Right Wing Nut House

My post yesterday on what it would be like to starve to death generated some of the most disgusting, revolting, and nauseating comments ever posted on this site. I was amazed. I was flabbergasted. I was appalled. For the first time, I felt it necessary to actually delete comments from a post due to the vile language and outright hostility of so many on the left who accused me of everything from being a paid Republican consultant to a religious fanatic (I’m an atheist).

At any rate, the thrust of the argument against Terri is that she has no cognitive abilities left, that she has less brains than, as one commenter put it, “my front lawn.” And that nobody should have to live like this or nobody would want to live in this manner.

Okay…I’ll bite. Here’s some more afflicted individuals you compassion Nazis can line up against a wall.

SEVERELY RETARDED

About 3-4% of the mentally retarded are considered “severely retarded.” What does that mean?

Children are classified as severely retarded when their IQ scores fall in the range of 20 to 40. This group accounts for only 3 to 4% of the mentally retarded population. The severely retarded have poor muscle coordination and limited communication and self-care skills during early childhood.

Some but not all of these children will never be capable of feeding themselves, of being toilet trained, of having a single normal relationship with another human being, and are totally dependent on someone else to take care of them. They might not qualify as having the cognitive abilities of “a front lawn” but perhaps we could describe them in terms of having the brains of a bush or a shrub. You feed them, they grow and that’s about it. I wouldn’t want to live like that, would you? Off with their heads!

SEVERE SPINA BIFIDA

Here’s another candidate group for your execution conga line; infants with severe spina bifida.

Already, the compassion Nazis who brought us the Groningen protocols have taken to executing infants with severe spina bifida. The problem is that it’s not always clear that the infants (who are in excrutiating pain and have little chance of leading anything close to normal lives) deserve to be murdered. The fact is that the Groningen protocols were not designed to set guidelines on when to euthanize someone, they were designed to keep doctors and other health care professionals out of the slammer for carrying out the murder in the first place! Don’t believe me? Here’s a blurb from an article in the NY Times about Dr. Eduard Verhagen, the infamous Dr. Death, who designed the protocols:

He and his colleagues started familiarizing prosecutors with difficult cases, even including them on daily rounds.
.
And they developed a protocol, published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, that is both a checklist and a how-to-guide for Dutch doctors who are considering ending a baby’s life and still want to stay out of jail.

The problem with this is that no one speaks for the infant. If the parents feel it’s too inconvenient to raise a baby with severe spina bifida, why should a Doctor stand in the way? As long as he follows the protocols, he’s in the clear, legally speaking.

Maybe you moonbats can get the ball rolling on this. I’m sure the ACLU would have some excellent ideas on how to execute these babies without the Doctor having to go to jail.

LATTER STAGE ALZHEIMER PATIENTS

There is nothing this side of hell worse than watching a loved one succumb to the ravages of Alzheimers disease. I know quite a bit about this disease having watched my mother drift slowly away until there was nothing left except the shell of a body and a destroyed mind.

It’s important to know that patients suffering from the latter stages of this excrable disease can take years to die. In the meantime, they scream.

They scream from the time they get up until the time they fall asleep. The don’t function at the level of a child; they function at the level of an animal. I can tell you that when my mother first realized she was drifting away, she pleaded with us to kill her. She had seen her own mother waste away in a nursing home with the disease and did not want to end up like her.

At what point would it have been “compassionate” to just give her a shot and end it all? Who makes that decision? And could you ever be sure that such a decision would be made in the interests of the the afflicted? How could you prevent greedy relatives from simply offing a prospective gold mine?

These are questions we didn’t want to face and wouldn’t have answered anyway. In the end, with the help of some extraordinarily compassionate and loving nurses as well as the loving care of my oldest brother who lived with her, she was able to stay at home until three days before her death.

But, hey! There are enough of these poor unfortunates wasting away in nursing homes that I have no doubt all of you “little Eichmans” out there would, in the name of deciding what kind of quality of life all the rest of us should enjoy, would have no compunction about getting these poor unfortunates onto the scaffolding and into your hangman’s noose.

In addition to the above candidates for your state sponsored murder, I’m sure there are literally dozens of diseases that afflict the minds of people to the point where, in your twisted, grotesque, inhuman cult of death, you’d” be willing to pay the schilling and have them dance with the executioner.”

I decided to repost this powerful piece from Raven at And Rightly So because of its relevance today. It was originally published on 2/24/05.

Raven at And Rightly So is a medical professional who cares for the aged and chronically ill. Although I didn’t ask her, from her commentary on the following “Exit Protocol” (Ravens comments follow the ~ sign) she appears to have some experience in being present when feeding tubes are either removed or “clamped off.” With permission, I’ve reprinted her post on what it’s like to starve to death.

