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Material Girls: How Feminism Betrayed Terri Schiavo
BreakPoint ^ | March 31, 2004 | Leslie Carbone

Posted on 04/01/2005 2:54:16 PM PST by Mr. Silverback

On March 31, 2005, thirty years after feminism’s hey-day in the 1970s, a woman died from dehydration, on the orders of her adulterous husband, who was supported by the courts in his quest to end his wife’s life.

On February 25, 1990, Theresa Schindler Schiavo collapsed in her home and suffered significant brain damage. In 1992, Mrs. Schiavo’s husband Michael was awarded a $1,050,000 malpractice settlement, of which $300,000 was allocated for Mr. Schiavo’s loss of consortium and $750,000 for Mrs. Schiavo’s rehabilitative care. Mr. Schiavo subsequently refused to allow rehabilitative care for his wife.

There are other reasons to doubt Mr. Schiavo’s good will. According to the affidavit of Carla Iyer, a nurse who cared for Mrs. Schiavo during the mid-1990s, Mr. Schiavo “would be visibly excited, thrilled even, hoping that she would die” whenever she contracted an illness, such as a cold or urinary tract infection. “’I’m going to be rich!’” he would exclaim, and “talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died, which included a new car, a new boat” and a trip to Europe.

On other occasions, according to Ms. Iyer, Mr. Schiavo would ask, “When is that b---h going to die?” and “Can’t you do anything to accelerate her death?” During this time, Mrs. Schiavo was capable of limited speech, reports Ms. Iyer. One of her “most frequent utterances” was “Help me.” Ms. Iyer reports that she would record Mrs. Schiavo’s words, as well as Mr. Schiavo’s, in the patient’s chart, only to find them deleted by her next shift. Ms. Iyer’s affidavit was dismissed as “incredible” by Florida Probate Judge George Greer, who allowed the March 18 removal of Mrs. Schiavo’s feeding tube, which led to her March 31 death.

In 1997, Mr. Schiavo became engaged to another woman, with whom he now has two children.

Since the mid- to late-1990s, Mr. Schiavo sought to have his wife’s nutrition and hydration terminated, claiming that she would want to die. The feeding tube was removed and then reinserted twice before the final removal on March 18.

Mrs. Schiavo’s parents, Mary and Robert Schindler, fought for years to prevent their daughter’s death, but federal and state courts found over and over in favor of Michael Schiavo. Mr. Schiavo consistently denied the Schindlers access to his wife’s medical records and even refused to allow them to be by her bedside at the moment of her death.

That court after court could find in favor of the death desired by a woman’s cold-hearted, adulterous husband over the life desired by her loving, heart-broken parents shows the corruption of modern culture. Theresa Schiavo’s death also marks a milestone in modern culture’s embrace of feminist values.

Premier among these values is the wholesale rejection of the sanctity of life. Feminism’s most significant victory was the 1973 legalization of abortion-on-demand. Alan Guttmacher, then president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, hailed the U.S. Supreme Court's verdict in Roe v. Wade as bringing the nation "a step further toward assuring the birthright of every child to be welcomed by its parents at the time of its birth". This bizarre notion that abortion protects children’s rights is rooted in a materialistic view of life, according to which its value is not absolute but is instead subject to its perceived utility. Over the last three decades, the power of this materialistic view of life has expanded to threaten not only the unborn, but also the old and the disabled, like Terri Schiavo.

At the same time that feminism forged the cultural rejection of the sanctity of life, it has also forged the cultural rejection of the sanctity of marriage. In the 1960s, feminists began to see success in their push for no-fault divorce, which they claimed would make it easier for women to leave abusive husbands. Since then, the divorce rate has skyrocketed, as have cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births. Massachusettshas legalized homosexual “marriage”. And large numbers of Americans claimed it didn’t matter when a married President of the United Statesengaged in sexual activity with an intern in the Oval Office.

Against this cultural backdrop, Michael Schiavo waged a campaign to end his wife’s life while conducting a long-term sexual relationship with another woman. The courts ignored the obvious conflict of interest, and talking heads reflect modernity’s moral dissonance by insisting that Mr. Schiavo loved his wife and at the same time claiming that there’s nothing wrong with his “moving on”, the euphemism for shacking up with another woman while his wife lay disabled and denied care.

