Posted on 06/05/2005 11:45:26 AM PDT by 8mmMauser
"Too Late To Die Young: Nearly True Tales From a Life," by Harriet McBryde Johnson.
About two years ago, Harriet Johnson appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. If you saw her portrait, you probably haven't forgotten it.
A thin woman in a wheelchair leans forward, a purple shawl draping one shoulder. Johnson describes it this way in her new memoir: "The portrait has been described as beautifully disturbing, and most nondisabled people seem to see it that way. I'd prefer to call it disturbingly beautiful, but I'll take it the other way around if I must."
Johnson has an unnamed muscle-wasting disease, but don't dare say she "suffers" from it. She insists on being her own complicated person, a Southern lady, for instance, as well as a socialist, an atheist, a lawyer and a born storyteller with a wicked sense of humor.
She eschews pity and sentimentality. She supports the work of Not Dead Yet, a group of anti-euthanasia activists who demonstrated outside Terri Schiavo's Pinellas Park hospice earlier this year, dramatically sliding out of their wheelchairs and lying on the ground.
And though Johnson hates the hackneyed trope of triumph in the face of disability, she nevertheless has a string of interesting adventures. She runs for elected office. She travels to Cuba to discuss disability rights. She protests the Jerry Lewis telethon annually in her hometown of Charleston, S.C., and she bribes her friends to join her with promises of free food.
Her gripe with the telethon is its grim prognostications. When she was 30, her mother became ill, and Johnson had to accept for the first time that, contrary to all expectations, she might indeed outlive her parents. "While anyone may die young, it's not something you can count on," she writes. "You have to be prepared to survive." It's that angry, proud but utterly normal brand of survival that is at the heart of Johnson's memoir.
The most fascinating chapter is her encounter with the philosopher and animal rights activist Peter Singer. (It was this encounter that rated The New York Times Magazine cover.) Singer believes that in some cases it is morally acceptable for parents to kill severely disabled infants. Johnson disagrees, so much so that she fears even debating him would dignify his ideas as socially acceptable. Nevertheless, she meets him, travels to Princeton University to debate him and ends up with a great story about it.
The best memoirs don't necessarily tell every event in a person's life, but they do capture the voice and the emotional feel of the author. Yes, it's impossible for a nondisabled person to fully know what Johnson's life is like. But her writing is so vibrant, so interesting and so funny that you can't help but feel as if you're in her world, sitting beside her and hearing her story for yourself.
This must get out of the hands of judicial despots and be given back to the people.
If we don't get to vote on euthanasia, it remains an illegal practice, no matter if it's Judge Greer orchestrating it or Judge James Whittemore refusing to restore the feeding tube. Judges broke the law - they have an agenda.
We need a federal ban against starvation and dehydration of our fellow Americans because right now, it's open season on them.
U.S. CONGRESS TOLL FREE:
1-877-762-7431.
By the way - how do you know that Jeb did not lobby his senators? But, the senators are in the pockets of the lobbyists for the hospice, nursing homes, euthanasia, scientology organizations. They do not listen to Jeb - but the lobbyists.
But, they also are democrats running under the title of republican and must be taken out.
You wanted people like me to rush Hospice Woodside and I didn't. I noted that you weren't at Hospice Woodside and you didn't like the way it sounded because after all, you are in Texas.
There are Texans now that are real wobbly on Jeb now and some who are through with him for good. We have no agenda. Terri was left to die. That is inexcusable.
My web site is back on line see my tag line. I have bullet points regarding my soul searching. They are worth reading, freepers.
What are the rules for a governor of the state?
What were the laws that allowed Terri to be killed by the state? Who put those laws in place?
How is a governor to over-ride all state laws?
1-877-762-8762 (oops). You can call your congressional reps or call somebody else's. Calling once a week is so easy...
Now your talking..keep going on that vein and you just might get somewhere.
Educate the public on what is and what is not euthanasia first and you could have a Federal case.
Ok, we got the message. Jeb Bush killed Terri.
Of course there are a few people that look at the man and his past actions and not just the trashing of a man.
Afterall, there could be an agenda in trying to ruin Jeb politically from any future office. Seems there are some ties to A. Keyes here. And, many have floated the suggestion that Jeb run for president.