NOTE: If you’re at all squeamish, I suggest you NOT read the following.

This “Exit Protocol” is a recipe for how to kill someone by starvation and dehydration, and then manage their symptoms while they slowly die.

For instance, the nurses will put lip balm on Terri because her lips will crack, peel, and bleed from the dehydration.
~And her mouth will not open after a day or two…the aides will pry it open to do oral care. They’ll do a good job with it though.

They’ll use body lotion because Terri’s skin will begin to break down and show signs of flaking, drying, cracking, or being parched.
~Hopefully they’ll use a nice scented lotion so Terri can have stimulation. The aides will never forget the smell.

They’ll put a “scopolamine patch” behind her ear to enhance the drying up of saliva and other secretions.
~Can you imagine how your mouth would feel?

“Chux pads” will need to be used-and changed quite often because of incontinence of Terri’s bowels and bladder.
~Only for a few days. Then there will be nothing left to void. Ever had a UTI? That’s what it will feel like.

When Terri begins to writhe in pain (multifocal myoclonus) and she becomes agitated from metabolic changes and electrolyte imbalances due to no fluids or nutrition, the attending staff will have to give her 5 to 10 mg of Valium (diazepam)-rectally-every 4 hours.
~Ha. This will only “cure” the movements, not the pain. She will still have tears.

If Terri experiences a Grand Mal seizure, they’ll give her 15 mg of Valium immediately, and then as needed thereafter.
~Ever have a seizure? It’s not fun. And they can kill you.

When her body shows signs of an inability to breathe by gasping for air (dyspnea), they will immediately give Terri 2 to 4 mg of morphine every 4 hours.
~And the morphine will cause her respirations to decline even further, thus aiding in the process of her death.

And all of this will go on for 7 to 10 days…
~Maybe longer.

UPDATE: 3/20/05

Michelle Malkin links to an unbelievable New York Times piece that says starving to death ain’t half bad:

“From the data that is available, it is not a horrific thing at all,” Dr. Linda Emanuel, the founder of the Education for Physicians in End-of-Life Care Project at Northwestern University tells the New York Times. “In fact, declining food and water is a common way that terminally ill patients end their lives, because it is less painful than violent suicide and requires no help from doctors,” the paper maintains. (emphasis added).

This from the newspaper so outraged by the torture of terrorists.

Someone-perhaps Michelle herself-should set the record straight on this.

Cross-Posted at Blogger News Network

“How could this happen?”

That’s a question that’s being asked all over the blogosphere today as the State of Florida yesterday sanctioned the deliberate starvation of an otherwise healthy but cognitively disabled woman.

It’s unfortunate but perhaps necessary that Terri’s struggle has now entered the realm of politics. Now the debate will begin in earnest. It will be a debate that touches the very heart of what kind of society we are and how we as people see ourselves.

What value can we place on the life of someone like Terri? Is she better off dead? Would you want to live like that?

Each time we kill someone like Terri it gets easier. Each time we make a decision to end the life of someone like Terri we expand the boundries of what’s “permissable.” Each time the debate is joined, the advocates for the cult of death point out the “special nature of this particular case” or that it’s only an “isolated incident.”.

If there’s a better explanation of “the slippery slope” I haven’t seen it.

Witness the Groningen Protocols, the procedures developed at a Dutch hospital of when to deliberately kill children up to 12 years old with painful, incurable diseases. In an interview with the New York Times, Doctor Eduard Verhagen, the physician who developed the protocols, sounds reasonable, compassionate, and thoughtful:

Verhagen is asking people to recognize something many would prefer not to even think about: A few babies are born with conditions so horrific, so excruciatingly painful, that their doctors and even their parents think they would be better off dead.

His push for an open and detailed discussion of such cases could one day, some hope and others fear, lead to the formal legalization of infant euthanasia in the Netherlands.

But here’s where things start to get a little sticky:

Once everyone - doctors, parents and social workers - agrees there is nothing more to be done for a child medically, a time is fixed to start administering a deadly intravenous drip of morphine and midazolam, a sleeping agent.

Advance notice of a couple of days is important, Verhagen said, so consenting parents have enough time to say goodbye and, in at least the instance of two devoutly religious families, to pray.

Verhagen says he has watched one child die and was there moments later for the other three. All had severe forms of spinal bifida.

There’s no doubt that some forms of spina bifida are inoperable and extremely painful for the infant. But where do you draw the line? Some forms of spina bifida are treatable, although the number of operations, the expense, the care necessary for such an infant, may sound like a pretty bad deal for the parents.

In a case like that, who speaks for the child? Ostensibly, the “social worker” and the Doctor would be looking out for the interests of the child. But not necessarily:

He and his colleagues started familiarizing prosecutors with difficult cases, even including them on daily rounds.

