Posted on 04/11/2005 3:54:53 PM PDT by CHARLITE
Wake up America . . . the alarm clock just went off and we keep turning over and going back to sleep. There's an "uprisin' on the horizon" and we refuse to face it. Sleeping through it might make it easier, but the end result will be devastating. We've had a lightning bolt cut through the very core of our foundation forming a crack so deep we could topple by our weight of indifference. This ship is listing badly; so tilted we may never be uprighted again.
Our love affair with America is "breaking apart" because our foundation is cracking. The winds of hatred are blowing hard; the thunderous protests have challenged our will, and the disease of apathy is eating away at our very root system. Go ahead and tell me I'm crazy. I'd actually rather hear that than to believe what I know to be true. I can handle my portended lunacy, but the reality of what I see happening before my very eyes is worse than a Shakespearean tragedy.
Last week was one of the most painful times of my life. I have never been on such a roller coaster of emotion and I can't seem to get beyond it. That's an admission I'm not proud to proclaim, but it's the truth. For a person who's always ready for "NEXT, one-two-three, GO," . . . I was stricken with a paralysis. My country was in great distress over a situation that caused everyone to lose. The visuals still play clearly in my mind and are more painful than I can express.
I was one of those people who wanted Terri Schiavo to live. I was one of those people who could not find any joy in Michael's Schiavo's relentless desire to fulfill his wife's "suddenly remembered" request seven years later. And lastly, I was one of those people you told to sit down and shut up. So I did. I needed just a little more time to mourn; it wasn't that easy for me.
With the passing of the Pope two days later, I could not move away so quickly from thoughts of Terri Schiavo's passing. I knew the Pope would be okay, but I wasn't sure about the rest of us.
I've cried in my quiet moments - not only for Terri - but for my beloved country, America.
My own quietness has brought about much anguish for me because I am not a quiet person. It is frightening . . . it is terrifying, for I realize the line has been drawn. The "crack" was so loud when Terri Schiavo died, I believe the Pope hung his head even lower and gave up his own will to fight any longer. He had been so deeply passionate about her life that we may have cast a blow to his. What a tragedy for all of us. What a sad commentary on mankind.
The "crack" became an earthquake forming a deep divide as a line drawn in the sand. Americans are standing strong on the side of what has become their truth. We are no longer able to discern what the truth really is because the clouds have become so dark. There is an expert on every issue arguing both sides, so what is the truth anymore? The steel that crumpled on that fateful day in September of 2001 may be dwarfed in comparison to the crumbling of our nation's structure -- its foundation. It's a slower fall, but it's happening nonetheless, and could be just as fatal. Our "spirit of steel" -- layer by layer, floor by floor -- is crumbling.
It's not only that Terri Schiavo died . . . it's the way we sent her to her death. We stood by watching it happen as if on a daily countdown. We recorded and showed on the nightly news parents and children trying to give her water. I guess we feared she might stand up and walk. That very act defined who we are and makes me ashamed. Those are the pictures that haunt my heart.
Even if you believe Terri Schiavo had a right to die; and even if you believe her husband Michael had the right to stand by her decision to "not live like that;" and you believe her parents were pathetically selfish in not giving her the dignity she deserved in death, do we truly believe she would not want her parents at her bedside when she breathed her last breath? Do we believe that Terri would have refused her own mother's desire to hold her in her arms one last time and say, "I love you, my precious daughter?"
Then we would also have to believe that Terri would tell her family: "You cannot have a funeral with my body -- I want it burned to ashes immediately -- so go have your own service without me." For some strange reason, this was not the Terri who was portrayed to us as the young vibrant woman who went "religiously" with her family to church every weekend, and not the same person who would refuse a funeral service of her own faith?
It's also mystifying how fervent Michael was to carry out her wish of "not wanting to live like that," never considering how he made her die. But he seemed to know his wife so well -- these were surely her wishes.
Her family could not have her in life, nor could they have her in death. We can argue all day about who was right or wrong, but in the end, we became damaged goods. What we did to each other is unforgivable. What we did to Terri is a sin. And where we go from here is petrifying.
The Pope's death has been a celebration of life, but America has suffered a death that can never be celebrated. A part of us died with Terri.
Yes, the Pope is in a better place, and so is Terri Schiavo . . . but not America.
We have lost our way.
Debbie Daniel can be contacted at: dddtx@yahoo.com
I don't know what " So Many" want, but my fear is that these decisions will be taken from the family, and given to the government. I don't think it belongs there. Course I'm not a big believer in having the government run my family.
What you did was not murder..what was done to Terri was. I personally would want the government to step in if someone was going to kill me needlessly.
Then maybe you should check out the Smoky Backroom, The WPPFF thread, you'll like it.
How is this to be legislated? I hope that all sides are considered.