Now, wouldn't it be convenient if Jeb could have the Terri case put on his head and therefore ruined for consideration as a presidential candidate or other federal positions? Hm........
Call me suspicious when I see comment after comment after comment blaming Jeb Bush because he did not make the decision to overstep the bounds of the office of governor and to take on the legislator, courts and supreme court of Florida with absolutely no support from the legislators, courts and supreme court who vote against any republican?
Maybe he decided that his effort in abusing his position in office would not save Terri although he wished it would. Then all it would do would be firmly put in place that the courts led Florida.
Another point - what if his investigation turned up the true nature of what is going on in Florida? Possibly a strong lobby by the insurance companies, the euthanasia society or even - perish the thought - a medicare agenda to handle the problem of the elderly.
Maybe there is so much dirtiness in Florida that it will have to be cured by more than just a governor trying to take on the courts.
Yeppers. I'm not trashing the man for being brave enough to stand up to the evil..
I'm just wondering about the naivety of it all...but you know... you live, you learn.
Just because Jeb messed up doesn't mean his cause was corrupt.
Get back up on that horse Jeb..it ain't over yet.
I think two days ago, I said if you would stop defending Jeb, I would stop replying. Now you've made us so sick of Jeb Bush on this thread that I think you made things worse for him. Terri was murdered by judicial homicide on Jeb Bush's watch. Over and out.
Assisted suicide, euthanasia's cousin, is only legal in Oregon.
Aids, Abortion, Assisted suicide..don't liberals in Oregon just kill ya?
Might have happened to my Mom there. A possibility I have to deal with, not being there when it happened, but it could have.
Now can we get on with it?
We have to focus on the task at hand..fighting Euthanasia.
Otherwise, divided we fall.
Makes sense. I think we should have a national day of remembrance also on March 31st of each year. To protest what they did to Terri. NEVER FORGET!!
Hi Clancy,
I'm confused about what is going on with the 12 year old, cancer victim in Texas. The state of Texas has taken her into custody, from what I understand.
Since you are in Texas - would you mind checking it out and letting us know what's happening with her. I don't understand why the parents are not allowed to determine what treatment she should have.
The following is a thread on the subject, here on FreeRepublic-->
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1419663/posts
I'm sick today with dental stuff and have to go to the Dentist here soon. I'll check back later to see if you replied.
Thanks for your help.
Visit my web site for book news. FV (see tag line)
NUDGE: Please don't post the cover here as I only have permission to put it on my web page at this time. Thanks, FV
Your website is on my favorites.
Thanks, it's one of my favorites too. lol
http://onlineathens.com/stories/061005/let_20050610006.shtml
Will Republicans disown judge in Schiavo case?
Richard Zimdars
Paul Hetrick, vice president of Focus on the Family, repeated an intellectually cowardly cliché of the religious right when he referred to "rogue judges" (Letters, "Goodman marriage column conveniently ignores reality," June 7) redefining marriage. "Rogues" are apparently those judges who make decisions contrary to the beliefs of Focus on the Family. If that's the case, Pinellas County (Fla.) Circuit Judge George Greer just earned "rogue" status in the eyes of the religious right.
Greer, a conservative Christian and longtime Republican, has recently been under armed guard protection. He received death threats for allowing Michael Schiavo to remove the feeding tube that kept his wife alive in a vegetative state for 15 years.
Greer, whose rulings were consistently upheld despite numerous appeals, said "all of the credible medical evidence this court has received over the last five years" suggested Terri Schiavo's behavior was not a product of cognitive awareness. Greer stood up to congressional attempts at invasion of privacy in the case, rejecting an effort led by House Republicans to subpoena Terri Schiavo as a means to force reinsertion of her feeding tube.
In legal circles, Greer is acclaimed for his consistent application of Florida law. Those less concerned with law and unwilling to accept "credible medical evidence" reacted differently. The FBI arrested a North Carolina man it said placed a $50,000 bounty on the head of a judge in the case, although officials didn't name the judge. The pastor of the Southern Baptist church that Greer belonged to for years asked him to leave the congregation.
Judge Greer's fellow Baptists excommunicated him from his church for doing his job with integrity. Will Republicans follow suit and excommunicate him from their party?
Richard Zimdars
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