Let Lauren Live!

ChristtheKingMaine ^ | May 7, 2008 | Judie Brown

[8mmMauser]

LAUREN RICHARDSON - YOU CAN HELP!
By Judie Brown

It has been a source of ongoing sadness to read of the difficulties Lauren Richardson’s father has had over the course of the past several months. For those of you who are not familiar with her case, Lauren overdosed on heroin on August 28, 2006. She suffered oxygen deprivation and, as a result of the overdose, is now in a coma and unable to speak out for herself. At the time of the overdose, Lauren was expecting a baby. Her parents honored what they knew would have been her wish and did all they could to keep her healthy and comfortable until the child was born. Today, though Lauren may not be aware of it, she is the mother of Ember Grace, who was born in February 2007.

Since the birth of her daughter, Lauren remains unable to speak of her concerns, but she has a loving father who is doing all he can to protect her from suffering the same fate as Terri Schiavo. However, Lauren’s mother, who has been named her legal guardian, is sadly not of the same opinion and is working with attorneys to pressure the courts to permit Lauren’s starvation.

Lauren’s father has kept hope alive, even at times when there appeared to be no hope in human terms. Lauren’s father is a man of hope in Christ and is dedicated to spending every breath he has on defending Lauren, regardless of what it might cost him in physical exhaustion and worldly goods. The most recent update for those concerned about Lauren tells us the following:

We struggle at times as we seek to share with the public the details of what is happening with Lauren because of the disagreement we have with Lauren’s mother. We cannot understand her reasoning in refusing a path of hope, healing and restoration for Lauren and insisting on causing her death by withholding food and water from her. The issue in Lauren’s case is the eternal truth that all people, no matter what their medical condition, bear the image of God and deserve basic care and an opportunity to be restored to health.

Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo’s brother, has written about Lauren in an editorial earlier this year, "False Compassion," and is working closely with Lauren’s father in order to provide expertise that he is uniquely qualified to share during a trying time like this.

There are many links on the Life for Lauren web site that will assist you in tracking this case and learning who is supporting Lauren’s ongoing care and who is opposing it. More importantly, there is something you can do to express your concerns.

ACTION NEEDED NOW

The governor of Delaware, Ruth Ann Minner, is being asked by pro-life Americans across this nation to intervene in this case in order to save Lauren from what many fear is an imminent court order dictating that Lauren be starved and dehydrated to death. I am asking you to be one of those who communicates your passionate belief that Lauren’s life is sacred and deserves to be protected from those who would order her death. The governor’s e-mail address is governor.minner@state.de.us.

Further, it would mean a great deal to Lauren’s father, Randy, if you sent him a copy of your e-mail to Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Randy’s e-mail address is Lifeforlauren@aol.com. 

During a recent visit to Anchorage, Alaska where Bobby Schindler was invited to speak, he told a reporter from The Catholic Anchor, "Once we accept that killing is an acceptable answer to human suffering, we lose any type of parameters. Euthanasia is a form of abandonment. It is not compassion."

Truer words were never spoken. As I frequently tell people who argue that we pro-lifers are being heartless and cruel for fighting to defend the rights of a "hopeless case," "God is the author of every human being’s life, and He has never given permission to a single one of us to arbitrarily rob another human being of life for any reason including disability or illness."

As Flannery O’Connor once wrote on the subject of false compassion, "In the absence of faith, we govern by tenderness. And tenderness leads to the gas chamber."

Lauren Richardson is not terminal – she is severely disabled. Lauren Richardson should not be murdered.

Judie Brown is president of American Life League and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

[8mmMauser]

Still on that theme of the unsavory...

Thread by wagglebee.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The chances are good that your health insurance plan covers elective abortions since 46 percent of all health insurance plans in the United States do so. A leading researcher urges pro-life advocates to investigate their plans to find out whether they are unknowingly supporting abortion.

During the Reagan administration, Dr. Robert Moffitt was the deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

He recently gave a speech at the Family Research Council warning that, because most health insurance plans are controlled by secular companies or government officials, many of them pay for abortions......

Researcher: 46 Percent of American Health Insurance Plans Cover Abortion

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[8mmMauser]

Diago posts today on a powerful theme, the new movie by Ben Stein, a film I want to see.

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Posted By Leticia Velasquez On May 9, 2008 @ 12:00 am In Today | No Comments

The dark history of the shameful movement underpinning the biggest human atrocities of the 20th century was powerfully outlined by Ben Stein in his important documentary which is a must-see for anyone serious about science, about faith, and about freedom. Did I leave anybody out?

