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:

[floriduh voter]

I do believe that's felos and is that greer leaning his way??? Greer was Jim Morrison's college roomie. That opens up a whole nuther can of worms.

Remember the frying pan commercial. "This is your brain on drugs."

Greer's mind is warped that's for sure.

[floriduh voter]

http://www.conservative-spirit.org/pages/1/index.htm

[T'wit]

Harrumph. I didn't learn the fat jokes. I wrote the fat jokes, including the one I just sent to FV.

Do you know what hwaetre is? A really bad spell of weather.

[BykrBayb]

Hwaetre? You made that up, right along with the fat jokes, didn't you?

[T'wit]

I think Greer's the one in the middle with the fuzzy-wuzzy do.

[T'wit]

I believe all six were named. Here's the caption:

From left, David A. Demers, chief judge, Sixth Circuit Court Pinellas County; Timothy A. Johnson Jr.; Pinellas County probate court judge George Greer, John Blakely, Bruce Bokor and Wally Pope.

Pope must be the one in the color photo (he obviously wasn't present for the other one).

[T'wit]

I made up the spelling. The joke is second hand.

Speaking of wether... Do you know why the ram committed suicide? He heard "There'll never be another ewe."

[BykrBayb]

Thanks for that link. I've been meaning to look up that ad, but haven't had much leisure time lately. Now there's a second ad. Both are well worth watching, and passing around.

[amdgmary]

For lurkers who aren't familiar with Terri's timeline (from the Terri Foundation's website)

This is a timeline of facts that focuses only on Terri’s alleged verbal death wish, which according to Michael Schiavo, Scott Schiavo and Joan Schiavo, were made when Terri was in her early twenties.

1990 February 25 – Terri collapses for still unknown reasons. Terri has no written directive. Michael makes no mention that Terri had any type of verbal living will.

1992 November – During medical malpractice trial Michael recites his wedding vows in front of a jury asking for $20 million dollars so that he can provide Terri with the proper rehabilitation and therapy that she is going to need for the rest of her life. He also testifies that he intends to bring Terri home. Michael makes no mention that Terri had any type of verbal living will. Jury subsequently awards Michael $600,000 and awards Terri $1.5 million dollars for future rehabilitation and therapy (Note: Michael is the inheritor of Terri’s Medical Trust).

1993 January – Michael places DNR in Terri's medical records.

1993 Spring – Michael admits that he told doctors to withhold treating Terri for an infection that would have ultimately lead to her death.

1993 November – Michael testifies that he withheld antibiotics in the hopes that Terri would die stating that, “It’s what ‘I’ think Terri would want.”

1995 – Michael begins cohabitating with Jodi A. Centzone.

1997 July – Michael publicly announces, in his mother’s obituary, his intentions to marry Jodi Centzone while still being legally married to Terri.

1998 August – Michael petitions the court to remove Terri’s feeding tube now stating, "It was 'Terri's' wish that she wouldn’t want to live in this condition.”

1998 Fall – Court appointed Guardian ad Litem (GAL) investigating the merits of Michael’s petition to remove Terri’s feeding tube asks Michael during his investigation if Michael is aware of anyone else that knows about Terri’s alleged living verbal will that Terri wants to die. Michael tells the GAL, "No."

1998 Winter – GAL submits his investigation to the court recommending that Schiavo's petition to remove Terri’s feeding tube be denied based on what he felt was Michael’s lack of credibility regarding Terri’s alleged wishes along with the fact that Michael was going to inherit Terri’s Medical Trust worth close to $800,000 at that time.

1999 September – During Michael’s deposition in preparation for upcoming trial to remove Terri’s feeding tube, his attorney asks Michael if there is anyone else that he knows who is aware of Terri making any comments regarding an alleged verbal death wish. Michael now tells his attorney – Yes, his brother Scott Schiavo and sister-in-law Joan Schiavo.

2000 February 11 – Subsequent to a week long trial, Judge George W. Greer finds the testimony of Michael, Scott and Joan Schiavo credible, meeting the Florida clear and convincing standard to permit the removal of Terri’s feeding tube. Judge Greer finds Terri’s mother, father, brother, sister, Terri’s twenty-year childhood friend and Terri’s best friend in Florida all not credible; they all testified that Terri never said anything about wanting to die by starvation and dehydration if she ever became disabled.

