Terri Schiavo (Page 2 of 4)

This is interesting.

V

From:
http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/20 … 10383/0260

The United States of Jesus
By WilliamPitt,

Fri Mar 25th, 2005 at 10:38:03 AM EST :: The GOP ::

"What this issue has done is it has galvanized people the way nothing could have done in an off-election year. That is what I see as the blessing that dear Terri's life is offering to the conservative Christian movement in America."

- Rev. Lou Sheldon, founder of the notoriously anti-gay organization ‘The Traditional Values Coalition’

And O my Lord, how the money rolled in. The quote above comes from a New York Times story describing how far-right groups like Sheldon’s Traditional Values Coalition, along with Operation Rescue and RightMarch.com, are cashing in on the furor that has arisen around the matter of Terri Schiavo. The Puritans believed you could tell if a person was in good graces with the Lord by seeing if they had a lot of money in the bank. Some things, I guess, don’t change.

Rank hypocrisy, of course, is as constant as the North Star. We have progressed beyond hypocrisy this week, however, and are barnstorming towards a kind of fundamentalist theocracy that is cancerous to the basic underpinnings of the republic.

First question: Who is actually running the country? The easy answer is George W. Bush, President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief. An easy answer, but wrong. As has been conclusively proven, no catastrophe or threat can dislodge George when he has boll-weevled into his Crawford ‘ranch’ for some sorta-earned vacation time. Yet last week, in the dead of night, he boarded his chariot (which flies at $34,000 per hour using your taxpayer money, by the way) and raced back to Washington to sign that ‘Save Terri’ legislation.

At whose request? Why, at the request of Rep. Tom Delay. The warnings in the summer of 2001 about an imminent and massive terror attack on the United States could not dislodge George from his repose, but DeLay crooks his little finger and George comes a-runnin’.

Mr. DeLay, with the Traditional Values Coalition, Operation Rescue and RightMarch.com at his back, is fast becoming the most powerful politician in Washington. His strength comes from people like this:

(images of fundamentalist Christians - don't know how to paste em on - check out link)
These are but a few of the protesters who have followed DeLay, Frist and the fundamentalists into the maw of the Schiavo struggle. While the polls say some 80% of Americans do not approve of the congressional sideshow that has been playing out on this issue, DeLay and his crew know where their collective bread is buttered. People like those depicted above make up the backbone of the GOP, the hard-right flank that always always always votes, and votes Republican. These folks are so devoted a GOP voting bloc that if the God of the Righteous swooped down from Heaven on a flaming chariot and denounced George, DeLay, Frist and the rest as craven scumbags, these folks would petition to have Him arrested for disturbing the peace.

Some of them can be a wee bit too devoted, as was the case of the Florida man arrested for trying to steal a gun so he could “take some action and rescue Terri Schiavo.”  I wonder how happy the fundamentalist leadership was upon hearing this story. I’ll bet, secretly, they were pleased. You can’t buy this kind of passion, and if a few eggs get broken in a shootout at the hospice, well, perhaps that’s the price of doing the Lord’s business.

Second question: What is the ultimate goal of all this?

There are a number of answers. This Schiavo matter, clearly, helps these far-right groups line their pockets. It gets the far-right grassroots worked up into a froth. The leaders of this push believe it provides them with a wedge issue with which to attack Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, a supposition yet to be proven. The more strategery-minded in the crew saw it as some cheese dangled before Senate Democrats to lure them into a ‘Culture of Life,’ mudfight, and perhaps as a distraction to deflect attention from the looming battle over the filibuster. Thankfully, the Senate Democrats refused to take the bait.

There’s more to it, though. Much more. The group Americans United for Separation of Church and State got hold of a recording from a March 17-19 meeting of the right-wing group The Family Research Council. Both Rep. DeLay and Sen. Frist spoke at this meeting, and both declared their intention to refashion America into the United States of Jesus. A tasty quote from the confab by Mr. DeLay: "One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America."

According to the Americans United release, during the FRC meeting, Frist and DeLay assured attendees that they would do what it takes to keep Schiavo connected to a feeding tube and also would exert great power to push a whole host of issues central to the Religious Right's agenda. DeLay urged the gathering to contact lawmakers in both chambers to support legislation that would allow churches to become much more involved in partisan politicking. The Texas Republican blasted current federal tax law, which bars both secular and religious nonprofit groups from endorsing political candidates. "It forces Christians back into the church and that's what is going on," DeLay claimed. "That's not what Christ asked us to do. We have to fight back."

