[MarMema]

Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. His most recent book is "Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope From Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder."

[xzins]

I refuse to sign an organ donor card, and I advise others against same, because of problems I've long had with the notion of brain death.

I've always felt that it was a prescription for cheating whether it's an adequate definition or not.

We're told that organs cannot be sold, but that is actually not a real truth. The harvesting procedures, transport, etc. of an organ can be well over a hundred grand, and then far more when it is implanted.

No one is selling organs, but that is only because of our strange definition of "not for profit." When you just pay everyone's "costs," we call that "not for profit." There are some high rollers charging some hefty "costs" throughout the entire process.

[tutstar]

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[JulieRNR21]

FL Freepers Ping......PING

[GatekeeperBookman]

Every citizen is threatened by this. We are at that point of no return.

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[iowamomforfreedom]

Bump for Terri - and Wesley Smith.

[reg45]

What a gruesome story! From the title, I originally thought it was about the Cubs game.

[nepdap]

In 1992 I was involved on the outskirts of the "Baby Theresa" case, which was also in Florida and also involved brain death and organ procurement issues. Baby Theresa was born with anencephaly, a severe open neural tube defect where the top of the head (brain, skull) doesn't develop. While this is not a condition compatable with long life, the baby is most certainly alive.

In her case, her parents sued the hospital to have Theresa declared dead so that her organs could be removed. The hospital declined, saying that she didn't fit Florida's definition of death. Her heart was beating just fine, but she had no higher brain functions. Those functions hadn't "ceased", which Florida required, because she never had them to start off with. (Depending on the exact place that the defect occurs, babies w/ anencephaly have more or less brain development, so their abilities vary. Some can suck / swallow, others cannot, for instance.)

Theresa's corneas were removed, but were unsuitable for donation. Nothing vital was removed while she was still alive. She soon died, but the case lived on. It was eventually appealed to the Florida State Supreme Court. (I attended that hearing, in the interest of my nephew who was at that time living with anencephaly.)

The FSSC ruled WITH the hospital and AGAINST the parents. There are some great stories associated with that, too long to post here.

The parallel story, though, was that the Ethics Board of the AMA had just that year ruled that it was ethically permissable to remove the organs of anencephalics, since they had no legal "interest in life." (The irony of this is that the defect also leads to anomalous organ development elsewhere in the body, so the organs that might be removed are very often not suitable for donation anyway. However, there is one little boy in Canada who is now living with the heart from a living anencephalic donor.)

Public outcry, including a massive response to an appeal by James Dobson, led the AMA to have its Ethics Board to reverse its decision.

[syriacus]

What a wonderful column, MarMema! Smith is so good at informing us as he slices a trail through the jungle of pro-death lies.

Thank you for posting it.

From the article:
Troug and Robinson attempt to justify their homicidal proposal by claiming that we already take the organs of those declared brain dead but that such patients are really alive.

This is sick. The slippery slope at its slimiest.

[phenn]

Wesley J. Smith and David Kirkland will be featured guests on Coast to Coast AM tonight starting at 1.00am ET. This is discussing Terri's case and the culture of death. Please let everyone in on it.

www.coasttocoastam.com or www.artbell.com

[america-rules]

If I was Terri Schiavo I hope they put me under 9 years earlier !

This is disgusting keeping her alive !

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

If the story set forth is true why do you folks express dismay? The lady is innocent of any wrongdoing of couse she must die! In America only the criminal and/or vice addict go on to wealth, joy and public office.(With a life time taxpayer supported salary, credit card plus a lifetime full salary pension for themselves and family). Then-given the theology I sometimes see posted here-the criminal and/or the vice addict will die and go to heaven and sit on the right hand of God. Then later the criminal and/or vice addict will come and assist in judging the quick and the dead. Be real this is America 2003 A.D.!

[nmh]

I usually get flamed but the truth is the "traditional" medical community cares nothing about its patients.

[middie]

I know both judges Greer and Lazarra. Each is a super judge and a true gentleman and compassionate jurist. Each is a very bright legal scholar and consciencious in the judicial service to which he had sworn fidelity.

There is more than a little disingenuousness in those on this site who hue and cry about the horrors of what they describe as the hated judicial activism and pro-active judges interfering in those areas in which they have no jurisdiction. The fervent assertion is always that judges should refrain from treading into social issues even when the end is one to be favored.

Now,when there is a social issue that catches the attention of this group, the standard is suddenly changed and the rules to be applied situationally amended.

Consistency merely for the sake of consistency is not a good policy. But becoming an angry mob because the courts, and two excellent judges, refuse to do precisely those things FReepers have universally railed against illustrates the thin hypocracy at large here.

[trustandobey]

MarMema, thanks for all you have done for Terri. I have read your posts and know that you have spent an awful lot of time researching and trying to get this out to everyone. We are learning and I am angry!

[firewalk]

bttt