And they developed a protocol, published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, that is both a checklist and a how-to-guide for Dutch doctors who are considering ending a baby’s life and still want to stay out of jail

.

If the purpose of these protocols is mainly to keep doctors who practice euthanasia out of jail, who then speaks for the little ones? Who would stand up to a parent and say “There’s no reason to euthanize your child, the condition is treatable. Yes, it will cause problems and inconvenience in your life but this is what you signed on for when you decided to become a parent.”

The answer is no one will be there. And one more step into the darkness will have been taken.

But don’t worry, it’ll be easier next time. And the next. Until there are so many “special cases” and “unique situations” that it will be difficult to differentiate between killing for mercy and killing for convenience. In the end, it doesn’t matter much does it? The people affected are just as dead.

All of the cause celebres over the last 25 years beginning with Karen Ann Quinlan, through the “assisted suicide” debates of the 1980’s and 90’s, to the point we’ve reached now with Terri Schiavo have proceeded in a frighteningly logical manner. Each time we’ve given slack on the issue of life versus death, the forces of death have won out.

I’m not convinced, as many right-to-life advocates are, that our attitude towards abortion is necessarily part of the problem. But I recognize the fact that abortion also, has proceeded down its own slippery slope to where it’s now seen as just another form of birth control by its proponents. Perhaps this is part of a wider conspiracy against the helpless, the infirm, and those whose silent screams from untold thousands of lonely graves echo in protest against the travesties of our time.

Terri Shiavo may yet be saved. But her case is a warning. When the juggernaut of state sponsored “compassion” overrides the fundamental values and even common sense of the people, then democracy itself is in peril.

The slope is getting steeper and we’re starting to slide faster. Who will stop it?

By faces like thine own besought, Thine own blind helpless eyeless face, … Look on thine household here, and see These that have not forsaken thee. … (A.C. Swinbourne)

Cross-Posted at Blogger News Network

UPDATE:

The Captain links to some news I hadn’t heard regarding the Supreme Court’s response to a Congressional appeal to restart Terri’s feeding tube:

The U.S. Supreme Court late Friday denied without comment a House committee emergency request to have Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube reinserted. The decision came after the committee requested the court’s ruling in order to buy time as lower court appeals on subpoenas issued by the committee are considered.

And here’s a prescient observation by Mr. Morrisey:

It’s possible that one of the lower courts could rule over the weekend, but more likely that Congress will act first to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills passed last week. The earliest we can expect that kind of action will be Monday morning, almost 72 hours after Terri’s food and water were withdrawn.

I’ve heard that there is a movement afoot to start a hunger fast to mirror Terri’s suffering. (Note: Go Here for more info) The powerful symbolism of such a statement couldn’t be ignored by the mainstream media, that continues to distort and misstate many of the facts in this case.

Other Views and Updates:

Vodkapundit (Lashawn Barber) subbing for Stephen Green, Lawshawn has been blogging on this from day one.

Ace has an interesting take on Michael

Powerline has a thoughtful piece.

David Limbaugh has a link to an article that quotes Tom De Lay in his “exterminator” mode.

Schindler family attorney David Gibbs on Terri’s condition:

“Terri is not terminal,” he said. “If we feed Terri … she will live another 30 to 40 years.”

Asked why, if she can swallow, a feeding tube is necessary, Gibbs said he has inquired whether Schiavo could receive food by mouth, and “courts in Florida have said no. The order is to stop all food and water.”

It’s getting so easy in this country to kill someone. Hell, you don’t even need a good reason anymore. Used to be if you wanted an abortion, the “life or health of the mother” would have to be at stake.

Now you can get an abortion at seven months if your kid has a cleft palate. Ho-Hum. Just another “controversy.” Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

And when CBS aired it’s “Dr. Death” report on “60 Minutes” that had the media star and cult of death hero Jack Kevorkian “assisting” in the suicide of a man who, while in a lot of pain, was unnecessarily shot up with a lethal cocktail of drugs that deiberately ended his life, how did our good and compassionate Dr. Kevorkian feel about this?

MIKE WALLACE: You were engaged in a political, medical, macabre publicity venture, right?”

DR. KEVORKIAN: Well, that could be. I can’t argue with that. Maybe it is ghoulish, I don’t know -it appears that way to you, I can’t criticize you for that. But the main point is the last part of your statement — that the deed be done.

This guy is a hero to those who worship at the altar of death.

Societies used to have a trap door where ghouls like this would disappear after a fair trial. Now they write books and sing songs celebrating their deeds. They become cult figures gathering followers like the prophets of old and agitate for “the right to die” or, more accurately, “the right to end life whenever we damn well think it should be ended.”