~Snip~

Global warming and political correctness will have replaced the Judeo-Christian belief in the dignity of man, the pinnacle and master of God’s creation. We will find ourselves enslaved to a materialistic ideology. Our very right to exist will be determined by what the powerful consider a “worthwhile contribution” to society, against our carbon footprint. Many of us — “useless eaters” — may not make the cut.

Terri Schiavo didn’t.

Forty-six million unborn American didn’t.

The History of Eugenics is in Expelled - (Has anyone seen Ben Stein's new movie?)

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[8mmMauser]

Phone Booth!

(or why bother...)

I wonder what he thinks of "death with dignity" in his own case by doing a couple of weeks dehydration, the preferred method of the death dealers these days. It is supposed to be euphoric. Ask Lisa MacPherson.

Thread by wagglebee.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- Former Gov. Booth Gardner no longer runs the state, but now he'd like to be in control in a different way.

He wants to be able to die on his own terms if his quality of life becomes seriously diminished, he said at a meeting of the Lynnwood Rotary Club on Thursday.

Gardner, 72, has Parkinson's disease. For the past year, he has been promoting the controversial cause of physician-assisted suicide.......

Former governor Gardner speaks on right to die

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[8mmMauser]

On this Mother's Day, may we remember the little ones, those so frequently relegated to fading memories. MountainFlower has posted a powerful thread on one such case, a child with a mom who cares. Too often my wife and I have witnessed the tragedies of children in these straits and we are heartwarmed at the moms with the courage and love to care for them.

Please note especially post #77.

Please cover tiny Ariella with your prayers. Prayers for life, health, strength, God's power to manifest through her body developing what the medical field says it does not have.

Alayna, Ariella's mom, is an unwed teen whose family and church has supported her. Alayna was told during the pregnancy that Ariella was Hydrancephalic. They held out no hope for Ariella. Church prayed for the whole family. Alayna insisted on carrying the baby to birth. Ariella was delivered on 4-21-2008. Alayna was told that Ariella may only live 1-2 days. The following Sunday Alayna and Ariella were in church. That night we had a prayer vigil and Ariella was dedicated! Last Sunday, May 4, Ariella looked a little yellow and when I commented on her looking a little jaundice, I was told there would be no medical measures taken because of the Dr's diagnosis. We agreed that God could and would easily touch her liver, blood and body and clear up the condition. (I have not seen her since then to know how she is looking.)...............

Prayers Needed for BABY

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[Etixos]

Yes, addiction is a frightful thing. We lost my brother-in-law due to complications from alcoholism not quite a year ago. As bad as drug addiction can be, alcohol--the legal drug--has destroyed far more many lives, I believe.

Here's to your sobriety, both of you, and I hope you have a healthy and joyful Mother's Day!

Best,
Etixos

[Lesforlife]

I’ve been blessed to see it twice. It is phenomenal!!

I plan to see it again.

The emperor has no clothes!

[Sun]

“Governor Palin of Alaska who faced the birth of a child with Down’s syndrome” is on Senator McCain’s very short list, I have read.

[floriduh voter]

Let Lauren Live. Lauren’s a mother too.

[PhilDragoo]

I just wrote Governor Minner in response to your request on this thread.

The video toward the end shows the tantalizing struggle to grasp those threads released during the overdose.

We are currently warehousing hundreds of thousands for violent crimes, giving them clean bedding, more than adequate nourishment, all manner of perquisites.

Surely we ought grant this single citizen guilty of no crime the bare minimum civil right of life.

We've been through all of that reference to our Declaration of Independence, the granting to all men by their Creator of Life. . . .

Of course this is a broader battle against self-styled secular humanism, which becomes more and more the welcomer of the Islamic grim reaper, scything down all of which some dark disapproving Allah disapproves.

Obama stumped for Odinga the promoter of sharia law--and called a baby a "punishment"--

And he voted against the "born-alive act" making him a murderer.

With these people, Mao is great--pay no attention to the 60 million sacrificed on his funeral pyre.

With these people, Stalin's dictum applies, "One death is a tragedy; a million a statistic." And in that dictum only half of it is hypocrisy--

For, with these people, one death is a good start. . .

[Lesforlife]

To our most awesome life affirming artist:

May the good Lord bless you richly for your efforts on
Lauren’s behalf!!

[8mmMauser]

Heartfelt gratitude, Phil, for your powerful words and images! They rise above the din!

[8mmMauser]

This call for action is dated, February 2. There is no follow up. Indeed there is no follow up from the rest, except us and WorldNetDaily! I ask this question: Why? Is there some brilliant compromise in the works of which we are not privvy? Is there some great advantage to secrecy?

Has compromise and secret behind the scenes ever served any but the devil?

We are inquiring minds who want, nay, need to know how this entire new thrust is really on behalf of Our Lord!

