Posted on 03/25/2005 5:21:18 AM PST by mhking
My position on the Schiavo matter has vascilated back and forth over the past few days as I've agonized over the matter.
Should she be given a chance at life? If so, what kind of life are we talking about? Is there a chance at rehabilitation? Is Michael Schiavo an evil S.O.B., or is he simply a heart-broken man?
Conversely, is she truly in a vegetative state? A virtual zombie with eyes open, and nothing inside? Are her parents and family in denial about her pain and suffering? Are the evangelicals coming to her aid getting so worked up that they are looking past the true nature of this situation?
Difficult questions these. Who wins? Who loses?
There is no winner here. This situation is heartbreaking at the core. A vibrant woman struck down in the prime of her life. A myriad of doctors, most of whom have indicated that much of her brain tissue has deteriorated and possibly even liquified inside her skull. CAT scans that support that diagnosis.
Conversely, we see her eyes focusing on a balloon, we see her apparently responding to people entering her limited field of vision.
What do we believe?
After 22 different judges have agonized over this, they all have come to the same decision: that her husband has the right to make that agonizing decision.
Talk show host Neil Boortz has taken the stance that Terri Schiavo has earned her place in heaven, and that we, as a people, should let her go home.
Do you believe in God’s promise of everlasting life? Do you believe that the reward for a life well spent on this earth is a life with God in heaven after you die? If you do, then a few more questions if you will.Jesus awaits Terri Schiavo at the gates of heaven with open arms. He will grant her eternal rest. He loves all, no matter which side of this sad story the people are on.Do you believe that the human soul can make the transition to everlasting life while the human body that carried that soul through life clings to life on this earth? If you do, then you must surely believe that Terri Schiavo has earned and is already enjoying her reward in heaven. That being the case, why is it so important to you that the now-unneeded body of Terri Schiavo is kept alive?
But perhaps you believe, as I do, that the human soul is so connected to and integrated with its earthly body that any transition will not be made until that body ceases functioning -- until death occurs.. That being the case, why do you so ardently desire that the soul of Terri Schiavo spend five, ten, perhaps 30 years or more trapped in a useless and non-functioning body, unable to move on to whatever reward awaits her? Isn’t 15 years enough?
Where do your concerns truly lie, with the eternal soul of Terri Schiavo, or with her earthly body?
Let her go home. We can only commend her spirit among the angels for the journey.
Sadly, those who damn the judges and politicians and those of us who wish her spirit to move on are going to fracture the fragile fabric of the conservative wing of the GOP. In their zeal to ignore the rule of law and the Constitutional process, they are sliding down the slippery slope of anarchy toward mob rule.
This is a land of laws, not men. And the political problems that are surfacing -- on both sides -- point toward the deterioration of our constitutional republic. Are you ready for that? Are you ready for that will mean in the future?
I weep for Terri Schiavo today. But I fear for more tears in our future, thanks to those who would wad up the Constitutional protections and freedoms wrought by the notion of ignoring the rule of law, simply because those in power didn't get their way.
Couldn't agree more. And I'm beginning to suspect that the silent majority holds that position as well.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:35-46 KJV)
There is a difference between letting someone go home and sending them home.
You can slice and dice the law anyway you want.
However, it is clear that there are constitutional rights that we have that trump anything that a county probate judge can rule.
Jeb Bush did not need Judge Greer's permission to take Terri under state protective custody. He still does not.
He is not Judge Greer's lesser, he is Judge Greer's equal, under the law.
As the Chief Executive of Florida he has the power already to trump Mr. Greer. And he has very good reasons to do so.
There is a monstrous evil behind the thought that Terri deserves to die.
If Jeb or George, good men that they are , fail to act, there will be no stopping what comes next because there will be now be precedent for getting rid of those who "should be allowed to go home".
We have seen how a county probate judge can take hearsay evidence from one side to the exclusion of the other,from a guardian who is in a conflict of interest, and ruled that an innocent incapacitated, non terminal person can be starved to death by rule of law.And how a county probate judge can disregard a Congressional subpeaona,
Federal judges disregarding a law passed by Congress and signed by the President in an effort to cover for each other and to show the Executive and Legislative branches who is theri master, and a county probate judge who tells the Governor of a state that he may not enforce a duly passed statute involving the actions of an executive agency.
So bow down to your new masters, the judiciary.Is this the law that we are being told that we have to accept?
