Posted on 03/14/2006 11:28:51 AM PST by KevinNuPac
Terri's Day challenges the nation to unify
Kevin Fobbs
March 13, 2006
Terri's Day — A Celebration of the Culture of Life honoring Terri Schiavo with a day of remembrance challenges each and every one of us to stop for a moment and ask ourselves a question, do we respect ourselves, our families, our lives?
And if we are faced with the question of the possible certainty of death, does anyone truly know, or even have the faintest clue about, our wishes? That is the greatest good, the greatest legacy that Terri Schiavo's death and an annual "Terri's Day" can bring to our lives and to the celebration of the Culture of Life.
On March 18th, we as a nation will begin to grieve again, to reach into our hearts and feel with our collective national spirit what the Schindler family felt last year at this time as each moment since Terri was disconnected from the feeding lifeline, the moments crept by like hours and hours like days.
All of us have felt in some way that pain — even if it were only in the privacy of our loved one's home, hospital room, hospice or perhaps talking with an attorney and doctor attempting to make sense out of some fleeting comments made in a conversation perhaps voiced ten, twelve or even two decades earlier — not necessarily an expression of her true feeling about an end-of-life decision but merely an incidental musing in a long-forgotten side conversation.
For at least one million Americans, and quite possibly a whole lot more, this is an opportunity to voice an opinion through a pledge supporting a resolution in each state called "Terri's Day — A Celebration of the Culture of Life." Each and every person who cares that your family, your spouse, your mother, your father, your sister or brother understands with clarity what you wish the end of life for you to be, with dignity and certainty should sign the online pledge at www.kevinfobbs.com and take the additional step to sign a Living Will — or as they call it at www.terrisfight.org, the Will to Live.
Some have asked why Americans should care about an annual Terri's Day. It is quite simple, we tend to keep turning the page on the Culture of Life because we feel it does not affect us. We tend to believe that seemingly universal belief that those who are handicapped, those who are not quite living a "perfect" life or by contemporary notion "ideal" then those lives are possibly disposable, marginal, not relevant, and part of the Culture of Death which embraces a "disposable society."
But life and our values for the Culture of Life are not disposable. Think about the young people today who would rather hurt themselves or even take their own lives rather than feel "imperfect" or the elderly person whose family is told by an insensitive health care professional while the stricken person struggles to cling to life, "she would be better off in another place," — just let her die, disconnect her from life, because her quality of life is not up to "contemporary standards. "
Why does celebrating the Culture of Life in Michigan become so essential for all of us in America? It is important for several reasons. Dr. Jack Kervorkian, also known as "Doctor Death" helped launch first in Michigan and then the nation the notion of the death culture. Secondly, and equally as important, at the May 12 event — just two days before Mother's Day — there will also be a "Mary's Moms" celebration of those women and mothers who have met challenges in standing up for some aspect of the Culture of Life.
This past weekend I sat at my cousin's funeral — or going home celebration, which more accurately describes it — thinking about the dearly departed and how she packed so much caring for others into her life even as she struggled with illness and advancing age. She was a wonderful woman who had lived through many, many challenges in her life, but in her 73 years she had met these challenges with dignity and had conveyed to her family when would be the right time to allow her to pass away.
Her daughter, who is a minister, spoke to the packed church about the times when, with all of her pain and then a stroke, the doctors had informed them that perhaps it was better to let her go. Yet that was three years ago that that occurred, and if the family had listened to the doctors and refused to see how she fought back and not only recovered but went back to volunteering at the church to feed and clothe the homeless. The medical professionals didn't care about an elderly lady who was on dialysis, but the family did and they knew better. Patricia lived three more years — years her extensive extended family considered "a gift from God."
So isn't part of the lesson of Terri's legacy and Terri's Day for families and loved ones to have a meaningful conversation with their family and to have the written document on hand as well that conveys the wishes clearly and concisely? You betcha.
As I sat in the church I thought of all of the families across the nation and the world who were sitting at their loved one's bedsides — or even standing outside of a hospital emergency room — overwhelmed with emotion, torn by what may be days of conflicting anguished decisions. I thought again of how out of death we may have the certainty of life. Terri's death reminded the nation that yes a state can and will starve you to death, and your family may be rendered helpless as you watch your loved one's precious life forces drain slowly away.
By signing the online pledge at www.kevinfobbs.com or going to www.terrisfight.org, you can learn about how to encourage your state legislature to establish March 31st as an official Terri's Day. Hold a Culture of Life Home Party or meet-and-greet to sign pledges, share ideas and support The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation as well as Culture of Life activities and events in your community or around the nation. Between now and March 31st you can make a dramatic difference for yourself, your family and for the nation. Stand up for the Culture of Life because one person, one life, one family can and does make a difference in America. Make the difference and be the difference today. America...The countdown for the Culture of Life has begun.