Who on earth benefits from all the silence, media and the rest? Is it Lauren? Is it the death crew who can ply better their craft in the shadows?

If there is truly a good side to this silence, please someone, sell us a clue!

I have powerful admiration for Randy Richardson, the one stalwart standing above the crowd fighting for his daughter. God bless and watch over this man. He is clearly getting plenty of advice, but is it the right stuff?

Nope, it is not my opinion, it is long years of experience. Many who follow these threads know already our story. It is to make a point here. When our extremely handicapped son came into the world, the battle began. It is more than one story, is twenty six years of battle against legions of medical and other professionals advising us to compromise, to allow our son to be "handled" by them. They attempted seduction by fine and quiet compromise, intimidation, threats, and we refused to yield. Yet, our son's contemporaries, all similar condition, far worse than that of Terri or Lauren, as with our own son, fell by the wayside.

None of them survived as our son did. It is heartbreaking to a parent like us to witness our son's room mate, a happy little boy until the medical experts from a well known facility proposed an elective surgery to the parents. They quietly succumbed. Months later, his scoliosis spine straightened, he writhed and winced in pain, withered, and died. His radiant smile never returned. The only smiles may have come from the surgeons who got a chance to experiment and practice. The parents who went along, were intimidated, or brought under a cone of silence, simply lost their loved ones to death. I know of none who succeeded. Our approach was open, forthright battle, standing up to all and compromising nothing.

It worked.

It also gave us strength and faith in Our Lord as nothing else could. The only way we could have kept our son alive and happy in those years was to defy openly our adversaries time and again. It meant even threats of jail. Rewards for our convictions were bountiful indeed, bringing us all joy, kept our son smiling right to the natural conclusion of our son's life, and building our faith in Our Lord. We wonder what became of the parents who yielded.

Perhaps those who seek silence and perhaps compromise truly believe they are doing the work of Our Lord. Please give us examples of how Our Lord's work was helped by that approach!

That way we may understand how Our Lord changed the ground rules without telling us.

Here is the dated story. Where are the updates?

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Pro-Life Unity joins with many organizations, including the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, Blogs for Terri, Defend Life, American Life League, Delaware Pro-Life Coalition, ProLifeBlogs and more, calling out for citizens everywhere to help stop the murder of an innocent girl.

Lauren Richardson accidentally overdosed on heroin in August of 2006 and severely damaged her brain.  She was pregnant at the time, and most likely, because of that reason, she was kept alive in order to deliver her child.  Lauren delivered a healthy baby girl in February of 2007.

Now Lauren is in a life and death battle.  The mother has been awarded custody, and has chosen to have Lauren’s feeding tube removed, because the mother believes that Lauren wouldn’t want to live this way.

Lauren’s father feels differently.

From Delaware Online:

Randy Richardson (Lauren’s father) acknowledges that the daughter he knew before her brain injury is gone. But, he said, she is still alive and responds to him. He said she has made progress since her overdose—she no longer needs a ventilator to breathe—and given more time and therapy that can continue. “We just want to give her a chance,” he said, adding he is not talking about extreme measures.

Click here to view the video that shows Lauren in the hospital.

Think about this situation, they want to remove her feeding tube and kill her by starving her to death.  That’s what they did to Terri Schiavo.  If you think that death by starvation is a decent thing to do to someone, just try and not eat or drink for a couple days, then tell me what you think.  That’s not the point though.  The point is, why are we executing people just because, in our opinion, they won’t live a productive or happy life? 

Pretend you are the one standing in front of Lauren. 

Pretend you are the one who will pull the feeding tube from her, or deny putting it back so that she can live.

Pretend you are the executioner of this girl who is loved by her father and doesn’t want to see her killed in such a horrible way, without people crying out for her life.

Some disagree with our position, supporting people in PVS (persistive vegetative states) and calling for their rescue.  That is your right to do so.  For those who agree that this is wrong, we urge you to get involved.  Lauren can be saved and she will be saved because it’s the right thing to do!

What can I do?

1) Pray

2) Email Randy Richardson and ask what more can be done at lifeforlauren@aol.com

3) On Monday, call the Delaware offices:

New Castle County: (302) 577-3464
Kent County: (302) 739-4498
Sussex County: (302) 856-5367

4) I picked 2 random people from the list at LifeForLauren.org.  One Democrat and one Republican.  Everybody call and email them and ask them to not allow Lauren to be executed.

Gerald L. Brady (D)
1804 Shallcross Ave.
Wilmington 19806
302 655-1373
302 577-8476
gerald.brady@state.de.us

Richard C. Cathcart* (R)
226 Milford Dr. Middletown 19709
302 378-7104
302 744-4391
Richard.Cathcart@state.de.us

Be nice and be respectful.

