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Posted on 03/25/2005 10:28:48 PM PST by FairOpinion
Terri Schiavo's medical condition is in dispute, she left no living will, we don't know her present wishes, and yet the courts are ordering that her husband has the right to kill her? This outrage simply couldn't happen in a culture that considered human life sacred.
"Objection," you say. "The courts are exhibiting their ultimate respect for life by carrying out the wishes of a person to terminate her own life and die with dignity."
Even the "pull the tube" advocates, then, are agreeing that we can't remove the feeding tube unless the patient has previously indicated her intent, either in writing or verbally, that that be done?
But what other conditions must be necessary for the doctors to remove nourishment to a physically healthy patient? Well, presumably, the patient must be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS).
The courts have apparently determined that both conditions have been satisfied: Terri is in a PVS, and she expressed her intention not to be kept alive artificially if she ever arrived in that condition.
But based on informed opinions we've learned about in the last few days alone, isn't it obvious that there is significant doubt as to both conditions?
Nurses who personally treated Terri are coming out of the woodwork to state that Terri was responsive, communicative, capable of swallowing and far from a PVS. Distinguished physicians are opining that Terri is not only not in a PVS, but could likely be rehabilitated. Her parents, who surely would not do anything intentionally to cause or perpetuate Terri's suffering, believe she has been responsive and wants to continue living. Is this not enough to raise extraordinary doubts as to Terri's alleged PVS?
What about Terri's alleged expression of intent that she not be artificially sustained? Shouldn't it deeply disturb us that the courts are relying primarily on the testimony of an estranged, discredited husband riddled with personal conflicts of interest to divine Terri's intent, especially when Michael reportedly didn't share that communication for some seven years after Terri's "incident"?
Shouldn't it haunt us that a number of Terri's nurses have stated that Michael forbad rehabilitative and other treatment to Terri at a time when she seemed susceptible to improvement and that he made shocking statements about Terri? What possible motive, other than masochism, would they have to lie?
With his egregious conflicts of interest does anyone really believe Michael is motivated to honor Terri's, rather than his own wishes?
Even if Terri did express something to Michael, how likely is it that she had a feeding tube in mind? Does anyone believe she actually spoke with anywhere close to such specificity: indicating to Michael that she wanted to be starved and dehydrated to death even if there were serious doubt as to her being in a PVS?
Don't say it doesn't matter because the types of life-sustaining measures a person requires depend on the condition the person is in. Indeed, if it doesn't matter, why are makers of living wills required to specify such choices?
Let me also ask you to consider this: What if a person had a living will stating she did not want to be kept alive if she ever became brain damaged with limited cognitive functions, but once she arrived at that state, expressed a desire to continue living?
Should her written directive override her even present intentions? Stated another way, should we dishonor a person's will to live, even if she doesn't have any more brainpower than a severely retarded person, solely because she issued a previous directive to the contrary when she had greater capacity?
If so, aren't we saying, in effect, that a mentally handicapped person's life is less valuable, less precious than that of a person with full mental capacities? Aren't we deciding to terminate life based on our subjective view of one's quality of life?
What this boils down to is that our courts (and far too many in society) are so acclimated to our Culture of Death that they are erring on the side of death. Despite enormous doubts about Terri's condition, her intentions, and even her initial injury, the courts are determining that in the end, none of this matters because anyone in Terri's diminished state (no matter what it specifically is) is better off dead. It's essentially a court-ordered murder based on the court's subjective assessment of the victim's quality of life -- an assessment tainted by its diminished reverence for human life.
The decision to kill Terri Schiavo is not in deference to Terri's intentions, about which there is way too much doubt, but to godlessness, humanism and death. It is to quench society's lust for death.
This case marks a turning point in the Culture War, where society is making a giant leap toward the dark side, embracing the lie over truth and death over life. In our relentless quest to become like gods, we are crossing another sacred line, and it is hard to imagine how we might return.
What this boils down to is that our courts (and far too many in society) are so acclimated to our Culture of Death that they are erring on the side of death. Despite enormous doubts about Terri's condition, her intentions, and even her initial injury, the courts are determining that in the end, none of this matters because anyone in Terri's diminished state (no matter what it specifically is) is better off dead. It's essentially a court-ordered murder based on the court's subjective assessment of the victim's quality of life -- an assessment tainted by its diminished reverence for human life.
The decision to kill Terri Schiavo is not in deference to Terri's intentions, about which there is way too much doubt, but to godlessness, humanism and death. It is to quench society's lust for death.