2001 April – Cindy Shook tells Bob and Bobby Schindler in a phone conversation that Michael is lying about Terri’s wishes and that Michael told her (Cindy) back in 1991 when he and Cindy were dating that, “He had no idea what Terri’s wishes were.”

2001 May – Trudy Capone submits affidavit essentially repeating what Cindy Shook said that Michael told her (Trudy) that he did not know what Terri wanted (Trudy Capone and Michael dated just prior to his relationship with Jodi Centzone).

2005 March – During an interview, Michael Schiavo tells Larry King, “And I've also said that in court. We didn't know what Terri wanted, but this is what we want . . .”

2005 March 31 – Terri passes away after almost 14 days of dehydration on the ruling by Judge George W. Greer that it was Terri’s wish.

Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation

[BykrBayb]

What an ugly picture! It gives me the creeps every time I look at it. So, it's time to post some pretty pictures. I'll start.

Not long ago, a picture was posted at the Canteen that really caught my eye. It brought to mind a group of courageous people, White Rose resistance group, who fought (mostly through propaganda) against the Nazi regime. This photo has come to symbolize for me the ongoing struggle against the extermination of disabled people.

Excerpt from THE NAZI DOCTORS: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide by Robert J. Lifton:

Perhaps the most moving of all expressions of opposition in Nazi Germany involved three medical students and a few additional students from other faculties at the University of Munich, in the dramatic White Rose resistance group. Over several months during 1942 to 1943, the group issued bold leaflets denouncing the Nazi regime and its immoral behavior (“For Hitler and his followers there can be no punishment on this earth which will expiate their crimes”), and calling for the German people to overthrow the regime and restore their good name. The leaflets also declared: “We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will give you no rest.” The students were eventually discovered and condemned by a Nazi “people’s court”; most were beheaded. Significantly, one of the group’s leading figures, Hans Scholl, had been inspired by a sermon of Bishop Clemens von Galen of Münster, condemning the “euthanasia” program, and is said to have responded, “At last somebody has had the courage to speak out.”⁵⁹

59. Richard Hanser, A Noble Treason: Students Against Hitler (New York: Putnam, 1970), pp. 187, 22, 117, respectively.

They were beheaded for doing just what we're doing. Did some fool say it doesn't do any good to tell people what's going on? (Courtesy ping.)

[steelcurtain]

You don't know the meaning of the word "courtesy."

[BykrBayb]

It's so much more obvious when you see the timeline. Most people only know the snippets the old media wants them to know. I'm so glad algore invented the Internet. Now we can get the truth out there so much easier.

[BykrBayb]

You're welcome.

[steelcurtain]

Are you a stalker?

[BykrBayb]

I gave you a courtesy ping because I mentioned you in my post. That's the way it's done here. Are you an idiot?

[steelcurtain]

If you're saying that in referencing "some fool" in your previous post you were mentioning me, then you only prove my point. You have no class and you most certainly do not know what courtesy is. Please leave me alone and keep your obsessions to yourself.

[BykrBayb]

Yes, you (steelcurtain) are the fool I was referencing. In the future, when I mention you, I will try to remember not to give you the courtesy ping that is standard procedure. I have a list of fools who play the same game you're playing. They aren't adult enough to participate in conversations either.

[steelcurtain]

It is clear that trying to engage in rational discussion with the posters on this thread is an exercise in futility. That you have resorted to name-calling merely demonstrates your lack of intellectual support for the outlandish claims you have made. Perhaps you're not familiar with the posting rules at FR: Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.

I have no doubt you will continue to behave as ignorantly as you already have demonstrated on this thread and elsewhere, but please leave me out of it. I'm going to go talk to some adults now. Adios.

[BykrBayb]

Since you have decided to stalk me and ping me after insisting that I not ping you, all deals are off. If you're going to play stupid games, you have to play by the rules you created.

[steelcurtain]

I never pinged you. Tell the truth, and leave me alone.