You can read more about Lauren at her website, which was put up by her father.  The site is LifeForLauren.org.

Take Action!

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[8mmMauser]

Link for the above:

Call for Action - Save Lauren Richardson!

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[8mmMauser]

Bloody Hell!

(With apologies for the language...)

Lucy loves Lucy. Peer into the mindset of a lost soul. Thead by wagglebee.

Abortion is back in the news yet, understandably, many women still find it difficult to talk about. Here Lucy Cavendish – who has been through it twice – offers a candid view

Virtually every woman I know of my generation has had an abortion. The problem is that no one talks about it. It is hidden away as if it were a dirty secret. This week, however, every time I've opened a newspaper or turned on the radio, abortion has been the topic du jour.......

Why I chose abortion twice

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[8mmMauser]

A procession...and a little "Christian" compromise. Thread by wagglebee.

An estimated 300 motorists and a hearse took part Saturday morning in a symbolic funeral procession through downtown Knoxville to commemorate abortions performed in Knox County last year.

The procession started at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum and wound down Gay Street before ending at Depot Avenue. It drew fewer participants than originally expected. Officials had estimated 15 area funeral homes would provide hearses for the event, held the day before Mother's Day.

~Snip~

Knoxville Police Department officers provided traffic control at the expense of organizers. The event took place without incident. Officers said they saw no protesters.

Jones said he asked one person involved in the processional to leave when the participant wanted to use signs on his vehicle to express his anti-abortion stance.

"We weren't interested in getting into a shouting match with people," said Jones. "This is about sending the message of God's mercy. Jesus says, 'Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' It's about healing and bringing closure."

Jones said signs and banners were not used because organizers wanted to take politics out of the discussion. The point was to make anyone who felt badly for having undergone an abortion know they were welcome at church, he said.

Some onlookers weren't sure what they were seeing.

"I thought it was an actual funeral," said Anne Giffin, who was on her way to meet friends for a movie. "It seems kind of pointless when no one else knows what's going on."

Hearse, participants drive through city to remember unborn

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[8mmMauser]

And as my theme today was on challenging compromise, how about this? We have seen our only real alternative parties meld into a mush of compromise marred ever so lightly by single issue or highly limited focus parties like those which have flailed and failed in past elections. They give us the Marx brothers, Grouchy, Harpie, and Karl, all great compromisers of our American values.

But what about a new party which reflects our own principles, one, which by definition refuses compromise? Try this one on for size!

I did!

Thread by TBP. Thanks, EV, for the ping.

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America's Independent Party has as its goal the return of our nation to a set of foundational principles. We call them "the American Principles." The word "principle" comes from a Latin root which means "first things." The American Principles are the "first things" that our country should consider – in domestic policy, foreign policy, the internal functioning of government, and in using the "bully pulpit" of public office and the political arena to promote certain societal virtues and behaviors.

America's Independent Party recognizes that these "first things" are clearly defined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

We also believe that there is room for debate over prudential policy matters within certain parameters of fundamental American political thought and a framework of ordered liberty....

America's Independent Party Provisional Platform

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[8mmMauser]

And while we ponder, we may give our thoughts and prayers to our dear founder in great need of them.

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I don’t have a lot of information but want to give you a quick update on Jim.

When the nurse came by this morning to change his bandages, she told Jim to go to emergency right away. He is sooo dehyrated that she says it is dangerous.

Due to his muscular dystrophy, he is not regaining the ability to move his legs. He is still uncomfortable and in pain. His medications makes him sick so, according to Sheila, he doesn’t always take it when he should. His left leg is still bad.

I will call again later to see how it went today. He left about 10:30 and was not home yet.

Please continue to pray for Jim.

552 posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 7:01:00 PM by JustAmy (I wear red every Friday, but I support our Military everyday!!)

Jim Robinson is having surgery today [Update #552]

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I don’t have a lot of information but want to give you a quick update on Jim.

When the nurse came by this morning to change his bandages, she told Jim to go to emergency right away. He is sooo dehyrated that she says it is dangerous.

Due to his muscular dystrophy, he is not regaining the ability to move his legs. He is still uncomfortable and in pain. His medications makes him sick so, according to Sheila, he doesn’t always take it when he should. His left leg is still bad.

I will call again later to see how it went today. He left about 10:30 and was not home yet.

Please continue to pray for Jim.

[wagglebee]

And as my theme today was on challenging compromise, how about this?

What everyone needs to understand is that, in a compromise, each party gives up something, but still gets part of what they want. The left NEVER goes for this and with pro-life matters it's even worse because there view of compromise is to just not murder as many (or simply do it differently).

[JustAmy]

Thank you!

[floriduh voter]

U have fm.