Danger Zone - (Haleigh Poutre)

National Review ^ | February 01, 2006 | Wesley J, Smith

[Ohioan from Florida]

In the court (and courts) of life and death, a little 11-year-old Massachusetts girl named Haleigh Poutre could be the next Terri Schiavo. For those who have not heard the tragic story, Haleigh was beaten nearly to death last September, allegedly by her adoptive mother and stepfather. The beating left her unconscious and barely clinging to life.

Within a week or so of the beating, her doctors had written her off. They apparently told Haleigh's court-appointed guardian, Harry Spence, that she was "virtually brain dead." Even though he had never visited her, Spence quickly went to court seeking permission to remove her respirator and feeding tube. The court agreed, a decision affirmed recently by the supreme court of Massachusetts.

And so, no doubt with the best of intentions, a little girl who had already suffered so much was stripped by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of even the chance to fight to stay alive. If she didn't stop breathing when the respirator was removed, which doctors expected, she would slowly dehydrate to death.

Close Call

Then came the unexpected:

[Ohioan from Florida]

I just love this line from the article:

Officials for the county sheriff's office, which runs the camp, said guards restrained Anderson after he became uncooperative during the exercises.

I'll tell you what. I can think of lots of people who become "uncooperative" while they're being beaten. Me for one. I bet Haleigh became uncooperative as she was being beaten. Reading this makes me sick.

Another point I'd like to make, related to the science info in this article.

It blamed his internal bleeding on sickle cell disorder, which is present in one in 12 African-Americans but doesn't show up in routine blood work.

Precisely because sickle cell is so prevalent in the African-American population, I would expect that every blood sample from a newborn be looked at under the microscope. The sickle cells are easily distinguished from regular red blood cells. If this isn't currently being done, it should be. I don't care how much money it costs. It is stupid not to look at them.

[Ohioan from Florida]

I finally caught up to your post. Good points.

[bjs1779]

"The case's "saving grace," Felos said, would be if it encouraged thoughtful exploration of the issues of death and dying."

""Everything is beautiful if you want to experience it totally.”" --Charles Manson

[Ohioan from Florida]

Gross!!

[bjs1779]

Yeah. Charlie could of been a well respected member of the legal community today if he had gone to law school. /s

[Ohioan from Florida]

LOL!

Don't take this next comment personally. I'm just venting and using your post as an example. "Charlie could of been" should be "Charlie could've been" or "Charlie could have been". I'm seeing "could of" and "would of" being used with ever more frequency across the board. I understand why the mistake is made (because of the pronunciation similarity). I don't really mean to be a spelling/grammar Nazi. Please forgive my forwardness.

[bjs1779]

I should of known better.

[Wampus SC]

"It took you 900 posts to peck out that witty rejoinder?"

Earthdweller made 900 posts? Far frepin' out, dude! "LOL. Get a life."

Holy Jeb's Necktie! No one's used the "I will say the words 'get a life' and thus prove everything I say is right" trick for a long time!

[Wampus SC]

"You are the one who replied to a post I made to someone else two weeks ago."

What is the time limit on replying to a post? Link to rule, please.

If unable to provide link, document your authority to set the time limit.

[Wampus SC]

"Also from my #970, looks like the fetus eater is a vegetarian at that. More links at bottom of page."

Well..... the abortion crowd insists that a fetus isn't a person. And the resident murder addicts right here on FR said Terri was a vegetable. Just a little clue as to how such minds are organized conceptually...

[Wampus SC]

"And that will help her how? Medical care will help her, not chat room blathering."

What medical care have you given her?

[Wampus SC]

"Check with Wampus. He can hook you up with a gig at the Florida Room Bar & Grille. Howard, the maintenance man, is used to sweeping up Fruit Loops & Coco Puffs. BYOC (bring your own cereal.)"

Shhhh!.... I'm lurking..... :)

[steelcurtain]

What medical care have you given her?

About as much as you or anyone else on this thread.

[Wampus SC]

"see 1130. Boy beaten at boot camp. Dies and the M.E. blames the kid for his death."

The nurse was just there to certify that the kid had sickle cell, so it's his fault if he dies. The nurse was also there to to certify that the beating to death was administered under medical supervision, which seemingly makes it OK. Just ask judge greed if killing is OK if it's medically supervised.

Welcome to Torture World, FV! Welcome to the neo-reality of Neo-Amerika, owned and operated by Neocon, Inc.(as are we all) But Americans don't torture! I know this is true because high ranking government officials in DC have removed different kinds of torture from the definition of torture. And that's makes it true. Problem solved. Mission accomplished.

(Note: blatant literary device used in preceding post.)

[Wampus SC]

"About as much as you or anyone else on this thread."

Ah. Thought so, Then don't demand that anyone do that which you refuse to do. Unless you think being the worst hypocrite imaginable is a virtue.

Since all you're doing is blathering in a chat room, I take it that your "blathering in a chat room" was really your way of complimenting someone else.

Hint: pretend you don't know that you have made previous posts that anyone can still read. And pretend no one else knows it either. You can go on indefinitely that way.

[steelcurtain]

I was going to pretend your post wasn't a pile of unintelligible, disingenuous and self-righteous nonsense, but then decided against it.

[T'wit]

His family simply must have known. The signs are indeed apparent in childhood. Moreover, both parents have to have sickle cell trait for the son to be at risk for sickle cell disorder. They must have talked about it. Besides, newborns at risk are tested for sickle cell at birth in forty states.

[T'wit]

You go first, George.

[Ohioan from Florida]

;-)

[T'wit]

>> About as much as you or anyone else on this thread.

Speak for yourself. I sent her a big, colorful, cheerful Valentine card with a personal handwritten message. Love and attention are therapeutic.