The rules that societies set up nearly two thousand years ago to take the decision to end life out of the hands of humans and place it in the hands of the almighty were a radical departure from classical societies in the past. Both the Greeks and Romans routinely murdered the weak, the lame, even the sickly. Female children have been the target of post natal murders for thousands of years with the Chinese government going so far as feeling it had to issue an edict against the practice within the last two years.

But the radical values of Christianity that posited the notion that God was in every human being not just up on a mountain or in the sky started to mitigate against the wanton slaughter of the helpless ones. When nation states formed in the late middle ages, the strictures against these kinds of killings were put into law.

So what happened? Why has the cult of death re-emerged here and even more forcefully in Europe?

Part of the answer is the modern marvel of medical technology that, according to some medical ethicists, has advanced too quickly; that our ability to make moral judgements as to its proper use has lagged behind the rapid progress of medical science.

But the real answer has to do with what’s unfortunately come to be known as “secular humanism” or more accurately, ” human centrism.” This idea that we are the supreme arbiters of the universe (or at least this insignificant little corner of it) took hold at the turn of the 20th century as progressives fervently believed that both science and government, if used properly, could make this planet a secular Eden. All of the great scientific advances and social movements in the west including women’s sufferage, unionization of workers, product safety, unravelling the mysteries of the atom, and the huge advances in media and communications are a direct result of the progressive ideals embodied in western democracies.

But something happened on the road to paradise. Where most early 20th century progressives tempered their human centrism with the recognition that there was a power greater than themselves-a “final arbiter” or a deity of some kind-later progressives rejected the idea of a supreme being saying that man himself is moral enough that he can substitute for any superstitious nonsense our ancestors believed in.

A good example of this thinking is embodied in the bible of modern humanists, The Skeptical Inquirer magazine. This article by Paul Kurtz, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and chairman of the Center for Inquiry - Transnational, entitled “Can the Sciences Help Us to Make Wise Ethical Judgments?” is indicitive of modern thinking on ethics.

I submit that ethical values should be amenable to inquiry. We need to ask, are they reliable? How do they stack up comparatively? Have they been tested in practice? Are they consistent? Many people seek to protect them as inviolable truths, immune to inquiry. This is particularly true of transcendental values based on religious faith and supported by custom and tradition. In this sense, ethical inquiry is similar to other forms of scientific inquiry. We should not presuppose that what we have inherited is true and beyond question. But where do we begin our inquiry? My response is, in the midst of life itself, focused on the practical problems, the concrete dilemmas, and contextual quandaries that we confront.

Reading the above you can begin to see where the ratioinale for killing Terri Schiavo comes from. Ethics and values are free floating and formless concepts, subject to reinterpretation whenever it suits us. Current thinking is that the wishes of Terri’s husband take precedence over anything Terri herself may want because, according to Michale Schiavo, Terri told him that “she wouldn’t want to live this way.” So despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, Terri is being put to death, sacrificed on the altar of human centric ideology with the blessings and complicity of the State of Florida.

This barbarous act will come back to haunt us. As we move closer to a society where people are judged not for who they are but for what they can contribute, new outrages will sicken us. But in the end what do we do?

Do we shake our heads sadly, shrug our shoulders in resignation, and go back to watching the Michael Jackson trial? Or do we finally start to hold our politicians to account from both parties who either actively work to promote this culture of death or turn their heads while we throw our brothers and sisters out like a sack of garbage?

Cross-Posted at Blogger News Network

The legal and legislative manueverings to save the life of Terri Schiavo in these last hours before the forced removal of the feeding tube that keeps her alive have met with limited success and in some cases outright failure.

1. The Florida House passed a bill that would make it illegal to remove someone from a feeding tube unless they had specifically requested it be done passed by a vote of 78-37. However, a similar measure in the Florida Senate was narrowly defeated 21-16 raising doubts as to whether lawmakers could reach a compromise in time.

2. Late Wednesday, the US House passed a bill by voice vote that would move jurisdiction of Terri’s case from the state District Court in Florida to a Federal Court. But the Senate seems to be unwilling to immediately consider the matter, although Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) said said he would later try to pass a separate Senate bill and get it to the House before it leaves for its Easter recess Friday.

3. Terri’s parents have filed a brief with the United State Supreme Court to stop the removal of the feeding tube so lower courts could consider whether their daughter’s religious freedom and other rights have been violated.

4. And Judge Greer has scheduled a hearing Thursday on a request from the state to keep the woman alive.

None of these options seem particularly promising. Which means perhaps only one thing could save Terri now; a direct appeal from President Bush himself.

At the White House, press secretary Scott McClellan said the case raises “a lot of complex issues” and declined to comment on specific legislation. But he said Bush “stands on the side of defending life.” If that’s true, a direct appeal by the President to Senate Republicans to expedite the matter could allow the bill to become law before the Congress recesses for Easter on Friday.

