Battle Over Possible Euthanasia of New York Teenager Gets Pro-Life Attention

Bronx, NY (LifeNews.com) -- The battle over the life and death of a teenage girl in New York has drawn the attention of pro-life advocates in recent days. The fight to save Javona Peters reminds some of the struggle of the Schindler family in Florida to save the life of Terri Schiavo, a beloved daughter and sibling whose former husband eventually took her life.

In this case, Peters' parents are disagreeing on whether or not to remove her feeding tube and take her life.

Peters fell into a coma in October while she had a routine medical procedure at Montefiore Medical Center. Doctors have pegged her as being in a persistent vegetative state, a medical diagnosis pro-life advocates dispute because so many patients have partially or fully recovered.

Peters' parents were never married and are estranged and have considered a medical malpractice suit against the hospital, according to a New York Daily News report.

But Janet Joseph and Leonard Peters are also feuding over Peters' care and have each filed separate requests to be given custody of their daughter. Peters has been opposed to removing the feeding tube but has wavered recently.

Edward Gersowitz, an attorney for Joseph, told the newspaper that "Because of her condition, she cannot make decisions for herself, and the court will have to appoint a guardian to make decisions for her."

As a teen, Peters doesn't have a living will or some other advanced directive providing guidelines for the type of medical treatment, or withdrawal, she favors.

The case has drawn the attention of the Schindler family, which sent out a notice about the case from its foundation, which helps disabled patients receive legal help and appropriate medical care.

Leading bioethics watchdog Wesley J. Smith has also commented on it and he says the PVS diagnosis seems "rushed" to him.

Smith says he sympathizes with the father and the pressure he is under to take Peters' life.

"We know that too often medical teams and social workers pressure and cajole for such outcomes," he said.

Smith draws comparisons to the case of Haleigh Poutre, a Massachusetts girl whom LifeNews.com reported was also declared PVS, but who has recovered from the abuse she suffered.

In that case, state government officials had ordered her feeding tube removed but she recovered from the PVS state shortly beforehand.

A thoughtful reflection on the plight of Terri by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk...

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Many families are faced with decisions about what to do when their loved ones suffer serious brain injury. When individuals are unlikely to come out of so-called "vegetative states," should we discontinue nourishing them by tube feeding? Is there anything wrong with causing patients in compromised states to die from starvation and dehydration under these circumstances? We all lived through such a decision when Terri Schiavo died in 2005 in Florida. Her death raised disturbing ethical questions that continue to reverberate in society today.

I remember discussing her situation with somebody who remarked, "Well, I wouldn't want to live the way Terri did, with such poor quality of life." My response was, "Nobody would want to live the way she did - yet we all face deficits and disabilities that we have to live with. The bigger question is whether other people should be taking it upon themselves to remove feeding tubes that are effectively nourishing individuals who are compromised or disabled."

Oftentimes people fail to grasp several of the key factors regarding Terri's condition. First, they may mistakenly assume that she was actively dying from something, that she was hanging onto life by a mere thread. But Terri was not dying of any particular disease; she was living with a disability, surrounded by the love of her parents, siblings and friends. She had been living reasonably well with her disability for nearly 15 years, before her estranged husband made the decision to stop feeding her. Terri was an otherwise healthy young person who suffered under the burden of a serious brain injury, which left her unable to do many things on her own. In many ways, she was like a young, helpless child because of her injury. But she was not actively dying from anything..........................

The Modern Anathema Of Living With Brain Damage

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Oft repeated here in Terri Dailies, simply because it is repeated by the libs, this core lie: Most good Americans want innocents like Terri to die and are against any who would save her innocent life. Libs like Kinsley shout it long and loud so that it may one day claim the status of truth. And LA Times is glad to publish it.

Something similar goes on when the government forbids or requires people to do something for their own good. Why shouldn't people, at least adult people, have the right to decide for themselves? Libertarian thinking has been useful, for example, in making it easier to get prescription drugs through the approval maze at the Food and Drug Administration. The Terri Schiavo case of 2005 was libertarianism's greatest moment so far, as the entire nation rose up in defense of her right to die.

Libertarians deserve a listen ... Yes, they can drive an idea right over a cliff. But it's the journey that's half the fun

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Thread by wagglebee on IVF...

