Posted on 03/14/2006 11:28:51 AM PST by KevinNuPac
Terri's Day challenges the nation to unify
Kevin Fobbs
March 13, 2006
Terri's Day — A Celebration of the Culture of Life honoring Terri Schiavo with a day of remembrance challenges each and every one of us to stop for a moment and ask ourselves a question, do we respect ourselves, our families, our lives?
And if we are faced with the question of the possible certainty of death, does anyone truly know, or even have the faintest clue about, our wishes? That is the greatest good, the greatest legacy that Terri Schiavo's death and an annual "Terri's Day" can bring to our lives and to the celebration of the Culture of Life.
On March 18th, we as a nation will begin to grieve again, to reach into our hearts and feel with our collective national spirit what the Schindler family felt last year at this time as each moment since Terri was disconnected from the feeding lifeline, the moments crept by like hours and hours like days.
All of us have felt in some way that pain — even if it were only in the privacy of our loved one's home, hospital room, hospice or perhaps talking with an attorney and doctor attempting to make sense out of some fleeting comments made in a conversation perhaps voiced ten, twelve or even two decades earlier — not necessarily an expression of her true feeling about an end-of-life decision but merely an incidental musing in a long-forgotten side conversation.
For at least one million Americans, and quite possibly a whole lot more, this is an opportunity to voice an opinion through a pledge supporting a resolution in each state called "Terri's Day — A Celebration of the Culture of Life." Each and every person who cares that your family, your spouse, your mother, your father, your sister or brother understands with clarity what you wish the end of life for you to be, with dignity and certainty should sign the online pledge at www.kevinfobbs.com and take the additional step to sign a Living Will — or as they call it at www.terrisfight.org, the Will to Live.
Some have asked why Americans should care about an annual Terri's Day. It is quite simple, we tend to keep turning the page on the Culture of Life because we feel it does not affect us. We tend to believe that seemingly universal belief that those who are handicapped, those who are not quite living a "perfect" life or by contemporary notion "ideal" then those lives are possibly disposable, marginal, not relevant, and part of the Culture of Death which embraces a "disposable society."
But life and our values for the Culture of Life are not disposable. Think about the young people today who would rather hurt themselves or even take their own lives rather than feel "imperfect" or the elderly person whose family is told by an insensitive health care professional while the stricken person struggles to cling to life, "she would be better off in another place," — just let her die, disconnect her from life, because her quality of life is not up to "contemporary standards. "
Why does celebrating the Culture of Life in Michigan become so essential for all of us in America? It is important for several reasons. Dr. Jack Kervorkian, also known as "Doctor Death" helped launch first in Michigan and then the nation the notion of the death culture. Secondly, and equally as important, at the May 12 event — just two days before Mother's Day — there will also be a "Mary's Moms" celebration of those women and mothers who have met challenges in standing up for some aspect of the Culture of Life.
This past weekend I sat at my cousin's funeral — or going home celebration, which more accurately describes it — thinking about the dearly departed and how she packed so much caring for others into her life even as she struggled with illness and advancing age. She was a wonderful woman who had lived through many, many challenges in her life, but in her 73 years she had met these challenges with dignity and had conveyed to her family when would be the right time to allow her to pass away.
Her daughter, who is a minister, spoke to the packed church about the times when, with all of her pain and then a stroke, the doctors had informed them that perhaps it was better to let her go. Yet that was three years ago that that occurred, and if the family had listened to the doctors and refused to see how she fought back and not only recovered but went back to volunteering at the church to feed and clothe the homeless. The medical professionals didn't care about an elderly lady who was on dialysis, but the family did and they knew better. Patricia lived three more years — years her extensive extended family considered "a gift from God."
So isn't part of the lesson of Terri's legacy and Terri's Day for families and loved ones to have a meaningful conversation with their family and to have the written document on hand as well that conveys the wishes clearly and concisely? You betcha.
As I sat in the church I thought of all of the families across the nation and the world who were sitting at their loved one's bedsides — or even standing outside of a hospital emergency room — overwhelmed with emotion, torn by what may be days of conflicting anguished decisions. I thought again of how out of death we may have the certainty of life. Terri's death reminded the nation that yes a state can and will starve you to death, and your family may be rendered helpless as you watch your loved one's precious life forces drain slowly away.
By signing the online pledge at www.kevinfobbs.com or going to www.terrisfight.org, you can learn about how to encourage your state legislature to establish March 31st as an official Terri's Day. Hold a Culture of Life Home Party or meet-and-greet to sign pledges, share ideas and support The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation as well as Culture of Life activities and events in your community or around the nation. Between now and March 31st you can make a dramatic difference for yourself, your family and for the nation. Stand up for the Culture of Life because one person, one life, one family can and does make a difference in America. Make the difference and be the difference today. America...The countdown for the Culture of Life has begun.
