Terri's Day challenges the nation to unify

Renew America ^ | March 13, 2006 | Kevin Fobbs

[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

[T'wit]

>> You might know that Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of NARAL, who thankfully has turned pro-life, admitted that they were looking for catchy little words and phrases, like "choice" and women's right to "choose." He said they were all laughing about these phrases at the time.

Yes, I've read his account. It is chilling. If you have the file, you ought to post a few key paragraphs. When someone like Nathanson comes to grip with the evil he is doing and repents, it is powerful testimony.

[Sun]

The Pro-abortion advocates knew that the 5,000 to 10,000 deaths were a myth. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League, admits his group lied about the number of women who died from illegal abortions. When testifying before the Supreme Court in 1972, he said, “We spoke of 5,000-10,000 deaths a year. . . . I confess that I knew the figures were totally false. . . it was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?”

excerpt http://www.nyfrf.org/myth.htm AND MUCH MORE AT THIS LINK.

[BykrBayb]

Texas again.

Motion filed to rescind plea bargain in girl's death

Amber never regained consciousness and died Sept. 3, 2004, after a court ordered doctors to remove her from life-support.

[T'wit]

Better check that link. I'm getting an error message.

[Sun]

Sorry, it used to work. Maybe they took it down - hopefully temporarily.

[T'wit]

Ah, one of those deals where you get to look once, then they yank it and ask you to register. Oh, well, I did read the story and am happy -- no, that isn't strong enough; I am overjoyed to see the mother go on trial for capital murder.

[BykrBayb]

New York

FOR TWO TRANSPLANT PATIENTS, A DIRE COMPLICATION: WEST NILE

In the antiseptic prose of medical journals, he was "the lung recipient," she "the liver recipient."

In real life, they were two desperately ill people who received transplants last August from the same organ donor, a brain-dead accident victim. Thanks to the surgery, they had a second chance at life. Or so it seemed.

Tests found the West Nile virus.

Neither recovered. The woman who received the liver remained paralyzed and unresponsive, on a ventilator, according to her surgeon, Dr. Lewis W. Teperman, director of transplantation at New York University. After 68 days her family withdrew life support, and she died. Dr. Teperman said he did not have the family's permission to identify her.

The second patient, Dr. Sabih Aburegiaba, 69, is still alive. He is on a ventilator at a hospital in Queens, barely responsive, his prognosis uncertain and his family struggling to find the proper level of care for him.

Much more in this article that's well worth reading. One patient is showing remarkable progress. The other was killed because of the same brain damage. And what of the "brain-dead accident victim" they got their organs from? Was he/she really dead, or just brain damaged?

[BykrBayb]

That depends on who actually committed the murder. As much as I want to see her punished, I have a problem with a judge ordering the killing of a patient, and then charging the people who almost killed her with murder.

[T'wit]

The organization is still there. We could write them and ask about the document. Or, maybe it's linked somewhere else on the 'net. Nothing we need to solve tonight, which is a good thing for me, my time is up.

[T'wit]

>> As much as I want to see her punished, I have a problem with a judge ordering the killing of a patient, and then charging the people who almost killed her with murder.

Good point. I was just reacting to the cruelty both parents showed to a five-year-old girl. How can anyone do that to a helpless child?

[BykrBayb]

I think there should be a death penalty for that kind of abuse, whether the child dies or not. It's not human to do that to anyone, much less to your own child.

[BykrBayb]

Is this reasonably similar to what was at your link?

The Silhouette

Reports of women dying from “back alley” abortions have been wildly exaggerated in every country. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League NARAL admits his group lied about the number of women who died from illegal abortions when testifying before the Supreme Court in 1972. “We spoke of 5,000-10,000 deaths a year... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false... it was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?”

[8mmMauser]

Florida politics post-Terri...

U.S. Rep. Jim Davis had just touted his 10 years in Washington as a leg up on his opponent in the Sept. 5 primary for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, telling the crowd that the Legislature in Tallahassee needs "adult supervision."

Smith had the last word. "Be careful when folks say, 'I'm here from Washington and I wanna help you.' If the Legislature needs adult supervision, then Congress needs a spanking," Smith said to a smattering of raucous applause.

And the kiss of death cult...

Last month, Davis, of Tampa, was endorsed by Michael Schiavo, who fought to have his wife's feeding tube removed in the bitter end-of-life

Davis, Smith differ in style

8mm

(this includes Ohioan from Florida's ping list, update to May 17.)



Terri on the road to recovery before the second stage began.

[8mmMauser]

Kewl tat. I bet it works...

Wohlford, 80, has a living will hanging on the side of her refrigerator. She also has told family members of her wishes should she become incapacitated. Now she hopes she has made it perfectly clear.

Wohlford, a retired nurse and great-grandmother, had the words "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" tattooed on her chest in February.

80-year-old'd chest tattoo: DO NOT RESUSCITATE

8mm

[RobFromGa]

I think that Bush's support was caused by his continued lying to American children about Santa Claus. He has had five opportunities to tell the truth and still remains in denial.

[T'wit]

The lady is obviously a liberal Democrat. It would help save this beautiful country if all liberal Democrats had DO NOT RESUSCITATE tattooed on the chests and heinies and foreheads. It is their civic duty to remove themselves from voter rolls.

[8mmMauser]

During Holy Week last year at Pinellas Park, I remember Randall Terry running up and asking urgently which was the Fifth Station of the Cross, something we Catholics follow. I was surprised, wondered why he would ask. Here, then is the rest of the story:

Frames reveal key points in Terry’s life.

In one framed newspaper article, Roe v. Wade’s Norma McCorvey hugs Terry during his first run for political office — a failed attempt to run for the House of Representatives in New York. In another article, written after his move to Florida, Terry stands reflectively looking out at the Atlantic Ocean, pondering his next move.

That move, joining the Catholic Church, came unexpectedly this Lent after what Terry describes as a 20-year search for Truth. That journey is evident from the mementos and books found in the home. A copy of Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma sits on the bathroom counter. Luther, Aquinas, Chesterton, Belloc and the early Church Fathers line the bookshelves. A photograph of Terry with Pope John Paul II sits in the home’s entryway, as well as in his library.

Terry is as surprised as anyone by where his journey has led.

........

Snip

........

“We didn’t stand much of a chance [of not becoming Catholic], with Pope John Paul II and Terri Schiavo praying for us,” said Randall’s wife Andrea, pointing to the photograph of Randall meeting the Pope.

Still Slaying Dragons After All These Years

8mm

[8mmMauser]

It looks like it came from a standard rubber stamp. They probably sell the stamps at kiosks where lefties gather.

[T'wit]

>> more than a third of some 500 people had already left, slinking out one-by-one as if they'd been watching a movie they'd already seen.

These people need to have some pride. They should stand erect, throw back their shoulders, and march out proudly instead of slinking.

[mtbopfuyn]

Some medical and legal experts doubt that Wohlford's tattoo would be binding in the emergency room or in court.

Why wouldn't it be binding? Of course she could have a change of heart in the ER, but so could those who have legal documents too.