If you will not fight that, where will you fight? The American Revolution was started over taxes. This is about who controls your life.
This is Jeb's watershed moment. History has visited it upon him, whether he or we wish it or not.
He has someone's life in his hands. He must act for good, even if it costs him something.
The world awaits.
I've heard 1 not-clarified claim about this sort of thing. W/all that we have heard on the news, I'm shocked I haven't heard more.
I'd still question allowing all this - because this IS the crux of the entire matter - because a) Michael didn't claim this until some 7 years later and b) he was adulterous, apparently even early on before the dam of his kids came to the picture!
>When and before whom was the charge of attempted murder by Michael litigated?
Was that trial held with or without the relatively recent disclosure of multiple bone fractures?
If that had never occured, how can a new hearing/trial be denied?
Granted, I have not seen/heard nor read everything, I still cannot see how so much that seems to warrant a new trial/hearing can be denied.<
Great questions. Let me say that I know Terri will be welcomed into Heaven, when that time comes. Of that I have no doubt. However:
Until Knarf's questions are asked before the correct court, ie a trial as opposed to Greer's kangaroo probate court, Terri's case poses danger to countless other disabled and elderly people, who might have greedy relatives and no written wishes.
Michael has chosen this for his wife since Terri does not have a living will.
Greer ordered it. Greer works for the State. The feeding tube we can argue (Even though it was he said she said, no living will) but refusing the attempt is unjustified.
While I am sure that Jesus is awaiting her. I am sure he wants her to live a while longer
Not necessarily. God has a plan for everything. I don't know why and neither do you but this may be her destined time to go
Hearsay from a very interested witness?
If that is what the law decreed, then the law is an ass.
Which judge "made up" Florida Statute 765.404, under which Michael Schiavo was given the power to do exactly what is occurring? If you see a problem here, the problem is with the Florida legislature, not with Judge Greer.
I'll grant you one incompetant or corrupt judge. Heck, I'll toss in a couple more to keep it honest! But that still leaves 19 other judges -- are you saying that that many judges would look the other way? Are you saying that the entire judicial branch of our government is that out of whack? And if so, what does that say for the state of our republic?
The incident that caused me to cross over to the conservative side of the coin was one that was tied to the changing of rules in mid-stream, simply because those in power didn't "win." The Atlanta School Board tossed out a blind bid simply because a large Jewish-owned business won the bid, and awarded the contract to a smaller, minority-owned firm. Simply because that firm didn't win in the first place.
Legally, this is no different. Laws were changed in mid-stream in order to try to upset the apple cart. The checks and balances that the founding fathers put in place were circumvented (or at least an attempt was made in that direction).
This is not a dictatorship. Ironically, those who compare this to Nazi Germany would rather have a Hitlerian hand from the Governor's office or the Oval Office reach in and take charge by decree.
The legal checks and balances worked. But if the government steps in now, the institution of marriage is for naught. After all, if you didn't like the man your daughter married (or the woman your son married for that matter), you would be able to get the rules changed by the government if you think his decision-making is wrong. Is that what we want?
The damage would be as deep as the notion of gay marriage that many of those who are upset here oppose.
This is not a situation that can be decided over a beer at the corner bar. It is far, far deeper than that.
Just damn.
I have had my Chesterton tagline for some time now, but for some reason it seems very appropriate right now. If you have moral convictions, then the answer is crystal clear what to do in this case. If you don't, then it's murky.
Of course we all want to go with Jesus! If it's so great, let's all go ahead and start going right now! This world just sucks so bad, why should my kids have to suffer through it? I should just send them to Jesus! (I am not advocating suicide or murder here for anyone who thinks I am completely losing it, just making a point)
My 85 year old grandfather's health is getting worse by the day. He's not really eating and he's getting weaker, but he's alert and seems to be mentally all there. But since he's just going to get worse--why don't we just help him along? He'd want to be with Jesus, right? (for the record, my grandfather is Catholic and wouldn't advocate suicide for himself or anyone else)
Okay, do we have any takers to go to Jesus now? What? You say suicide is a sin? Well, I say starving and dehydrating a human being to death is a sin too, but I see a lot of people disagreeing with me. So which way is it?
You're shocked that the TV news may not be accurately reporting something, or telling the whole story? Remember the Clinton impeachment, or the Iraq War?
So will Michael go the the movie and book route after this? Sorta hard to do with her still alive in a hospice isn't it?
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