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Kevin Fobbs is President of National Urban Policy Action Council (NuPac), a non-partisan civic and citizen-action organization that focuses on taking the politics out of policy to secure urban America's future one neighborhood, one city, and one person at a time. View NuPac on the web at www.nupac.info. Kevin Fobbs is a regular contributing columnist for the Detroit News. He is also the daily host of The Kevin Fobbs Show on News Talk WDTK - 1400 AM in Detroit. Listen to The Kevin Fobbs Show online at www.wdtkam.com daily 2-3 p.m., and call in toll-free nationwide to make your opinion count at 800-923-WDTK(9385) © Copyright 2006 by Kevin Fobbs http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/fobbs/060313
The New York Civil Liberties Union has jumped in to call upon legislative leaders to put health care decisions in families' hands. Had the American Civil Liberties Union not become involved in the Terri Schindler Schiavo case, it’s likely that the disabled woman would be alive today.
With the New York Civil Liberties Union endorsing this proposal, it’s all the more reason the bill should be defeated lest there be another Schiavo tragedy right here in New York State.
EDITORIAL - Dangerous NY Bill Would Encourage Another Schiavo Tragedy
8mm
Laudate 4 Life, as well as many American youth organizations that fight abortion, is comprised of young people born after 1973--"survivors" of the abortion tide. However, it seems that now, even those born before or who escaped the preborn's Angel of Death legalized in '73 remain unprotected even on this side of the womb. Euthanasia is sweeping the globe as yet another attempt to devalue human life, while simultaneously trying to place a price tag on individual lives--humans judging other humans to decide whose life is worth living for the sake of the "greater good."
Youth Remember Terri Schindler Schiavo on the Anniversary of her Death
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bttt
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with pings. Boy, this thread moves fast! Been on the protest threads. They're ditching school and running the streets in my old neighborhoods : (
Good editorial. It says a bill was voted for yesterday, but it isn't the same one?
It settled down now. Thread got fairly big considering it started mid-month, a tribute to the attention all still bring to Terri.
Lots of the news items today are actually for March 31. I guess they didn't get into print in time.
I saw some of the family interview on FNC last night. Very sad. Terri did suffer and was murdered with the world watching.
The Priests at Terri's service, spoke of the roles of Judas, Pontius Pilate, the disciples who abandoned Jesus in the garden and other historic figures from the Bible who stood down when Jesus was crucified. They equated the disciples' denials and abandonents to modern day clergy who didn't help Terri. They did mention those who did support Terri such as Pat Buchanan for example.
The service at St. Patrick's focused on the witness she gave to the world of her suffering and death.
It was a beautiful service and as far as I know, media free but for the radio interview and possibly Fla Baptist Witness was there (not sure).
The Schindlers are grateful to everyone who continues to fight for the disabled (which imo, are the new underclass alongside w/vulnerable senior citizens). I am a non-Catholic so Catholics, if I got something wrong, be kind.
www.terrisfight.org.
Their book "A Life That Matters" is at www.amazon.com.
In Father Pavone's Letter to Michael which is all over the internet Fr. Pavone repeats "Michael is a murderer." Fr. Pavone's Letter to Michael was not mentioned last night.
Parking lot discussions focused on the media and the rampant corruption in Florida. FLORIDA IS THE STARVATION STATE. Are your politicians pro-life or faux-life?
See my latest post re: Terri's Service last night. Terri witnessed to man's inhumanity to man.
I have his web site I'll post it the next time I sort my stack of stuff.
Re: Father Pavone recently returned from the Vatican and has launched a new missionary program subsequent to that visit.
What's Fr. Pavone's web site? Is it 4life or forlife? Pls post Fr. Pavone's site here if you have it handy.
Thanks for the report!
Father Frank Pavone's website:
http://www.priestsforlife.org/
Thanks for the report.
Besides, the scoundrels know who they are.
Terri's family knows that we are still freeping for Terri. The family looked no worse for the wear having done all those recent tv appearances. Her dad, mom, brother and sister are like the best neighbors on the block. It just doesn't ring true when Mikey tries to demonize Terri's dad or brother.
You're welcome.
I love the Schindler family and I've never even met them. I'm aware they have been mentioned some things I have said here on FR and for that I'm greatful. Terri ment so much to me, not a day goes by I don't think of her.
Geez, when my grandfather was dying and I was there the night he died I sat by him and thought of the Schindlers and Terri. He died so peacefully and how I wished if Terri had to die she would have died like that. No water or food would have kept my grandfather alive and that is how we should all pass away into the loving arms of our Father in Heaven.
By the way FV, thanks for the PM. Interesting stuff. I'm glad I have gotten to be a part of this group here at FR. I promised myself that I would never forget Terri and one year later her memory is strong in my heart.
Faithmouse's recent drawing is also posted. I noticed what looked like two pictures of J. Greer. I haven't had time to study it yet beyond that. He's truly evil but he had plenty of help, just like Mikey did.
That has me puzzeled FV.
I don't think they are of Greer.
The young lady standing does not look like Terri.
The picture on the lower left looks like Himmler.
The words "nowhere to hide" remind me of Nazi Germany.
Which leads me to think the young lady may be Anne Frank.
You may have something there and look at all the papers, the tipped over desk and chair as if Terri's life was interrupted. I downloaded it. I'll have to zoom in and check it out. There's a sign on the wall to the right that I can't make out. It spells out a word.
Himmler
No Jam? No Japanese Americans?
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