Danger Zone - (Haleigh Poutre)

National Review ^ | February 01, 2006 | Wesley J, Smith

[Ohioan from Florida]

In the court (and courts) of life and death, a little 11-year-old Massachusetts girl named Haleigh Poutre could be the next Terri Schiavo. For those who have not heard the tragic story, Haleigh was beaten nearly to death last September, allegedly by her adoptive mother and stepfather. The beating left her unconscious and barely clinging to life.

Within a week or so of the beating, her doctors had written her off. They apparently told Haleigh's court-appointed guardian, Harry Spence, that she was "virtually brain dead." Even though he had never visited her, Spence quickly went to court seeking permission to remove her respirator and feeding tube. The court agreed, a decision affirmed recently by the supreme court of Massachusetts.

And so, no doubt with the best of intentions, a little girl who had already suffered so much was stripped by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of even the chance to fight to stay alive. If she didn't stop breathing when the respirator was removed, which doctors expected, she would slowly dehydrate to death.

Close Call

Then came the unexpected:

[8mmMauser]

Now, for some Terri updates:

Pamela Hennessy on those Bioethickers:

EDITORIAL - The Boys Are Back In Town

Excerpt

I didn't realize it was hard to die in America. I always thought it was rather easy. Become fatally injured, suffer a terminal disease, put a gun to your own head and I'm almost entirely certain it's an easy task to die… in America.

Perhaps a more apt legend for this particular exercise would be "Why is it so hard to kill someone in America?"

Another excerpt.......on another topic:

He was the attorney for Hospice of Florida Suncoast Inc., owner and operator of Hospice House Woodside in Pinellas Park, Fla., where Terri Schindler-Schiavo was virtually imprisoned for the last five years of her life by her estranged husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo and his attorney, George Felos, chairman of the hospice board of directors at the time of her admission.

Hospice Attorney Facilitates Schiavo-Centonze Marriage

8mm

[T'wit]

>> On this Valentine Day, I hoped to refer to a touching story from TheSpottedOwl

I got it saved (story, not comments) before it was pulled. If a link to the Boston Globe is legal, we could no doubt go find the story again.

[8mmMauser]

Cranford, eh? Now maybe we will find the rest of the story.

[TheSpottedOwl]

It was an absolutely beautiful story. I've been trying to figure out why it was pulled. Maybe because it wasn't excerpted enough? Hopefully, it can be reposted.

I'm still waiting for info on Alison Avrett's bf. So far, I haven't seen how the charges were settled. What is really interesting is that the person who leveled the charges was Holli Strickland. Of course, in an earlier article, DPS apparently used blackmail to remove Haleigh from her mother's care, by threatening to take her baby away.

Business as usual. I also found the second article interesting as well. We have foster parents of the year, then next thing you know, the foster father is charged with statutory rape. He admits it, then pleads innocent? This ought to be good. Hope these people have a lot of cash. Well, I'm assuming innocent until proven guilty of course.

I've heard enough over the years about the horrendous mistakes made by Social Services. Remember in FL when they audited their foster care rolls, and came up with something like 100 kids that they couldn't find?

I believe that Haleigh's mother should have a chance to regain custody. At least have a voice in Haleigh's care.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Aliska-ping to 881. The article goes into minute detail about the validity of Catholic marriages.

You know what always bugged me was that Jodi was divorced from her first husband. Did she get that marriage annulled? You have to get one to remarry in the Church. I talked with my cousin about getting one, and she told me what a pain in the neck it was. Why bother. Why didn't they just marry in the Lutheran Church? Why did it have to be Catholic?

[T'wit]

Aw, I dunno, it was a terribly long time ago. No idea what became of the gal. I hope life has treated her kindly.

[T'wit]

>> It was an absolutely beautiful story.

Did you get to read my absolutely beautiful post to you before it went up in cybersmoke? :-)

[8mmMauser]

Yes, that is quite a read. Looks to me like it is as clear as things get, that Mikey and Jodi's attempt at the Holy Sacrament of Marriage, is patently illicit in the eyes of the Church, if not in the eyes of his supporter, Bp. Lynch and the Lynch mob. But that would have no effect on the civil ceremony, just don't see it as in any way licit and Catholic.

Bp. Lynch's behavior in this event is not very Catholic either.

[quentin]

I wonder why you project your desires on Ms. Schiavo. I understand people who want to have some power over their lives and see that as a position of strength, but why do you assume that was her position? You assume that others actually have power over their lives. Those who are wise understand that power is an illusion, and some of us even see the realization of powerlessness as an incredible blessing... However, I find it interesting that you assume that she would want exactly what you now think you want.

Good morning, DadsGirl and everyone.

I apologize for not being clearer in my previous posts. I did not intend to project anything onto Mrs. Schiavo; I don't believe I actually did. I do, however, operate from the presumption that everyone would like to have power over their own lives in at least some areas. Every person I have ever known has had that desire. And, yes, I believe that non-disabled people have power over certain areas of their lives that disabled people do not--different areas for different people, of course; I know, for example, that my wife can do some things that I cannot. I understand that not everyone has power in every area of their lives at all times, but I have never known a person who did not believe that having more power, more self-determination, if you will, is better than having less.

With specific reference to Mrs. Schiavo, I read the court documents that determined that she would not want to continue her existence under the circumstances she was then in. That is the basis for my belief that she would have wanted to discontinue life support, bolstered by my own experience and the expressed wishes of others I know. I hope that makes my position clearer

I have to go to an appointment in a few minutes, but will try to return and answer some more posts later. Thanks to you all for your thoughts..

[T'wit]

>> I read the court documents that determined that she would not want to continue her existence under the circumstances she was then in.

What did the documents say?

[floriduh voter]

It's not hard to die. Come to Florida and they'll kill your unwanted spouse, parent or child.

FLORIDA IS THE STARVATION STATE.

[floriduh voter]

Ralph Nader made a statement that Terri should not be starved and dehydrated to death.

[floriduh voter]

Lead Speaker George Greer. He was the LEAD CORRUPT PUBLIC OFFICIAL. Now he's the lead speaker. He will burn in hell and so will the leaders who refuse to prosecute him!

[floriduh voter]

Last night on the radio 970 wfla radio Tampa, I heard that our govt is considering the starvation of Hamas. I guess after Terri, anything goes? Starvation is now going to be a weapon of war... Have you ever noticed that the news they don't really want to be heard is broadcast in the middle of the night?

Maybe it was broadcast in Tampa because Central Command is here. Maybe it was a trial balloon announcement.

[floriduh voter]

scientology broadcasts on the public access station. All they do in a session called auditing is make you tell them everything about yourself, they keep a file on you and then who knows what happens after that?

They know your every secret after auditing. The scientologists are against psychiatry because it's counter to what they do. Remember Tom Cruise telling Matt Lauer what an ignorant fool he was (maybe true) but so is Cruise.

[floriduh voter]

Happy Valentine's Day, Freepers against Death Worshippers and Judges who kill for money.

[floriduh voter]

And another one gone...

enough said FV

[floriduh voter]

www.sunbiz.com for info on the st pete times which I stopped subscribing to when they started slanting the news against Terri. Slant? It was more like propaganda.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I saw it, but the phone rang. I just hung up, and now your post is gone. Why is that?

[TheSpottedOwl]

You don't have a civil ceremony in a Catholic wedding. All you need is a marriage license. Apparently, their marriage is invalid under the eyes of the Church. Boy, I remember when Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis got hitched. My mom was livid at the impropriety of such a marriage...even though a dispensation was bought and paid for.

Some of these bishops need to relearn their catechism or start their own church.