I forgot to mention one aspect of this: The Schiavo noise is an excellent blast shield for DeLay, who is facing a raft of serious ethics charges that include a scandal in Texas for his active participation in illegally funneling corporate funds to assist state political campaigns. DeLay's political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), is under criminal investigation for using corporate money to finance Texas campaigns. DeLay has tried to distance himself from the group, but documents show DeLay "personally forwarded at least one large check" to the group and was "in direct contact with lobbyists for some of the nation's largest companies" on TRMPAC's behalf.

DeLay also has admitted offering to endorse Sen. Nick Smith's (R-MI) son Brad, who was running for Congress at the time, in exchange for Smith's "yea" vote on the Medicare bill. His actions violated House rules and earned DeLay a "public admonishment" from the Ethics Committee. Smith originally alleged - and then retracted after pressure from House leaders - that DeLay also offered a $100,000 bribe for his vote. DeLay extended the role call on the Medicare bill for nearly three hours in order "to avoid an embarrassing loss."

The House ethics panel rebuked DeLay for using government resources to help locate a private plane he thought was carrying Texas Democratic legislators. DeLay was trying to force the legislators back to the capitol so he could push through his "bitterly disputed congressional redistricting." The ethics report cited House rules that bar members from taking "any official action on the basis of the partisan affiliation…of the individuals involved" and said DeLay's behavior raised "serious concerns" under such "standards of conduct."

DeLay also used a children's charity, Celebrations for Children Inc., as cover for collecting soft money from anonymous interest groups, some of which was used for "dinners, a golf tournament, a rock concert, Broadway tickets and other fundraising events" at the Republican convention in New York. Because the money was supposedly for charity, companies wishing to curry favor with DeLay were able to do so without revealing themselves as campaign donors. Federal laws governing tax-exempt charities allow no more than an insubstantial portion of a group's revenue to be spent on activities other than the charity's main stated purpose.

You don’t suppose...nah, he wouldn’t use a dying woman to help save his career, power and position. He’s a good Christian man.

In the end, we appear to be witnessing yet another Classic GOP Overreach. While DeLay, Frist and Jeb Bush snuggle in the warm bosom of the far-right, the rest of the country is looking at these guys as if they are certifiably deranged...which, really, is not too far off the mark. The hand of the Democrats in the looming filibuster fight has been strengthened by this debacle, as few Americans outside the fundamentalist community think these guys have shown themselves to be able to handle the power they already have, and never mind the unlimited reach they’ll get if the filibuster goes poof. George has gone Full Turtle on this, tucking his head into his shell and waiting for the bad noise to stop. Meanwhile, there is money to be made off Ms. Schiavo…if you know the right people.

That's right ... the whole point of the Terri Schiavo case is to set a precedent -- both legally and in the public mind -- that that the government can effectively order the death of defective or otherwise useless people.   The way it is being done -- through slow starvation -- might be a "problem-reaction-solution" tactic in order to provoke a public demand for compassionate euthanasia policy.

since this ?objective/rational??? accounting starts off with a false premise "Terri Schiavo suffers cardiac arrest, apparently caused by a potassium imbalance and leading to brain damage due to lack of oxygen. "

all that follows by the law of contradiction becomes mute.

might want to look at other chronologies that show the brain scan as normal for the first 6 days she is in the hospital...

and the subjective way it was written that when the family brought her home after 3 months they were overwhelmed...

this kind of spin is written just so that folks will follow like the sheeple they are.

it is subtle manipulation of some true facts inter-dispersed with non truth...but it all blends together in the undiscerning mind...

it only reports the court guardians that speak in michael's behalf...it totally omits the guardians that spoke in terri's behalf and recommended michael be removed as guardian, and those of course were immediately fired.  now, why is that?  it only mentions the doctors that support the theory that terri is pvs, not the doctors, and no, not the schindler's, but doctors that examined her that said she is cognizant.  never mentions the nurses that came forward with statements over the years that said terri is cognizant...doesn't mention the time michael was alone with terri for 20 minutes and upon leaving she had needle marks on her breast, arms and groin and was in insulin shock and a needle and vile of insulin was found in the trash can in her room...and this "objective and rational" account is many hundreds of thousands of dollars short on the settlement amount. 

doublespeak...

ever really studied what scientology is all about...mind control.  ever think the media might be mind controlled?  ever think it might be having an effect on us?  if you are not looking you will not see.

hum...

http://www.theempirejournal.com/53209_s … _web_o.htm

just read this on a news board...

http://boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.as … ag=bc-news

This is an excerpt from an article I read a few days ago.  Maybe this will change people view on weather Terri's tube should be pulled today.

BAD MEDICINE
And, quite apart from the question of Terri’s therapy and care, it is entirely likely that Terri has never been properly diagnosed. Terri is usually described as being in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS), and indeed Judge Greer ruled as a finding of fact that she is PVS; but this diagnosis and finding were arrived at in a way that has many neurologists expressing surprise and dismay.