LOUISVILLE, January 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A leader of the evangelical movement in the United States recently came down hard on the effects of in vitro fertilization on his blog, decrying the destruction of millions of embryos for the sake of IVF.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the primary school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world, called the destruction of embryos in IVF a tragedy, after reading a report in the London Times that over one million human embryos have been killed in IVF procedures (See LifeSiteNews coverage:

Top U.S. Evangelical Leader: All Involved with IVF Responsible for "Vast Human Tragedy"

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In this thread by NYer, Vogue pushes the euphemisms of euthanasia, encouraging the late term snuffing of kids, by clouding young minds susceptible to fog. Here Vogue is hardly vague. Thanks, narses, for the ping.

NEW YORK, January 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cleverly marketing legal abortion as a boon to women's emancipation has been the most important task of the abortion industry and lobby for thirty years. In this month's edition, the gruesome procedure of partial birth abortion has been given a style makeover by the world's most influential fashion magazine, Vogue.

The magazine offers the article's description: "When Lori Campbell's second pregnancy developed complications, she was faced with a painful decision. But she was thankful it was hers to make." What follows is a paean to legalized late-term abortion and a series of long complaints about the efforts of pro-life Americans to make it illegal......

Vogue Magazine Attempts to Bring Partial Birth Abortion into Vogue

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Canada hones the gay blade.

In irony just as homosexuals and drug users are allowed to donate spare parts in oh so PC Canada, thus jeopardizing recipients of used parts even more, this special protected category now faces the prospect of termination a tad early for their treasure of innards, just like ordinary folks. Thread by wagglebee.

OTTAWA, January 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Earlier this week, the federal government came under attack after the CBC reported that active homosexual men are barred from being organ donors because of the high risk of disease associated with homosexual activity. The Globe and Mail reported yesterday, however, that transplant groups denied that active homosexual men are barred from donating organs.................

Active Homosexuals and IV Drug Users Accepted by Transplant Groups for Organ Donation Despite Risk

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Javona update...

How do you get through to a distraught mom (with lawyer advising,) and tell her that killing her daughter will not bring the relief she craves? She may cry, "peace, peace," but peace will not come if she does it.

............................

She is ready to say goodbye.

The Rhode Island mother set to begin a court battle Monday in Bronx Supreme Court to have her comatose teen daughter removed from life support wants her child "to go in peace."

"She's just lying there. I mean, she's alive, you could say, but that's it," said Janet Joseph, distraught over the vegetative state of her daughter Javona Peters, 16.

Standing in the way of Joseph's wishes is Javona's father, Leonard Peters of Mount Vernon. He wants his daughter to stay on life support.

The estranged parents are set to embark on what lawyers in the case said could become a long and complex struggle. Both want to become Javona's guardian, responsible for Javona's rights in any personal injury lawsuit, as well as any medical decisions.

A judge meanwhile may appoint an outside guardian to represent Javona's legal interests, according to Edward Gersowitz, an lawyer for Joseph.

Further complicating the issue is the possibility that the court will ask an independent physician to evaluate Javona's medical records and physical state.

Javona, a high school athlete who has lived with her mom since birth, fell into a coma Oct. 17 at Montefiore Medical Center, after what was supposed to be routine surgery to drain cerebral fluid.

The teen was transferred from Montefiore last week to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston.

Court battle for mother wanting comatose daughter to 'go in peace'

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"We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will give you no rest."

Poor Tampa Bay area...

I prefer to remember the good ole days riding through the orange groves as a kid in the Desoto City area. No clouds then. Fast forward to a decade or two back when wife was terrified to cross the old bridge, for good reason.

It's almost as if we were the Joe Btfsplk of the country. Joe with the unpronounceable last name was a character in the "Li'l Abner" comic by Al Capp who had a permanent black cloud floating above his head. Wherever Joe Btfsplk was, disaster was sure to follow.

~Snip~

I turned on the television and there was former middle school teacher Debra Lafave standing in front of a judge. Now education is a big issue in this country, but here is a story that has been in the news since she first was arrested in 2004, and, to tell you the truth, I don't think it has done that much for the school district.

Lafave has been a part of the personality parade from around here that never seems to end. From Jessica Lunsford to Terri Schiavo to that former "American Idol" contestant what's-her-name Sierra, someone is always keeping us in the news.

Characters, Not Silver, Line Our Dark Cloud

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Don't faze me, bro...

America, whatta country...we are becoming. Now the blood lust will be whetted for the hoards of FU students as they seize the rare honor to actually meet the celebrated hero and patron saint of serial killers, Dr. Death himself.