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Kevin Fobbs is President of National Urban Policy Action Council (NuPac), a non-partisan civic and citizen-action organization that focuses on taking the politics out of policy to secure urban America's future one neighborhood, one city, and one person at a time. View NuPac on the web at www.nupac.info. Kevin Fobbs is a regular contributing columnist for the Detroit News. He is also the daily host of The Kevin Fobbs Show on News Talk WDTK - 1400 AM in Detroit. Listen to The Kevin Fobbs Show online at www.wdtkam.com daily 2-3 p.m., and call in toll-free nationwide to make your opinion count at 800-923-WDTK(9385) © Copyright 2006 by Kevin Fobbs http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/fobbs/060313
Don't you love it when someone new shows up, to tell us what the thread is about? LOL
If you have time, perhaps you could give us a brief recap of the Mae Maguirk story. In the shock of Terri's death a month earlier, people may have missed it, or failed to see the euthanasia connections between the two.
Three thousand posts and more, hundreds of them by FV. A visitor must be dedicated and diligent to read them all, plus all the linked articles, in order to know what he's talking about.
I do believe we've made a bit of history along the way.
"So much for the abortion advocates being pro-choice..."
That's right.
If you have to call your position other than what it is ("choice" rather than abortion), there is something wrong with your position.
"You're wrong."
Is that it?
Here's what I have in my personal files:
In her living will, Mae Magouirk stated that fluids and nourishment were to be withheld only if she were either comatose or "vegetative," and she is neither. Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43688
Granddaughter denies
feeding tube to grandma
81-year-old not terminally ill,
comatose, nor in vegetative state
Posted: April 7, 2005
By Sarah Foster
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schiavo in Florida, an 81-year-old widow, denied nourishment and fluids for nearly two weeks, is clinging to life in a hospice in LaGrange, Ga., while her immediate family fights desperately to save her life before she dies of starvation and dehydration.
Mae Magouirk was not terminally ill, comatose nor in a "vegetative state," when Hospice-LaGrange accepted her as a patient about two weeks ago upon the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, 36, an elementary school teacher.
excerpt
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43688
Thankfully, other members of Grandma Mae's family spared her from a very bad death.
Thank you. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Foster in California. She wrote excellent reports about Terri that cut through a lot of Death Cult disinformation.
What an awful case! Imagine the granddaughter just saying, in effect, "Snuff time, Grandma. I've ordered your death."
"Thank you. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Foster in California. She wrote excellent reports about Terri that cut through a lot of Death Cult disinformation."
You are welcome.
I wish I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Foster, and I'm glad this very intelligent, passionate lady is on our side.
"What an awful case! Imagine the granddaughter just saying, in effect, "Snuff time, Grandma. I've ordered your death."'
Usually grandparents and grandchildren are natural allies. What a selfish granddaughter. She wanted the easy way out.
I don't know if Grandma Mae ever found out what her granddaughter did.
Yes, a horrible, horrible case.
Euthanasia: May 16, 2006
Help Yenlang Vo
Please do take the time to read about the desperate situation involving Yenlang Vo and consider publicizing her case. St. David's North Austin Medical Center in Austin informed Mrs. Vo's family that they will end her medical treatment (and therefore her life) on June 5th under the Texas futile care statute. Yes, the circumstances are very similar to what happened to Andrea Clark and Andrea's family is speaking out.
Mrs. Vo's daughter and husband are frantically searching for another licensed care facility and a nephrologist who will meet Mrs. Vo's medical needs. As it stands, there are very few prospects and your prayers would be appreciated. If you have information about possible treatment options or know a physician in Texas you we urge you to contact the family.
Background:
St. David's main phone number is 512-901-1000. If you call to express concern, please be polite.
Another Desperate Case in Texas: Yenlang Vo
That is about the most important lesson in the world for anyone with an ounce of honesty left. Y'know, we all form our political views for noble reasons. We want to do good. We want to make the world better. But unless we are very, very careful, we end up putting the ideology first and justifying almost any evil to support it.
That's where this rule comes to the rescue. If you have to reach for euphemisms, or evasive language, or lies, or sophistry to support your view, you have come to an evil view. If you can't "sell" your goals in simple homely words, then you have to recognize that you are serving evil. You are the problem now, not the solution you thought you were.
It just takes that honesty to put your case in plain, truthful words and if you find you're in the wrong -- make a change.
Mae Maguirk passed away a year ago today. There was a plan to starve and dehydrate her to death, but that plan was foiled by us interfering pro-lifers.
We first heard of Mae on April 7, 2005. Schmelvin (courtesy ping) posted a thread ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1379016/posts ) titled It's Happening Again (We've Got Another Schiavo, Starving In GA, No Brain-Damage).
At that point, all we had was another Internet rumor. It seemed Mae had recently undergone heart surgery. During her recovery, her niece took control of her medical decisions, without her permission, or any legal right to do so. She convinced the staff to disconnect Mae's feeding and hydration tube, in violation of Mae's written directive. They were starving and dehydrating her to death, against her stated wishes. She wasn't dying. She wasn't brain damaged. She was just an old woman, recovering from surgery.
We needed to find out if the rumor was true. FReepers began calling around, sending e-mails, etc. Eventually, it was confirmed that the rumors were true, but not before several members of the Kill-Them-All crowd showed up to tell us to mind our own business and do nothing. Some of them had formed a group called the WPPFF, to protest against the support Terri Schiavo had received. They were appalled that another potential victim was receiving strong support.