The House bill would allow federal courts to hear motions on the case. In the past, when Terri’s parents have appealed to the federal bench, the courts have said they lack standing in the matter. The House bill would give that standing to the federal courts thus allowing Terri’s parents another legal avenue.

UPDATE: FROM THE “ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE” DEPARTMENT

This from the Blogs for Terri Website:

March 17, 2005
Latest Update on US Senate
THE US SENATE HAS THANKFULLY JUST PASSED THE BILL FOR TERRI.

IT MUST RETURN NOW TO THE US HOUSE TO FIX THE LANGUAGE SO BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE MATCH!

THIS IS GREAT NEWS, FOR NOW.

Statement by the President
March 17, 2005

The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and concern. It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected ? and that culture of life must extend to individuals with disabilities.

“Your lightest touch commands our obedience.” (From “Gladiator“)

That’s all it took…just a few simple words from the President.

Terri Schiavo’s last days are approaching.

TAMPA, Fla. - A state appeals court Wednesday refused to block the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube later this week in the long-running right-to-die battle between the woman’s husband and her parents.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland turned down a request from Bob and Mary Schindler for a delay while they pursue further appeals, and for a new trial on their daughter’s fate.

The tube is scheduled to be removed on Friday at 1 p.m.

(HT: Wizbang)

The Florida legislature has two bills that should be passed sometime in the next 24 hours but the chances of any court intervention on Terri’s behalf while the constitutionality of the laws are determined are slim.

Blogs for Terri informs us of a bill working its way through Congress that would give the federal courts jurisdiction over Terri’s life:

The leaders could decide to call up a bill that would allow parties to the case, which has been tried in Florida courts, to petition to have it heard in Federal District Court. Alternatively, the GOP leaders could decide to try to move a private bill dealing specifically with the Schiavo case.

Democrats have expressed reluctance to intervene due to the expidited nature of the issue and its potential ramifications.

Sensible…but wrong.

Without benefit of tests to show whether or not Terri is truly in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) it would seem prudent to take this issue away from state courts and place Terri’s fate in the hands of judges who don’t have to face the voters on a regular basis. I truly believe that the fact that Florida District Court of Appeals judges have to run for re-election colors their judgement in high profile cases like Terri’s.

Whatever is going to happen in the Congress and the Florida Statehouse, it better happen very soon.

UPDATE: 3/17

Blogs begin to weigh in on the bad news:

Cao’s Blog has a whole slew of posts…just keep scrolling. Cao has been on this story for two months. As a johnny-come-lately- to the issue, I can’t imagine what she and Crystal abd Raven and all the bloggers who’ve given so much to help in this worthy cause are going through.

The Captain has finally realized the stakes:

Up to now, my inclination was to consider this an unfortunate case of dueling experts and bitter family feuding. Now I think this is something more. The people who want the feeding tube pulled all seem to have vested interests outside of Terri’s well-being — Cranford wants to push an agenda for euthanazing people who he finds inconvenient, and Michael Schiavo appears to have a long history of neglect, or at least disinterest in pursuing the proper testing for his wife’s condition.

Polipundit links to an NRO article by Father Johansen and has this to say:

Judge Greer ruled, as a finding of “fact”, that Terri‘s condition is “Persistent Vegetative State” (PVS), based solely on the statements of Michael Schiavo. Reverend Johansen says he has found over 30 board-certifified neurologists who are willing to testify that they have “grave doubts” with a ‘PVS’ diagnosis, and that Terri should re reexamined.

Hugh Hewitt also blogs about the Johnasen piece and adds this:

The indifference of major media to the underlying facts of this case even as they obsess over the smallest detail in the proceedings surrounding Michael Jackson illustrates again the deep bias in the MSM against any story that is –in their minds– identified with the pro-life movement. This is a real life-and-death drama, and the big papers haven’t done a tenth of the basic reporting that an ordinary priest in Michigan has undertaken and completed.

This is no time for recriminations but I do have one question. All of the information in the Johansen article has been out there for weeks. Why now, less than 48 hours before Terri’s tube is disconnected, have 3 of the biggest guns of the blogosphere suddenly taken an interest in this?

See my post here for other questions I raised about this issue.

Raven at And Rightly So is a medical professional who cares for the aged and chronically ill. Although I didn’t ask her, from her commentary on the following “Exit Protocol” (Ravens comments follow the ~ sign) she appears to have some experience in being present when feeding tubes are either removed or “clamped off.” With permission, I’ve reprinted her post on what it’s like to starve to death.

NOTE: If you’re at all squeamish, I suggest you NOT read the following.

This “Exit Protocol” is a recipe for how to kill someone by starvation and dehydration, and then manage their symptoms while they slowly die.