Once life and family have been trashed, the hard work of providing care for them is devalued as well. Caring for a family isn’t a real job, the feminist culture tells us. Neither is community work. In her affidavit, Ms. Iyer even describes a fellow nurse who “made many comments about Terri being a waste of money, that she should die”. When “an unusual number of patients seemed to die” on this other nurse’s shift, Ms. Iyer reports, she would say, “They are old - let them die.”

Replacing the value that used to be placed on life and on marriage and family is the new value of choice, which is really a code word for selfishness. Women facing unplanned pregnancies may choose to terminate them. An Oscar-winning movie glorifies the murder of a young woman whose paralysis ends her boxing career and, with it, the cheers and applause without which she doesn’t choose to live. We’re even supposed to believe, on the basis of her adulterous husband’s word, that Terri Schiavo would have chosen to be dehydrated to death, and, apparently, large numbers of people do. In all these cases, the value of self supercedes the value of life.

Marriages end at the request of one or both parties, because “it’s not working out” or “we’re not compatible”. Two selves clash, and actually trying to work it out would in some way diminish one or both. Any children involved will understand and be supportive, because they’re better off when their parents are “happy”.

Fulfillment comes not from building and caring for a family, but from career success and all its material trappings—money, power, prestige—in other words, from serving one’s self instead of one’s family.

The irony is that this exaltation of self favors the powerful. The unborn, the old, and the disabled are at the mercy of those on whom they depend. The spouse who makes the most money--usually the man--fares far better after divorce than the one who makes little or nothing, as well as the children for whom she usually retains primary custody.

It’s because feminist values favor the powerful that feminists are so often in the awkward position of having to defend men who have harmed women. Leading feminists, like Patricia Ireland of the National Organization for Women, defended Bill Clinton, on the grounds that his affair with an intern was consensual—in other words, of her choosing as well as his. NOW even opposed charging Scott Peterson with the murder of his unborn son Conner, on the grounds that the nearly full-term Conner wasn’t a person yet.

Michael Schiavo alone was empowered to speak for his powerless wife, and his obvious reasons for wanting her to die were overlooked, while his claim that she would have chosen death is accepted.

The law is supposed to protect the powerless from the powerful. But by ruling against Terri Schiavo’s parents again and again, the courts have perverted justice to enforce the same might-makes-right ethic that would prevail under anarchy.

And Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo lies on the feminist altar of self. May she rest in peace.

Leslie Carbone is the author of Slaying Leviathan: The Moral Case for Tax Reform.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: allterriallthetime; anotherterrithread; clausvonschiavo; cultureoflife; disabled; disabledamerican; enoughalready; feminism; feminists; giveitarest; godblessterri; hags; handicaped; handicapedamerican; itsallaboutme; memememememememememe; moreterriplease; nags; now; nowmonkeys; packupthecircus; rip; schiavocide; schiavorepublic; shesaliveinchristjim; shesdeadjim; terri; terripalooza; terrischiavo; terrischindler; terrisfight; thissidetingles; weneedmoreterri; wheresthemoney; winadatewithterri
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To: tessalu

That's our opinion. A lot of people will disagree, including my grandparents. Sigh, let's hope they are not in the majority.

The Support of Euthanasia is based on three precepts:

1) Lack of faith in medical technology and knowledge. In the near future, one injection will repair a person's brain completely.

2) Underestimating the value of life. The only life not worth living is one that threatens the safety, well-being, and life of others that are innocent. Terri Schindler shouldn't die, her life is still worth a lot. But I could name a lot of people whose life has nearly no value.

3) A desire to control ones life or the life of others. To play God has always been man's first temptation. Life is not ours. It is God's. Although He doesn't actively control when we die, He can intervene if He chooses too. That's why miracles occur all the time even in something as horrific as 9/11 or the tsunami. We are not supposed to be depriving each other of life. We should not even be executing thosewho deprive the life/lives of the innocent. As a matter of fact, we are not even supposed to die. But when man left paradise, a host of forces now have control over his fragile candle light.

As humans, it is our duty to protect as many candle lights as possible and snuff out the black flames of others who are a danger to the safety of those with bright orange/yellow lights. One day we may not have to snuff them, just merely hold them. But until that day comes, the safest custody for those whose candles burn with the black flame of evil is the grave.


61 posted on 04/02/2005 2:03:31 AM PST by Killborn (Liberals. The greatest threat to mankind, morality, civilization, cute puppies and fuzzy bunnies.)
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To: Killborn

Just YES.