I'll tell you, the last thing I wanted to deal with while my mother was dieing, was a bunch of government types approving the process.
Tell the MD's that they had better have a terminal diagnosis on the books before they carry out any death warrants.
What's the big deal?
You still didn't answer the question. How is this going to be legislated. We all know that's where its headed.
Nobody is going to flame you. You took responsibility for a very difficult decision and it was the right one. But your father's condition was similar to Terri's only very superficially.
Terry was handicapped, not terminal. She was healthy. She did not rely on any mechanical means of life support. Nobody was allowed to test to see if she could swallow. There was so much left out of this equation that this case will always be clouded in doubts and suspicions. Too many questions never to be answered.
Again, it's not about you or me. It's not anyone else to decide for Terri. But yes, I have determined that if I am terminal I want respirators and heart machines removed, but feed me - please. When my body gives up, so will my desire to eat or drink.
I know I won't be retiring in Florida anytime soon with their books the way they are.
Whether MS is a monster or not I don't know. One thing I do know is that all this was done through the State, and I don't refer to the State of Florida. The State, through its agents and institutions, did this. If there is a monster to be seen, look toward that.
I can see the undertones of the competition now.
"Go to Florida and they will give you rest...really they will."
"Come to South Carolina and really live."
I don't see any state wanting to be called the death state.
At the same time giving it to the states might segregate the disabled to certain areas.
When all is said and done I'll bet the States will want this to go Federal.
We'll see.
http://www.hmsschool.org/hms_news_June%2003.htm
So this guy is up for extermination because he is on "life support".
Here's another one ....dude....you would have a field day pronouncing death on people in limited cognitive ability.
MORE Veggies!!! Yeah Hahahaa..we know what's best for them! Talk about a Circus man!!! Let the killing begin.
Would you like to see others that you and your doctor friends can send to "h@ll" by your own hands?There must be thousands of them.
Heather was born in October 1986. She wasn't due until November. However a ultrasound showed there was no amniotic fluid and a emergency c section was done. As soon as the cord was cut there was lung shock and affixation. She was given CPR for the first 15 minutes of her life. She was given a 25% chance of survival. I knew in my heart that since she was born alive she would make it. We were never told that there would be any chance of disabilities. At six months she started having seizures (infantile spasms).
Our pediatrician laughed at me and said they were seizures and scheduled a EEG for two weeks. Needless to say we weren't happy with him and found another Dr within an hour and she was admitted into the hospital within two hours from that.
We were real lucky with the medications. They put her on Phenobarbital and the seizures were under control within a week. They said she would be on the meds until she was at least 3, probably 5. She was off them within 18 months and has been seizure free since.
Again, there was no mention of any disabilities.
At 7 mths a visiting nurse recommended therapy because she was not doing age appropriate things. Than a friend asked if she had cp. I said I think someone would have mentioned it, but I'll ask. At therapy I asked and was told she had too much muscle tone and that was it. At the next appointment we had to see a CCS doctor.
As soon as I walked in the door she said, "Oh, your daughter does have Cerebral Palsy, always has and always will, she will never walk, she will be severally retarded and she will sit in a wheelchair and drool, now this is how I want you to stretch her legs". Needless to say I was in shock.
After I left I called her Pediatrician and asked what this woman was talking about. We went in and all was finally explained to us.
Her diagnoses is Spastic Quad, visually impaired (legally blind), developmentally delayed and seizure disorder. I then went out to get as much information as possible and continue to do so to this day. She had a Selective dorsal Rhizotomy at age 3 and has has 3 hip surgeries for a dislocated right hip.
With the help of a very supportive family and an awful lot of determination Heather has and continues to defy the doctors, therapist and medical profession in general with her abilities and her progress.
I rather prefer to think of myself as a peach. Thank you very much. :^)~
Me too. Never before have I known such evil. It is truly frightening.
Please list the doctors who said she had no prognosis for recovery after examining her for an hour or more.
So we must remember terri and work to never let it happen to another person.
In the words of Rep. Delay. She was one of us. Anybody can be next to be abused by the judiciary. It may not be a guardianship case, it may be some other right abused or "redefined" by some judges.
People have NO CONCEPT of how absurd the civil courts are in a day to day scenario. Judges really are free to do whatever they can contort logic to their desired end result.
The Judiciary needs to be reignin into their original function. I personally believe that any other judge would have simply asked what would terri have wanted if she could have been "fully functional" for just 30 minutes and made aware of what was going on. Would she have wanted to stay with her husband in name only? Would she have wanted her mother and father to take care of her? The result would have been different.
That only points out the problem with a judicial branch that is JUDGE DEPENDANT instead of LAW DEPENDANT.
Either way, it will NEVER get better with democrats. Only republicans are in a position to potentially end the black robe fever.
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