FU may have handled controversial speakers in the past, but this time they are sure to outdo themselves. I expect the jack boots on the ground will be an impressive show in itself as the celebrated LE forces galvanize to deal with anyone really protesting. We have seen back at Pinellas Park how steely the LE's become in resolve to protect the official killing of an innocent. Now we will see how they respond to shielding this mass murderer from his detractors. Maybe it's just me, and maybe the opposite will happen. Yeah, that's it.

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So what's in store when controversial assisted-suicide proponent Jack Kevorkian comes to Gainesville Tuesday?

UF officials aren't releasing many details on their security plans, but the aim is to provide security for the speaker and attendees without squelching free speech and the kind of rigorous public discourse universities are known for.

UF officials are bracing for a large, potentially boisterous crowd, but they say police will be brought in as a last resort.

"The staffing plan for this program is more like what we would do for a basketball game or a concert," said Beth Waltrip, UF's adviser to ACCENT, the student-run speakers bureau that arranged for Kevorkian's visit.

~Snip~

But given the intense emotions surrounding Kevorkian - and given the national furor a few years ago over Pinellas Park hospice resident Terri Schiavo's right-to-die case - UF officials are bracing for a large, potentially boisterous crowd.

UF readies for Kevorkian... Speakers such as the doctor who assisted at least 130 suicides pose security dilemmas.

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I didn't miss the recent satire binge at the expense of Terri and our allies at Unconfirmed Sources site. I just avoided most of it.

Some think it is cute, and some think it is humorous to snuff puppies. I expect the same crowd will be squealing in joy at the FU visit of Dr. Death. Mostly, I ignored them much as I would ignore a tour of a sausage processing plant. But not to ignore completely, I proffer this typical verbiage from that side of the septic tank.

Congress has met in a special session today to pass legislation that would shift the responsibility for the care of President George W. Bush from doctors at the Bethesda Naval Hospital to Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Citing the fact that they as a legislative body have already set a precedent with their legislation concerning Teri Schiavo, the House of Representatives has concluded that if they can legally keep someone alive against the wishes of their legal guardian then they can also kill them if they want......

Congress Votes to Remove George W. Bush's Feeding Tube: Cites the fact that He's Brain Dead Anyway.

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Death enthusiasts wail and gnash their teeth as a baton is thrown in the gears. Thread by wagglebee.

WINNIPEG - A family's fight to keep their 84-year-old father on life support because of their faith has turned into a messy court case that is pitting physicians' opinions against one another.

Several doctors at Winnipeg's Grace Hospital say Samuel Golubchuk has minimal brain function and because chances of recovery are slim, they want to disconnect his ventilator and pull his feeding tube.

Golubchuk's adult children believes that would be a sin under the Orthodox Jewish faith because it would "hasten his death."

On Thursday, exactly a month after the first court hearing, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Perry Schulman called lawyers back to debate whether to allow sworn statements from a pair of American doctors, who are suggesting Golubchuk's condition has improved............

U.S. doctors at odds with call to remove Winnipeg man from life support

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Gardner wants to become compost. Thread by wagglebee.

Gardner is, however, pressing ahead with his "last campaign," an initiative to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state of Washington. The cause is controversial even in definition: Advocates speak of "death with dignity." Critics call it "legalized euthanasia."

"My life, my death, my control," Gardner, who has Parkinson's disease, told a New York Times Magazine profiler.............

Gardner crusade is a selfish last act (Euthanasia)

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Shields of shame revisited in this thread by Coleus, post #287...

The world just learned that "Catholic" actress Brooke Shields is the proud mother of a new baby girl. For a long time infertility problems made it impossible for her and her husband to conceive, and after many failed attempts to conceive naturally she resorted to the technological solution: in vitro fertilization (IVF). Now she is pictured on the covers of glamorous magazines with a smiling beautiful baby girl, but some have questioned her decision to use IVF. I am one of them. Was this star wrong to have a "test tube" baby?

Yes. Dead wrong.....

Actress Brooke Shields kills 140 of her very own Children by undergoing 7 IVF Treatments

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In grand celebration of evil, babes in the woods at FU drool at the chance to cheer on a world class murderer with 130 notches in his syringe. Tomorrow their lust will peak. Some will come away galvanized against this outraged, some will drool even more, perhaps even a nascent spawn or two of little killers.

Such crafts take practice, and it took early stumbling at slaughter to make him really good and confident.

The author today sees a silver lining in this cow pie. Maybe some good will come of it. Maybe someone will find a gold coin in the cow pie. Maybe they will wash their hands before lunch...

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In the back he'd rigged a makeshift bed next to a contraption that looked like a junior high shop project gone bad - three bottles dangling from hooks screwed into a piece of wood. Around 10, Kevorkian's two sisters arrived at the campsite with a 54 year-old woman from Portland named Janet Adkins. Adkins, in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, had flown to Detroit the day before for her "appointment."

