Posted on 03/30/2005 7:46:48 PM PST by Taft in '52
HITLER'S GHOST
They came for the unborn, and I did nothing, for I was already born. They came for the nearly born, and I did nothing, for it had nothing to do with me. Then they came for the infirm, the mute, the least among us...Hitler's ghost still wanders this world . It is set to claim another victim unless someone intervenes. Many of us thought it might have evaporated when Arafat finally died. Nope. It's still here, scratching for its next soul fix.
A commentor on a post below compares Terri to broccoli. Get it--a vegetable? Har dee har har. Funny, though, that outside my kid's Veggie Tales cartoons, I've never seen a broccoli do this (.pdf file):
Terri Schiavo demonstrates behaviors in a variety of cognitive domains that call into question the previous neurological diagnosis of persistent vegetative state. Specifically, she has demonstrated behaviors that are context-specific, sustained, and indicative of cerebral cortical processing that, upon careful neurological consideration, would not be expected in a persistent vegetative state.Based on this evidence, I believe that, within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, there is a greater likelihood that Terri is in a minimally conscious state than a persistent vegetative state. This distinction makes an enormous difference in making ethical decisions on Terri’s behalf. If Terri is sufficiently aware of her surroundings that she can feel pleasure and suffer, if she is capable of understanding to some degree how she is being treated, then in my judgment it would be wrong to bring about her death by withdrawing food and water.
There is a remarkable moment in the videotape of the September 3, 2002 examination by Dr. Hannesfahr that seemed to go unnoticed at the time. At 2:44 p.m., Dr. Hammesfahr had just turned Terri onto her right side to examine her back with a painful sharp stimulus (a sharp piece of wood), to which Terri had responded with signs of discomfort. Well after he ceased applying the stimulus and had returned Terri to a comfortable position, he says to her parents, “So we are going to have to roll her over….” Immediately Terri cries. She vocalizes a crying sound, “Ugh, ha, ha, ha,” presses her eyebrows together, and sadly grimaces. It is important to note that, at that moment, no on is touching Terri or causing actual pain. Rather, she appears to comprehend the meaning of Dr. Hammesfahr’s comment and signals her anticipation of pain. This response suggests some degree of language processing and interpretation at the level of the cerebral cortex. It also suggests that she may be aware of pain beyond what could be explained by simple reflex withdrawal.
Broccoli.
How medicine and society choose to think about Terri Schiavo will influence what kind of people we will be as we evaluate and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable people among us. When serious doubts exist as to whether a cognitive impaired person is or is not consciously aware, even if these doubts cannot be conclusively resolved, it is better to err on the side of protecting vulnerable life.What you do to the least of these...
We don't err on the side of protecting anyone. We don't protect the unborn. We don't protect the nearly born and we're edging closer to the edge of not protecting the recently born. Now we don't protect those born 41 years ago, if they have suffered enough that a couple of doctors and a judge think her life is no longer worth living.
When it comes to snail darters, we err on the side of protecting animals even if humans suffer. But when it comes to human life, we are erring on the side of murder though the method of death guarantees human suffering.
And it's all perfectly legal.
How are the Iraq people going to look at us and our Government? We free them and want them to have a government like our's. But yet our judges do things as bad as if not worst then some things Sadam did. They would say we starve people to death.
for my experiences, they won't look at it the same way an American will.....no matter which side of the story you are on....
President Michael Schiavo has just signed a Presidential Directive stating that babies up to the age of 2 years of age will no longer hold the title of "person" as well as the following:
Congragulations.
During one of the lowest points FR has seen in years, this is hands down the Most Ignorant Post of the Week.
Suffice to say, if you gave an Iraqi the choice of (a) going back under Saddam's law, or (b) dealing with the Florida court system, you wouldn't get a lot of takers for (a).
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