For instance, the nurses will put lip balm on Terri because her lips will crack, peel, and bleed from the dehydration.
~And her mouth will not open after a day or two…the aides will pry it open to do oral care. They’ll do a good job with it though.

They’ll use body lotion because Terri’s skin will begin to break down and show signs of flaking, drying, cracking, or being parched.
~Hopefully they’ll use a nice scented lotion so Terri can have stimulation. The aides will never forget the smell.

They’ll put a “scopolamine patch” behind her ear to enhance the drying up of saliva and other secretions.
~Can you imagine how your mouth would feel?

“Chux pads” will need to be used-and changed quite often because of incontinence of Terri’s bowels and bladder.
~Only for a few days. Then there will be nothing left to void. Ever had a UTI? That’s what it will feel like.

When Terri begins to writhe in pain (multifocal myoclonus) and she becomes agitated from metabolic changes and electrolyte imbalances due to no fluids or nutrition, the attending staff will have to give her 5 to 10 mg of Valium (diazepam)-rectally-every 4 hours.
~Ha. This will only “cure” the movements, not the pain. She will still have tears.

If Terri experiences a Grand Mal seizure, they’ll give her 15 mg of Valium immediately, and then as needed thereafter.
~Ever have a seizure? It’s not fun. And they can kill you.

When her body shows signs of an inability to breathe by gasping for air (dyspnea), they will immediately give Terri 2 to 4 mg of morphine every 4 hours.
~And the morphine will cause her respirations to decline even further, thus aiding in the process of her death.

And all of this will go on for 7 to 10 days…
~Maybe longer.

For those who think that the Terri Schiavo matter is a “Right to Die” issue, you simply must read the following from the “Voice for Terri” blog:

If you’ve heard about Terri only through the news media, you’ve probably been led to believe that Terri is in a coma… that shes brain dead…that she’s a vegetable… that she’s on extraordinary life support… or that she wants to die but her parents stubbornly won’t let it happen.

Terri can breathe for herself. She is not on a ventilator. Her vital organs are working fine, which means she is not hooked up to a machine. Furthermore, she is not dying or being “kept alive” by artificial means. She does not have a terminal disease, and she will be able to feel pain if she is starved to death.

In fact, if you want a short history of Terri’s condition and the court case to determine whether she lives or dies, keep scrolling for a very good wrap up.

Back in December, it was revealed that doctors at a hospital in Groningen, Holland had euthanized 4 children, who in their opinion, were terminally ill and in great pain. What made this such an outrage is that the doctors performed the euthanasia without consulting the parents. It was revealed that the hospital had set up a series of “protocols” for euthanizing children up to 12 years old. These protocols allowed physicians to terminate the life of a child for a wide variety of reasons including “quality of life” and “chronic, severe pain” with no prospect of alleviation.

Back then, I wrote:

How did we go from the idea that terminally ill people should decide for themselves whether to live with their suffering or end it with the assistance of their family doctor to this nightmare scenario of faceless bureaucrats deciding who lives, who dies, and on what basis those decisions are made? Is this the “slippery slope” opponents of assisted suicide have been talking about for years?

I vividly remember the debates about the Oregon “Right to Die” law back in 1994. At that time, the assisted suicide lobby paraded dozens of patients that wished to end their lives for a variety of reasons; some were not even terminally ill. We were warned at that time by right to life groups that it was a short step from assisted suicide to euthanizing people without their permission and against the judgement of their families.

The Terri Schiavo case proves that we’ve now entered that territory.

Denied therapy for 12 years by her husband (despite the fact that the nearly $1 million judgement Terri recieved stipulated that she be given this therapy) whose motives are suspect for a variety of reasons not limited to any financial gain that would come his way if she dies, Terri lies in a hospice bed with the shades drawn and all personal effects removed from the room to prevent her from recieving any stimuli that would improve her condition. Her husbands lawyer, George Felos, a right to die activist in Florida, has testified that he can ascertain a person’s desire to die by “looking into their eyes and letting their spirit speak directly to him.”

Terri’s nurses have filed affadavits that she has spoken words on numerous occasions including “momma” when her mother has entered the room and “stop” when a particular medical procedure was causing her discomfort. Her parents confirm these statements and add that Terri laughs and responds to them when they visit.

What all this adds up to is Groningen with a vengeance; a clear case that someone else is going to decide whether or not a relatively healthy but brain damaged woman will die against the express wishes of the only people in the case who seem to have nothing to gain by her death: Her parents.