The morning did not go smoothly. Kevorkian knocked over a vial of thiopental, the drug he used to cause unconsciousness, necessitating another two-hour trip to Detroit and back for more drugs. Near noon, when he finally got Janet Adkins on the bed in his van, Kevorkian's first four attempts to find a vein in her arm failed. Eventually though the IV needle found its mark. Ms. Adkins pushed a button three times to send the thiopental into her body. After about a minute, the device switched automatically to potassium chloride, stopping her heart.

~Snip~

Jack Kevorkian was a lightning rod in America in the 1990s. The American Medical Association called him a killer. Others called him a hero. Hero or killer, he made us talk. A search of The New York Times archives turns up 471 stories on Kevorkian between 1991 and 1998. And talk is good.

So, here's some homework for Gator students. Go hear Kevorkian. Talk in class about what you heard. Talk about Terri Schiavo. Talk about your own family stories. Next time you go home, continue the discussion with your parents. Don't look for "right" answers, because they aren't there. Understand, though, that every student in America today will face questions many times in their lives about how we die. If listening to Jack Kevorkian can help jump-start some thinking, and talking, now, then that's an hour worth spending.

It won't kill UF students to listen

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More syringes of death, just a different kind. Death is the operating word here...

Thread by wagglebee.

.................................

A U.S. Coast Guard officer and devout Catholic has filed suit to prevent being forced to receive a vaccination derived from the lung of an aborted child after a higher ranking officer disputed his understanding of Church theology.

The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Healy, charging the government with using its own arbitrary judgment of what constitutes Catholic theology while permitting religious exemptions to others, effectively discriminating against Healy's sincerely held religious beliefs.

Healy's request for religious exemption cited a 2005 letter from the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life which condemned the use of cell lines from abortions in vaccines and supported Catholics' right to refuse them while not requiring them to reject the medicines. In May, 2007, Capt. Brent Pennington rejected Healy's request, saying Catholic teaching "does not state that these immunizations are against the religious tenets of the Catholic Church."....................

Coast Guard forces vaccine derived from aborted child

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Oramus

Thread by wagglebee on some sunshine in Georgia.

As Georgia legislators meet for their first session of the season, pro-life advocates will rally outside the state Capitol Monday to urge them to prioritize a measure acknowledging the “personhood” of embryos and recognizing the right to life of persons from conception to death.

The Let Them Live Rally in Atlanta will seek to impress upon lawmakers the importance of supporting the Human Life Amendment (HR 536), which requires a two-thirds vote of the Georgia House and the state Senate to appear on the November 2008 ballot..............

Pro-lifers Rally Support for Georgia's Human Life Amendment

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Florida, the sunshine state, sometimes. Not jolly for Rudy lately, but may this sunshine follow him...

Thread by wagglebee. Thanks, narses, for the ping.

On Sunday, Jan. 13, at approximately 12:15 PM, pro-life activists were in the crowd at The Green Street Cafe (located at 3110 Commodor Plaza, Coconut Grove Florida, just outside Miami) waiting for Giuliani to begin his Florida Bus Tour. When Rudy Giuliani arrived, Joseph Landry (age 26) was within 5 feet of the candidate, and began yelling: You are a baby killer! You are a baby killer! Florida is pro-life! Rudy wants public funding for abortion!" See news report. Law enforcement officials immediately escorted Mr. Landry from the area, while Mr. Landry continued his monologue.

Within Minutes, Steven Pokorny, age 28, stood to his feet and cried out, "A third of my generation is dead because of politicians like Giuliani! Giuliani wants to kill children and have you pay for it!" Law enforcement did not stop Mr. Pokorny.

At that point, Giuliani left the building, without addressing the crowd.............

Giuliani Rattled, Cancels Remarks as Pro-lifers Disrupt Sunday Bus Tour Stop

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Posting today covered a gamut of killings and killers from one end of the spectrum to the other, in one way or another receiving winks from complicit governments. This is in between, a killer in our august Senate...

Mary Jo Kopechne, may you rest in peace and may your killer be brought to justice on this Earth and beyond.

Thread by governsleastgovernsbest. Thanks, narses, for the ping.

Could a description of Mary Jo Kopechne's death in a car accident possibly not mention Ted Kennedy till five paragraphs later?

Yes........

'A Well-Publicized Automobile Accident in Massachusetts Nearly 39 Years Ago'

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