62 posted on 04/02/2005 3:10:29 AM PST by DameAutour
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To: DameAutour

:)


63 posted on 04/02/2005 3:14:00 AM PST by Killborn (Liberals. The greatest threat to mankind, morality, civilization, cute puppies and fuzzy bunnies.)
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To: Caleb1411

Ping


64 posted on 04/02/2005 5:11:04 AM PST by rhema
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To: Republican Babe
The Women's Movement hates the Bible and hates God and hates that He has asked us to LOVE and SERVE and be a SERVANT to others. This is what they have always intended to undermine and destroy. He told us to Love others, to lay down our lives for others, that there was no greater love than to lay down our life for a friend. And who are our best friends? Our husbands and our children and He calls us to love them so much and serve them --- And rebellious feminist hates this!!


Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
65 posted on 04/02/2005 5:47:36 AM PST by Esther Ruth ( My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, my portion FOVEVER.)
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To: Killborn
I take it you learned a lot, too much even. It's amazing wwhat ppl say when they out in public and think ther's no one else there but them.

Oh, yes. I learn tons, while most people seem not to even be aware of my presence.

66 posted on 04/02/2005 6:41:23 AM PST by exDemMom (Death is beautiful, to those who hate their own lives.)
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To: Askel5

Well, actually, I know quite about about how sex selection works, since I'm a doctor of biochemistry, and learning that kind of stuff was necessary to get my degree.

In humans, the sex is determined by the X and Y chromosome present in the sperm. But there's more to it than that. There are genetic conditions that prevent the development of a zygote into a boy, even when it has the Y chromosome, because it cannot use the male hormones. So the baby appears to be a girl, but (s)he will never have children.

The article you posted here is interesting. The only way that I can see it being practical to select for sex at such an early stage is if you are trying to get pregnant by IVF, then you can select which embryos to implant. Even then, I think I would tell the doctor, put in one of each, and maybe I'll have twins. My cousin did that, and she now has two lovely children (although the boy has some severe medical problems).


67 posted on 04/02/2005 7:03:56 AM PST by exDemMom (Death is beautiful, to those who hate their own lives.)
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To: Mr. Silverback

Ping


68 posted on 04/02/2005 7:19:05 AM PST by Victor (If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert." -David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister)
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To: Mr. Silverback

Thanks for this post.
`


69 posted on 04/02/2005 9:26:56 AM PST by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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To: Mr. Silverback
The spouse who makes the most money--usually the man--fares far better after divorce than the one who makes little or nothing, as well as the children for whom she usually retains primary custody.

That is patently false. Feminist Lenore Walker's statistics WRT to men having more money after divorce have been proven to be contrived (made up) many, many years ago but still the clueless repeat the bogus femspeak as though it were Gospel.

So far as fathers being routinely discriminated against in child custody matters, that remains the obvious truth. Many to most are legally run out of their children's lives when the mother so chooses to do it. Under those conditions many family court judges are as helpful to mommy as Judge Greer was to Michael Schiavo yet no one in the MSM mentions it.

The rest of the article was spot on.

70 posted on 04/02/2005 10:23:37 AM PST by An American In Dairyland
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To: exDemMom
It's a form of invisibility. Pretty cool. I like the idea of being the guy lurking in the hadows, eavesdropping on friends and foes alike.

Like this guy:

Samuel Fisher. NSA.

The War on Terror: the way it should be, and probably is being, fought.

Beware the Triclops.

"Where is Kombayn Nikoladze?"

Aim. Breathe in. Hold breath. Pull Trigger. Reload. Repeat.

The balaclava mask makes him look cool and also makes him harder to see.

OUCH!

One of the few games you can beat up communists. :)

71 posted on 04/02/2005 1:01:12 PM PST by Killborn (Liberals. The greatest threat to mankind, morality, civilization, cute puppies and fuzzy bunnies.)
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To: Killborn

Oh, those look like the kinds of games my son plays. I can't play them because I get motion sickness very easily.


72 posted on 04/02/2005 1:32:13 PM PST by exDemMom (Death is beautiful, to those who hate their own lives.)
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To: nothingnew
Who's forcing you to read them?

Send your current location to me in Pig Latin, and I'll alert the FBI you're being held prisoner.