I have spent the past ten days recruiting and interviewing neurologists who are willing to come forward and offer affidavits or declarations concerning new testing and examinations for Terri. In addition to the 15 neurologists’ affidavits Gibbs had in time to present in court, I have commitments from over 30 others who are willing to testify that Terri should have new and additional testing, and new examinations by unbiased neurologists. Almost 50 neurologists all say the same thing: Terri should be reevaluated, Terri should be reexamined, and there are grave doubts as to the accuracy of Terri’s diagnosis of PVS. All of these neurologists are board-certified; a number of them are fellows of the prestigious American Academy of Neurology; several are professors of neurology at major medical schools.

So how can Judge Greer ignore the opinions of so many qualified neurologists, some of whom are leaders in the field? The answer is that Michael Schiavo, his attorney George Felos, and Judge Greer already have the diagnosis they want.

Terri’s diagnosis was arrived at without the benefit of testing that most neurologists would consider standard for diagnosing PVS. One such test is MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). MRI is widely used today, even for ailments as simple as knee injuries – but Terri has never had one. Michael has repeatedly refused to consent to one. The neurologists I have spoken to have reacted with shock upon learning this fact. One such neurologist is Dr. Peter Morin. He is a researcher specializing in degenerative brain diseases, and has both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Boston University.

In the course of my conversation with Dr. Morin, he made reference to the standard use of MRI and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans to diagnose the extent of brain injuries. He seemed to assume that these had been done for Terri. I stopped him and told him that these tests have never been done for her; that Michael had refused them.

There was a moment of dead silence.

“That’s criminal,”  he said, and then asked, in a tone of utter incredulity: “How can he continue as guardian? People are deliberating over this woman’s life and death and there’s been no MRI or PET?”  He drew a reasonable conclusion: “These people [Michael Schiavo, George Felos, and Judge Greer] don’t want the information.”

Dr. Morin explained that he would feel obligated to obtain the information in these tests before making a diagnosis with life and death consequences. I told him that CT (Computer-Aided Tomography) scans had been done, and were partly the basis for the finding of PVS. The doctor retorted, “Spare no expense, eh?”  I asked him to explain the comment; he said that a CT scan is a much less expensive test than an MRI, but it “only gives you a tenth of the information an MRI does.”  He added, “A CT scan is useful only in pretty severe cases, such as trauma, and also during the few days after an anoxic (lack of oxygen) brain injury. It’s useful in an emergency-room setting. But if the question is ischemic injury [brain damage caused by lack of blood/oxygen to part of the brain] you want an MRI and PET. For subsequent evaluation of brain injury, the CT is pretty useless unless there has been a massive stroke.”

Other neurologists have concurred with Dr. Morin’s opinion. Dr. Thomas Zabiega, who trained at the University of Chicago, said, “Any neurologist who is objective would say ‘Yes’”  to the question, “Should Terri be given an MRI?” 

But in spite of the lack of advanced testing, such as an MRI, attorney George Felos has claimed that Terri’s cerebral cortex has “liquefied,”  and doctors for Michael Schiavo have claimed, on the basis of the CT scans, that parts of Terri’s cerebral cortex “have been replaced by fluid.”  The problem with such contentions is that the available evidence can’t support them. Dr. Zabiega explained that “a CT scan can’t resolve the kind of detail needed”  to make such a pronouncement: “A CT scan is like a blurry photograph.”  Dr. William Bell, a professor of neurology at Wake Forest University Medical School, agrees: “A CT scan doesn’t give much detail. In order to see it on a CT, you have to have massive damage.”  Is it possible that Terri has that sort of “massive”  brain damage? According to Dr. Bell, that isn’t likely. Sometimes, he said, even patients who are PVS have a “normal or near normal”  MRI.

So why hasn’t an MRI been done for Terri? That question has never been satisfactorily answered. George Felos has argued that an MRI can’t be done because of thalamic implants that were placed in Terri’s skull during the last attempt at therapy, dating back to 1992. But Felos’s contention ignores the fact that these implants could be removed. Indeed, the doctor who put them in instructed Michael to have them removed. Michael has never done so.

The most obvious possible explanation for what would otherwise be inexplicable behavior is that Michael Schiavo, George Felos, and Judge Greer don’t want to admit any information that would upset the diagnosis they already have. Dr. Morin, when told that Michael had refused an MRI, and that Judge Greer had confirmed the decision, said: “He refused a non-invasive test? People trying to do the right thing want the best and most complete information available. We don't have that in Terri’s case.”  Dr. Bell agreed with this assessment, saying, “It seems as though they’re fearful of any additional information.“

She is definitely not alone.  Her mind may be gone thanks to dear hubby, but she has one hell of a spirit.
Kathy