This case marks a turning point in the Culture War, where society is making a giant leap toward the dark side, embracing the lie over truth and death over life. In our relentless quest to become like gods, we are crossing another sacred line, and it is hard to imagine how we might return.
The left is now re-defining "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Well said! So sad.
Good piece. Must be in the genes...
"The left is now re-defining "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
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And the left claims to be the defenders of the defenseless, and disabled....
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Nazi Extermination of People with Mental Disabilities
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/people/DocEuth.htm
Q: Witness, when adult persons were selected for euthanasia and sent by transport to euthanasia stations for that purpose, by what methods were the mercy deaths given?
A: The patients went to a euthanasia institution after the written formalities were concluded - I need not repeat these formalities here, they were physical examinations, comparison of the files, etc. The the patients were led to a gas chamber and were there killed by the doctors with carbon monoxide gas (CO).
Q: Where was that carbon monoxide obtained, by what process?
A: It was in a compressed gas container, like a steel oxygen container, such as is used for welding - a hollow steel container.
Q: And these people were placed in this chamber in groups, I suppose, and then the carbon monoxide was turned into the chambers?
A: Perhaps I had better explain this in some detail. Bouhler's basic requirement was that the killing should not only be painless, but also imperceptible. For this reason, the photographing of the patients, which was only done for scientific reasons, took place before they entered the chambers, and the patients were completely diverted thereby. Then they were led into the gas chamber which they were told was a shower room. They were in groups of perhaps 20 or 30. They were gassed by the doctor in charge.
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Of course we are all sure it was OK, because everyone knows, that those people wouldn't have wanted to "live like that" anyway. (bitter sarcasm)
Anyone that argues that it's sensible to kill this woman is themselves capable of anything in my view. People like Hillary and some in the US Senate figured this out. That's why they didn't stand and be counted. It says so much about them. And they know it. You can't hide from this discussion. If you open your mouth either you are for the good or the bad.
I never ever thought I'd see something like this in America. We have devised our own way of taking a woman out into the middle of the soccer field and justify shooting her in the back of the head while people cheer.
This week America looks as mean, evil and pathetic as the worst backwards third world country we have so easily pointed at in the past and shook our finger at with American moral and righteous indignity. And you know what? Until this past week we had the moral standing to shake that finger.
If this women dies at the hand of our judicial system we are just another banana republic. Another Congo. We should be hiding somewhere in the spider hole. In shame.
I'm disgorrified at this. Equally disgusted and horrified at the same time.
You nailed it! WE,the self -annointed collective,of the late United States of America....
I've been documenting our incremental descent for years, even before I came to FR.
I started the Death Cultivation bumplist just to have a repository to collect the various stories which informed us of elitist intentions. It also tended to demonstrate how, without a forceful political and/or spiritual leader, our nation tended to become calloused on the subject of death over life. That showed even in a good number of people here at FR.
The DeathCultivation bumplist collection was cut-off shortly after John activated FR's keywords. A good part of that collection can still be found at the keyword DeathCultivation: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=deathcultivation
Our decline is not only not pretty, it has accelerated. Only a few years ago the number of scoffers was considerably higher than it is now. I do not feel vindicated at all. I am in despair that I had so little impact.
Very thoughtful piece by brother Limbaugh. I'm so sad by what's happening to this poor woman and to our country--well what many people are causing/allowing to happen. It's been a very sad week.
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What is so sad, is that so many people are falling for this lie, that "it is better to die than live like that" and "starvation is a painless death."
From what I understand Terri is now bleeding from the eyes and tongue, and her tongue is swollen in her mouth and her skin is starting to flake off. Horrible.
How many people are going to, under the influence of the left, going to sign advance directives depriving themselves of food and water. And maybe find out too late it's not the heaven it's represented to be by the MSM.
My mother always said she never could understand how people could commit suicide by jumping off a building, because what if you change your mind halfway down?
Can you imagine all these adamant leftists surprise at discovering they really DON'T think they might be better off dead, and that your skin cracking off for 10 days is not the funnest way to go?
"This past week has shown that many many people we have in elected office, running courts and on TV are simply insane." Sadly, they are not insane. They are in a far worse condition ... they have silenced the still small voice of conscience and now cannot discern right from wrong so they serve wrong as they are told it is enlightenment.
Allow me to connect a few dots: judge Greer signed orders allowing Michael Schiavo to raid the $700,000 trust set up by court award for Terri's rehabilitation, and to pay more than $300,000 of it to George Felos, Chairman of the Board at Hospice, business associate of Greer. Then, Felos turns around and donates heavily to Greer's relection.
Yes, with the only difference being we look "prettier".
What nonsense.
He's a republican, as if that matters for anything anymore.
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