Once the rumors were confirmed, people all over the country began calling the people involved. The niece recieved so many calls her phone was disconnected within a few minutes.
We called the hospice, the family's lawyer, each of the doctors, protective services, media, etc. Everyone we could think of.
It worked. Mae's feeding tube was restored, and she was transferred to a facility in Alabama, where she received proper care.
Even after her transfer, her niece continued to interfere. She maintained her fraudulent claim that she was Mae's health care surrogate. She went so far as to petition a court in Georgia, and was declared Mae's health care decision maker, based on her fraudulent testimony. She kept the rest of the family from finding out about that hearing until it was over. (I don't suppose the judge was very happy when he learned of her deception. He was a real judge, not like greer.)
Mae's niece barred all of Mae's family (except herself) from visiting with her. ( http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43763 ).
Eventually, the issues were all worked out, and Mae's family was once again allowed to see her. They never told Mae what her niece had done.
The day Mae passed away, I received an e-mail from her nephew.
>> PLEASE POST ANYWHERE SO ALL OUR FRIENDS WHO LOVE LIFE MAY KNOW Of
>> MAE MAGOUIRK'S PASSING ON TO SALVATION AND REWARD BY GOD'S HAND AND NOT BY
>> THE HAND OF MAN!
>>
>>> Mae Magouirk died this morning at the Bryan Nursing Home in
>>> LaGrange Ga. of a stroke.
>>> Her vital signs had been causing concern since last Wednesday and by
>>> Sunday, an apparent stroke hit her, causing her difficulty to speak, her
>>> BP was only 60/30 and by this morning she died surrounded by family.
>>>
>>> She was 81 years old.
>>>
>>> Since the friends of Terri and the readers of World Net Daily and Glenn
>>> Beck had helped save her from starvation, she had responded to treatment
>>> by the University of Alabama Medical Center doctors , had then been
>>> transferred for convalescent treatment at the Bryan Nursing Home in
>>> LaGrange, Ga where her church family had surrounded her after learning
>>> of her ordeal in the media and from her Alabama family.
>>>
>>> Although she was cognizant, speaking, sitting up, eating-drinking and
>>> communicating until her last day alive, her family had decided not to
>>> tell her of the terrible ordeal she had endured at Hospice LaGrange
>>> until she had been discharged from the nursing home. She was spared
>>> this final pain by GOD.
>>>
>>> WE, her closest living next of kin, her Alabama family feel Mae was
>>> blessed to have died without being thirsty and having food in her
>>> stomach..we thank God for moving all the people of the United States for
>>> their phone calls, prayers and active participation in saving her life!
>>>
>>> We encourage any of the friends of Terri, radio listeners or readers to
>>> show our Aunt Mae and Ga. relations how much you cherish life by sending
>>> cards and flowers to the funeral home or church.
>>>
>>> Her arrangements are:
-snipped out details of Mae's funeral arrangements
>>> Thanks Sarah for caring and WorldNet Daily for helping save Mae for
>>> God's divine fate and not man's hand!
She was spared that heart ache. See that last post I made.
Good post!
I'm so glad that Grandma Mae never found out.
I can remember reading that she said she wished she could go buck dancing. :)
She finally died with dignity - when God called her.
Looking back....which shows why we need conservative judges in the Federal and Circuit courts:
Judge Whittemore places Schindler family and attorney in "Catch-22" position
world mag ^ | Matt French
Judge Whittemore in court this afternoon requested of Schindler attorney David Gibbs a response to a brief by Schiavo attorney Felos questioning the constitutionality of legislation passed last night by U.S. Congress and signed by President Bush.
Acknowledging that Terri’s life hangs in the balance, Judge Whittemore said to Gibbs that he acknowledged the “catch-22” he was being placed in, but he would like Gibbs to respond to the Felos brief before giving his ruling. Whittemore offered U.S. attorney Zimmerman the opportunity to join Gibbs in defending the constitutionality of the congressional action, but refused to require the justice department to defend the legislation.
The "catch-22," of course, is that while Gibbs must respond quickly because of the threat of death Terri faces, he must develop a cogent argument. Making Gibbs's job harder yet, Whittemore indicated that he would rule in the absence of a response at some point anyway.
Gibbs's arguments for a “de novo” (brand new) review in accord with congressional legislation hinge upon Judge Whittemore first rejecting the Felos brief questioning the constitutionality of this morning's congressional action.
(Excerpt) Read more at
http://timbayly.worldmagblog.com/timbayly/
"That's where this rule comes to the rescue. If you have to reach for euphemisms, or evasive language, or lies, or sophistry to support your view, you have come to an evil view. If you can't "sell" your goals in simple homely words, then you have to recognize that you are serving evil. You are the problem now, not the solution you thought you were.
It just takes that honesty to put your case in plain, truthful words and if you find you're in the wrong -- make a change."
You might know that Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of NARAL, who thankfully has turned pro-life, admitted that they were looking for catchy little words and phrases, like "choice" and women's right to "choose." He said they were all laughing about these phrases at the time.
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