73 posted on 04/02/2005 1:36:12 PM PST by Mr. Silverback (Karol Wojtyla, my brother, thank you for being you. Rest in Joy.)
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To: two134711

Anyone who is logged in can add keywords, including incredibly insensitive morons who think they run this site and should be able to direct its content.


74 posted on 04/02/2005 1:37:19 PM PST by Mr. Silverback (Karol Wojtyla, my brother, thank you for being you. Rest in Joy.)
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To: Mr. Silverback
Who's forcing you to read them?

obodynday. Urangodday Oloradocday.

Little touchy odaytay?

FMCDH(BITS)

75 posted on 04/02/2005 1:46:21 PM PST by nothingnew (For some reason, cops think they stop crime, rather than arriving at a crimescene. Puzzling.)
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To: exDemMom

Interesting. Virtually every game has the "seizure warning" on it. I always find it hard to believe that someone could choke while playing a rousing game of Computer chess but better safe than sorry I guess.

I think if the games have a lot of sudden movements, flashing lights, and loud noises, it could bring on seizures or sickness. This definitely applies to more modern games because vidoe game production have been elevated to the level of movie making with cinematography, scenery, casting, voice acting, visual effects, and storyline. As opposed to picking up mushrooms and stomping on turtles, modern games like Halo and Half Life could easily be made into movies. Drooooolllllllllllllllll...

Ahem, um ,anyway... The game that I was talking about in my previous post is called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. That's right. Tom Clancy. He helped came up with the plot, characters, and technical advisory. If you ever watched this game, it is very clear that this could easily be made into a novel. SC is a pretty slow game, where you rely more on your cunning and stealth than your firepower and brute strength. You spend a lot of time lurking in the shadows and avoiding or incapacitating enemies. If you play this game really well, you will kill less than ten people while other games the blood just flows out of your monitor. It is quite a cerebral exercise and I sincerely believe that a) you will not get sick from playing it and b) you'll become hooked.

Besides, what other game out there lets you whack goons from the People's Oppression Chinese communist Fascist Army. :)

[I have a persnal grudge against China.]


76 posted on 04/02/2005 2:05:19 PM PST by Killborn (Liberals. The greatest threat to mankind, morality, civilization, cute puppies and fuzzy bunnies.)
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To: exDemMom

=== My cousin did that, and she now has two lovely children (although the boy has some severe medical problems).


Were they unable to detect them in utero so he could culled?

Did she consider suing the fertility clinic for malpractice in selecting a defective from what were probably other, more perfect, siblings?

It's funny ... I have a marine biologist/physiologist friend who was chatting with me about this yesterday. I'm terribly weak on math and science though both fascinate me and I'd completely forgotten sex, via chromosomes, might be the easiest of all selections to make. I appreciate your pointing out it's not perfect though and I'll look forward to your informed opinion on things in the future if you happen to be around.

Regards.


77 posted on 04/03/2005 9:34:14 AM PDT by Askel5 († Theresa Marie Schindler, Martyr for the Gospel of Life, pray for us †)
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To: Askel5
Were they unable to detect them in utero so he could culled?

I don't know that my cousin would have wanted to "cull" her son.

Did she consider suing the fertility clinic for malpractice in selecting a defective from what were probably other, more perfect, siblings?

As far as I know, she did not sue or consider suing. At the time, a little over 4 years ago, I'm not sure if the technology was yet developed to detect genetic defects before implantation. Since that technology is here now, I would certainly want the embryos screened before implantation, if I do IVF at some point. She still has some embryos in storage; if she decides to go ahead and have more children, I don't know if she will have the embryos screened first.

I appreciate your pointing out it's not perfect though and I'll look forward to your informed opinion on things in the future if you happen to be around.

And I'll be happy to share my opinion!

78 posted on 04/03/2005 6:43:39 PM PDT by exDemMom (Death is beautiful, to those who hate their own lives.)
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To: Mr. Silverback

Bump, bedtime for me.


79 posted on 04/03/2005 6:44:54 PM PDT by iconoclast (Conservative, not partisan.)
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To: two134711

that is why I never even look at the keywords. Too many morons that are afraid to say out loud what they think of the post. It lets them be an anonymous ass that way.


80 posted on 04/04/2005 7:08:48 AM PDT by CharlieOK1 (See http://www.alisrael.com/tamuz/ for what should happen to Iran)
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