, death row, his case will be reviewed right?

In this case, Congress and the President asked the courts to do the same thing. But what did they do? They essentially thumbed their noses at Congress and gave Bush the finger. They refused to re-insert the feeding tube, step back and review the merits of the case one more time.

This is revealing and makes one ask "why?" Why did the courts do this? I think we need to know this. Especially when we lay people see glaring problems.

We all know that the lawyering on the case was terrible. So bad, much of the information used in Greer's decision was not available or ignored. For example, did you know that the bone scan, 18 months after her admission, showing multiple fractures was not used in the defense of the malpractice claim?

Also, Greer did not allow Shindler attorneys to pursue the reason for the fractures. A fracture on a bone scan could be fresh or could be as old as 18 months. Could the husband have been responsible?

In other words she could have been battered 18 months earlier. Sure, the fractures could have been secondary to the process of trying to revive her. But I think this inserts some question about the husband perhaps, and his guardianship.

If Bush had rode in like Teddy R. then he would be abusing his office as much as all of us are saying the judicial branch is abusing theirs. He would make this a more partisan issue on everything other than Terri Schiavo. He has now, the appearance of democrats and republicans together wanting to know what happened and with the American support will do something.

Our government requires the branches of gov't to check and balance each other. We need to ask the the judges of these courts "why"? Why did you not re-open the case? Why did you go against both the request of Congress and the President in this matter when we are not talking about anything more than looking one more time in behalf of a severely ill woman who cannot speak for herself.

We need to know why and then correct it. If Bush has some support from the other side of the aisle it may make a big difference in changing things.

Now Jeb Bush, is another thing. If he could have intervened some how because of Florida Law maybe he should have, I don't know.

One last thing is for sure. Congress, the president, better yet, Jeb Bush should take custody of Terri's body to make sure that an independent autopsy is performed not from some local yokel medical examiner.

Make no mistake of this. Terri died for all of us. Her death will not be in vain.

nick

[Destro]

OK I will again play Devil's advocate - I am pro-Life so much so that I want the Federal govt to create univeral health care for children and the elderly at least. Put your money where your mouth and your convictions are! You would help save Terri's life but don't want to pay for her health care costs? Hypocrite!

Your turn to reply.

[Walkin Man]

This is massive hypocrisy from Republican Terri fanatics that really galls me!

Terri was able to get medical care for 15 years because of the one million dollar or more medical malpractice lawsuit that her husband won. And yet President Bush is totally against any medical malpractice judgment over 250,000!

I will be waiting for the RNC mouthpieces like Rush, Hannity, Savage, etc and pols like Delay, the POTUS and just about every republican you can think of to put their money where their mouth is and insist that we MUST save social programs like Medicare and Medicaid which Terri was forced to use when the settlement money ran out!

I will believe these Terri supporters are for real when they demand no limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and not only keeping Medicare and Medicaid where they are but expanding them in a substantial way to cover the thousands of people that will be in Terri's place in the future!

If they don't do these things they are hypocrites blowing hot air and they are also in favor of economic euthanasia!

I'll be listening for Rush, Hannity, Savage and all of those other hypocrites to start pushing for more social programs from the government....somehow I don't think its gonna happen!

[Destro]

Sorry - in this case Judge Greer upheld Florida law to the letter. There was no judicial activisim.