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
And there are more books - eventually, all the truth will be out there and people will wake up. If the public knew everything, they'd be stunned.
The flow chart of who did what to Terri is mind boggling. It's nothing that will fit in a post. Florida is the Starvation State.
As Diane Coleman, president of the disability-rights organization Not Dead Yet, which takes pains to distinguish itself from pro-life organizations, states: "The bioethicists in particular have warped the end-of-life care movement into a life-ending movement. They want to be able to kill behind the closed doors of a room in a hospital or nursing home."
PINELLAS COUNTY IS KNOWN BY PRO-LIFE ATTORNEYS AS DEATH CENTRAL. They are fighting back to protect the vulnerable; seniors and the disabled community.
"eventually, all the truth will be out there and people will wake up"
FV, I wish you were correct, but so many people are self deceived. They view these things through a self serving viewpoint and will deny the very truth to make sure that their own "truth" is proclaimed. I wish it were not so, but it is. Still we must constantly and diligently proclaim the truth so that those who are willing to hear will indeed hear the truth.
I dunno, by pretending to sleep-walk?
You must stop asking questions. Questions are the curse of the murdering class.
Mark Fuhrman pondered Michael's various statements about that night and came to a conclusion at odds with all of them. Fuhrman thinks Michael saw her fall. Interesting that a good criminal investigator would reach this conclusion despite all of Michael's rehearsed lies about waking up when he heard a thud, or hearing a thud after he got up "for some reason," and all that stuff.
I would add: yes, of course he saw her fall -- when he released her from his sleeper hold or when he dropped her or when he wrestled her down. Maybe he asphyxiated her by some other means -- jamming her face into a pillow or the rug. Or again, he may have pinned her down by getting on her back (one heavy knee at L1 where her back was broken; the other knee causing the deep bone bruise on her leg); and then he cut off her air.
Two people knew, and one killed the other.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING RE: SCHIAVO-GATE:
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/
We persevere...
He's an employee of the Pinellas County Jail as a nurse in the women's section. Are taxpayers paying for his time away from his job at the jail? This wouldn't be the first time.
Remember Sheriff Rice hired Michael Schiavo and then Rice went to Tallahasse as a House member to vote to kill Terri. Dastardly republican!
Yes, it is bewildering that any besides the trolls and Kool Aid drinkers still don't get it, but remember, the topic has stayed alive and hot for a year now, did not fade as so many doom sayers predicted.
I am amazed each morning to find how often Terri is in the news. And then other stories have come to the surface of those in similar plights. Before that, the stories would hardly be noticed, but now they get the spotlight. Look at how it shone on Haleigh Poutre. Scott Thomas may have gotten his life saved thanks to attention force down the media throat. You can see the activity on this thread even though it is the second one of the month, that the topic is still hot.
Heehee! I'm not a feminist either :-D
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/27/lkl.01.html
Don't even try. I did last year, the fasting part, and couldn't hack it. With religious fasts, you are allowed water. I hope you weren't being a smart aleck.
This is why I haven't filled out my will to live yet. My bf and I have discussed this issue, but I'm afraid of making a mistake on paper. I also bookmarked a medical power of attorney form for my state. Unfortunately, my printer is not cooperating. It's probably the same problem my last printer had. Roller wearing out too soon.
"But there is more, such as his sadistic treatment of her and her family."
For sure, and Michael and Greer had control over Terri, and both wanted her life to end.
Being super cheapskates, we bought several servicable deskjets at Goodwill and Salvation Army. Couple days ago, we saw five on sale. Ink costs more than the printers and we got the refill bottles and inject it.
They sell here for two to five bucks, the printers, usually HP. If one doesn't work, we just toss it and get another.
There is also have some good info on the Schindler site, www.terrisfight.org, their "Will to Live."
Living Wills, advance directives are a scary slippery step, it seems to me. And as Jimmy Chambers found out, even an old one seemingly no longer valid can be used against us, if in the hands of people with wrong intent.
So today I accidentally turned on "The View," while I was getting ready to watch the noontime news, and there was "The View" interviewing Michael and Jodi. Michael was with friends at "The View." The only one who asked a tough question (politely) was the youngest member of "The View," the young lady who has morals.
Anyway, Michael claimed the autopsy could not rule out bulemia, and their was no evidence of strangulation.
Jodi said that her children will be as proud of Michael, when they grow up, as she is (gag).
Barbara Walters asked, how could they take having all those people in front of their home, and even the Pope (came out against this).
Then "The View" announced that each audience member would get a copy of Michael's book. (puke)
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/032706Disability.html
Disability Activists Mark Schiavo Anniversary
Disability activists marked the anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death and vowed to renew their resolve to continue the battle to promote meaningful safeguards for the thousands of disabled Americans who, like Terri Schiavo, have guardians making life-and-death decisions on their behalf. The dangers to people with disabilities did not begin with the publicized tragedy of Terri Schiavo and they did not end with her death, the activists say.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/032606UglyStain.html
Priest Says Michael Schiavo Left Ugly Stain On History
WASHINGTON---Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, and an eyewitness to Terri Schiavo's final hours, has released an open letter to Michael Schiavo.
Fr. Pavone read it to a worldwide audience on an internationally broadcast religious service on Sunday morning, March 26.
FV SAYS: An ugly stain is right. The nation should be ashamed that they didn't stop the fired McDonalds' employee from partaking in a murder of an innocent human being.
Last year they turned on the lawn sprinklers....
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