Captain Ed, as usual, makes a strong case for life:

The issue is a society that treats its infirm and inconvenient as unnecessary burdens, weights that can simply be tossed in the trash as easily as fast-food wrappers. We abort babies by the truckload because they complicate our lives. Some of them get tossed into dumpsters after having reached birth. We execute prisoners because it’s supposedly more cost-effective to do so, even though they inevitably eat up years and years of courtroom time on almost-endless appeals. The suicidal get heroic treatment in movies and real life, with ghouls like Jack Kevorkian lauded and feted and, after getting locked up, becoming a minor celebrity cause.

And the Captain warned us about this last December when the Groningen protocols came to light:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have not just reached a slippery slope - we have hit a greased chute, which is what depresses me more than anything else. Now that Groningen has commenced killing the undesirables and the world has answered with a shrug, we will now hear from the chorus of statists telling us that in an era of limited resources, we need to make these hard decisions for the benefit of the families involved and the greater good of society. That child who may never walk or talk will be such a burden on his family, they’ll say; the parents are too close to the situation to make an informed decision, so we’ll make it for them - for their own good, of course.”

Makes the Captain look like a prophet.

UPDATE: 2/27/04

PBS Watcher informs me that the blogosphere has been inaccurate in its coverage of the Groningen protocols in that in fact, parents must be notified and consulted in the euthanasia decision:

A point of order regarding the Groningen protocol. Contrary to all the blogosphere traffic in December, the protocol does not allow euthanasia without parental consent. We need to be careful with the facts to avoid the Eason Jordan / Dan Rather “fake but accurate” syndrome. See The Groningen Protocol?? for details.

While that may clear up one aspect of the protocols, it still doesn’t lessen my distaste for euthanasia. Human beings are not horses to be shot when in pain or dogs to be put down when an incurable illness occurs. Death is part of the human experience. How we deal with it in all of its pain and sorrow, is what sets us apart from the rest of the dumb brutes who inhabit this planet with us.

Thanks to PBS Watcher for the correction.

Today Terri Schiavo lies at the brink of execution by order of the court, she reacts to stimuli, interacts with her family, feels pain, says things like momma and help me, and yet - according to Judge George Greer and Michael Schiavo, she’s a worthless human being worthy of death by starvation and dehydration. (Courtesy of Blogs for Terri; 2/23/05)

The rap on the bloggers so far after Jordan’s resignation is that we conducted a witch hunt, and Jordan was nothing more than a victim. The dreaded term “McCarthyism” has been thrown at us as well. However, a witch hunt demands innocence of its victim, and Jordan was anything but. (Courtesy Captains Quarters; 2/15/05)

Two stories. Two important stories. Two Blogswarms. What’s the difference?

The Eason Jordan story was driven to the fore of mainstream media coverage as the direct result of the excellent work and tireless efforts of many of the larger blogs.

The Terri Schiavo tragedy has played itself out largely on the fringes of the blogosphere. The work by bloggers has been just as excellent and just as tireless as those who brought Eason Jordan to account. But the probability is that Terri Schiavo will die. And a legitimate question can be raised asking about the indifference of most of the larger blogs to what those of us farther down the food chain are talking about and whether or not their active participation in the blogswarm could have made a difference. (UPDATE: Terri’s case has been continued until 3/18).

This disconnect spells nothing but trouble for this new media. When something as vitally important as the euthanizing of a relatively healthy but brain damaged woman gets lost in the daily dish of gossip, news, and commentary found on the larger sites, one has to ask some penetrating questions about the nature of this new media and what will drive it forward.

Now, we’re not naive here. The sphere is, after all, not a democracy. People can post on whatever topic moves them. In fact in many ways, a blogger is rewarded for blogging on things that no one else is commenting on. By the same token, however, when more than 200 blogs are involved in the fight to save Terri and nary a word is heard from people that could do the most good on this issue, something is terribly amiss.

A check of some ecosystem stats may be revealing. Blogs for Terri is ranked #123 with more than 1200 daily visitors. Technorati reveals nearly 800 individual posts mentioning Blogs for Terri (more than 5400 posts on Terri Schiavo with an unknown number of those in favor of her euthanization).

Compare those stats with ones for Eason Jordan’s story. The Ecosysetm shows the Jordan story tapering off. In its heyday, however, the Easongate site received more than 8500 hits a day, which would have put it into the top 50 sites on the TLB. However, a Technorati search turns up something interesting. Taking into account the difference in time frames for the two stories (each having lasted approximately three weeks), the number of posts on the subject are almost identical.. “Terri” stories were more than 5400 while “Jordan” stories number 5600 to date.

I guess the question that needs to be asked is why was Eason Jordan given the boot while the end of Terri’s life could be merely hours away? Jim Geraghty of TKS links to a post by Doublethink about the way the right side of the blogsophere works:

Do people on the right “vote” a blog post into popularity? No. Are research tasks assigned, or project volunteers sought? No. Glenn Reynolds provides a link to a blog, an Instalanche results, and whatever message was there is widely dispersed. Of course, there are plenty of other large blogs directing traffic, so readers and ideas certainly move independently of Glenn, but he is a major hub.

Now it’s not my intent to pick on Glenn Reynolds or any other blog by name here. And I think, while generally accurate, the quote above is an oversimplification. There are other noteworthy blogs who can flog a story and have proven that in the past. The point is that once you get above a certain level in the ecosysetm, a deadening insularity is evident in what the individual sites post about. Each has their own favorites for certain issues (is there anybody but Chrenkoff who blogs the good news from Iraq better?) and each has an interesting perspective, otherwise we wouldn’t read them now, would we?

So a better question should be asked of ourselves. Why should they care that 200 bloggers are desperately trying to save a woman’s life? Here are some answers from people who have been posting on this issue for weeks. Beth from My Vast Right Wing Consirpacy:

Yesterday I fumed all day about how there are dozens of us small to mid-size-bloggers and ONE biggie (name withheld. ed.) all staying on message with the Terri Schiavo blogburst, with little to no help from those who direct the fuckin’ traffic. While the biggies are busy patting themselves on the back for their success in taking down Eason Jordan (they weren’t the ONLY voices, BTW) and fighting with the moonbats over stupid shit like Jeff Gannon, of all things, we smaller bloggers are actually trying to effect POSITIVE change-trying to save a life, ferchrissake.

Beth’s frustration is showing through, but can you blame her? She and dozens like her have worn their fingers to the bone and feel like their efforts are not only going for naught, but that their voices are getting lost in the gigantic cave that is the blogosphere. With no amplification from larger blogs, the voices trying to save Terri are but a distant murmur, a barely discernible echo in the blogosphere universe.

Crystal of Crystal Clear has brought her perspective as a licensed famiy counselor to this issue in an email I solicited from her:

There are similar issues in blogging about Terri with regards to the facts, truth, and accountability that are similar to Easongate and Rathergate. The main difference I see is that they aren’t bringing down one big wig such as Eason or Rather. Additionally, there is a strong sense in the MSM and the Schindler’s have encouraged this (not right or wrong) of this being a right to die and right to live issue. Although I think that is indeed part of it, I think some people…myself included to a point until last week did not want to be associated with what are perceived in the MSM as right wing religious fanatics.

That’s a possible explanation. Most of the larger blogs do not post much on social issues. But is Terri’s life or death a social issue? Or something more? Here’s Cao of Cao’s Blog:

“…it’s a travesty that the larger bloggers haven’t taken the media to task the way they have in other cases such as the Rathergate affair, Eason Jordan, even the fake indian with his anti-American statements, John Kerry, and many others. There is enough information out there to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that Michael Schiavo is not who the media represents; and to me this an important case–a terribly important case–in terms of the separation of powers e.g., the Judiciary usurping legislative action (which isn’t supposed to happen), an individual’s right to legal counsel-which in Florida is supposed to be guaranteed, particularly if you’re handicapped (which Greer denied her), socialist euthanasia as happened in the ’30’s under Nazi Germany, and even the media bias in favor of Michael Schiavo’s lawyer who is parading his “Right To Die” book around on the money that was supposed to have been used for Terri’s rehabiliation…”

Cao raises some very serious issues. These are issues that have been written about since this story began but which have been ignored by those blogs who would normally look on these same issues with great interest; judicial activism, trial lawyer misdeeds, slanted coverage by the MSM.

What it comes down to is I don’t know why this issue has not cracked the digital ceiling that separates the larger blogs from the rest of us. From my own perspective, it’s very disappointing and a little bewildering that people I admire and who I’ve learned so much from would fail to particpate in this very worthy and worthwhile effort.

My fear is, this is only going to get worse. As late as the November election, the MSM either totally ignored blogs or didn’t even know what they were. Now many of the larger bloggers are finally getting some of the recognition they so richly deserve on both TV and in print. What does this bode for the blogosphere? Will the MSM exposure work to drive more traffic their way while insulating them even further from the rest of us?

For all the talk about the new media being open and self correcting, are we in danger of creating MSB’S? (mainstream blogs). A heirarchal structure would be natural given the ruthless form of democracy practiced on the internet . In such a large universe, the cream can’t help but rise to the top. But, not everybody can be made into Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Some of us will remain “off-brands” for the forseeable future.

The sphere is changing rapidly. More blogs and more readers will mean upward and downward movement in the blog food chain. What will it take to stay on top? Hopefully, the ability to lead the pack on important issues facing the country. But just as importantly, the ability to recognize ideas and issues that bubble up from time to time from the bottom. Perhpas that takes as much courage and determination as bringing down an important newsman. It will certainly mean a leap beyond one’s own insular world at the top of the TLB Ecosystem.