Pope Receiving Visits -- and Displays of Support
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 27, 2005 (Zenit.org).- One of John Paul II's doctors let slip a comment after the Pope appeared at his hospital window.
"It couldn't be going better," said Dr. Rodolfo Proietti, head of the Department of Anesthesiology of Sacred Heart University, who treated the Holy Father during his first hospitalization this month.
The doctor was immediately asked about precautions taken before John Paul II appeared at the window today, but, realizing his earlier indiscretion, he covered his mouth and added: "I'll say no more."
Vatican sources said that the Holy Father spent a good night after the tracheotomy, and is convalescing normally.
During the Angelus today, about 300 youths known as "Papa Boys," an association that arose after World Youth Day 2000, met at the Gemelli Polyclinic after sending one another mobile phone messages, to support the Pope.
They were carrying a banner reading, "Holiness, don't ever give up!" ("Santità, non mollare mai!").
On Saturday, Cardinal Julián Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, also paid a visit. After leaving the Gemelli's 10th floor, he said that the Holy Father "is very well," as "he feels continually accompanied by the Blessed Virgin."
"He is giving a wonderful lesson to the world of love of the cross, as well as of serenity and joy," added the cardinal, who did not see the Pope but said: "I know everything is going very well."
Pierferdinando Casini, president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, was at the Gemelli on Saturday, and although there was no confirmation that he saw the Pope, he said: "There is an atmosphere of serenity. … And this reinforces everyone in the hope and expectation of the Pope's timely return."
ZE05022703
2.26.2005
WHAT HAPPENS to non-terminally ill people with cognitive disabilities whose feeding tubes are removed?
Do they suffer from the process?
When Wesley Smith, attorney and author conducted research on this question in preparation for writing his book "Forced Exit," he asked St. Louis neurologist William Burke these very questions. Here is what he was told:
A conscious [cognitively disabled] person would feel it just as you or I would. They will go into seizures. Their skin cracks, their tongue cracks, their lips crack. They may have nosebleeds because of the drying of the mucus membranes, and heaving and vomiting might ensue because of the drying out of the stomach lining. They feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. Imagine going one day without a glass of water! Death by dehydration takes ten to fourteen days. It is an extremely agonizing death.
Dr. Burke opposes removing feeding tubes from cognitively disabled people and so some might dismiss his opinion as biased. But Minnesota neurologist Ronald Cranford's pro-dehydration testimony in the Robert Wendland case--Cranford also testified that Terri's feeding tube should be removed--supports much of what Dr. Burke asserted. While Cranford called seizures "rare," his detailed description of the dehydration process reveals its gruesome reality:
After seven to nine days [from commencing dehydration] they begin to lose all fluids in the body, a lot of fluids in the body. And their blood pressure starts to go down. When their blood pressure goes down, their heart rate goes up. . . . Their respiration may increase and then . . .
the blood is shunted to the central part of the body from the periphery of the body. So, that usually two to three days prior to death, sometimes four days, the hands and the feet become extremely cold. They become mottled. That is you look at the hands and they have a bluish appearance. And the mouth dries a great deal, and the eyes dry a great deal and other parts of the body become mottled. And that is because the blood is now so low in the system it's shunted to the heart and other visceral organs and away from the periphery of the body .
Apologists for dehydrating patients like Terri Schiavo might respond that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state and thus would feel nothing. Yet, the PVS diagnosis is often mistaken--as indeed it was in other cases. And while the courts have all ruled that Terri is unconscious based on medical testimony, this is strongly disputed by other medical experts and Terri's family who insist that she is interactive with them. Moreover, it is undisputed that whatever her actual level of awareness, Terri does react to painful stimuli. Intriguingly, her doctor testified he prescribes pain medication for her every month during the course of her menstrual period.
View a video of Terri interacting with her Dad
When Wesley Smith, attorney and author conducted research on this question in preparation for writing his book "Forced Exit," he asked St. Louis neurologist William Burke these very questions. Here is what he was told:
A conscious [cognitively disabled] person would feel it just as you or I would. They will go into seizures. Their skin cracks, their tongue cracks, their lips crack. They may have nosebleeds because of the drying of the mucus membranes, and heaving and vomiting might ensue because of the drying out of the stomach lining. They feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. Imagine going one day without a glass of water! Death by dehydration takes ten to fourteen days. It is an extremely agonizing death.
Dr. Burke opposes removing feeding tubes from cognitively disabled people and so some might dismiss his opinion as biased. But Minnesota neurologist Ronald Cranford's pro-dehydration testimony in the Robert Wendland case--Cranford also testified that Terri's feeding tube should be removed--supports much of what Dr. Burke asserted. While Cranford called seizures "rare," his detailed description of the dehydration process reveals its gruesome reality:
After seven to nine days [from commencing dehydration] they begin to lose all fluids in the body, a lot of fluids in the body. And their blood pressure starts to go down. When their blood pressure goes down, their heart rate goes up. . . . Their respiration may increase and then . . .
the blood is shunted to the central part of the body from the periphery of the body. So, that usually two to three days prior to death, sometimes four days, the hands and the feet become extremely cold. They become mottled. That is you look at the hands and they have a bluish appearance. And the mouth dries a great deal, and the eyes dry a great deal and other parts of the body become mottled. And that is because the blood is now so low in the system it's shunted to the heart and other visceral organs and away from the periphery of the body .
Apologists for dehydrating patients like Terri Schiavo might respond that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state and thus would feel nothing. Yet, the PVS diagnosis is often mistaken--as indeed it was in other cases. And while the courts have all ruled that Terri is unconscious based on medical testimony, this is strongly disputed by other medical experts and Terri's family who insist that she is interactive with them. Moreover, it is undisputed that whatever her actual level of awareness, Terri does react to painful stimuli. Intriguingly, her doctor testified he prescribes pain medication for her every month during the course of her menstrual period.
View a video of Terri interacting with her Dad
2.25.2005
Is the St. P Times Biased? You Bet!
The rumor was true; the St. Petersburg Times today published a biased editorial in which the courts were extolled as the proper venue for the Schindlers and Schiavo to hash it out. Governor Bush, DCF, Randall Terry, and all of us who lobby in favor of Terri only turn this into "an unseemly public circus".
How nice that the Times rescinded their demands to censor the advert BlogsforTerri was to publish. But is it wise to support in any way a newspaper and their editors with such an obvious bias?
How nice that the Times rescinded their demands to censor the advert BlogsforTerri was to publish. But is it wise to support in any way a newspaper and their editors with such an obvious bias?
Pope spends calm night, breathes on own after tracheotomy
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II spent a calm night and was breathing on his own after recovering from a successful tracheotomy to relieve acute breathing problems, the Vatican said.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the pope had experienced "notable relief" after doctors performed the 30-minute surgery to insert a tube into the throat to assist breathing late Feb. 24.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the pope had experienced "notable relief" after doctors performed the 30-minute surgery to insert a tube into the throat to assist breathing late Feb. 24.
2.24.2005
Cardinal Martino Appeals for Terri Schiavo
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican official launched an appeal to save Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman whose husband wants her off life-support care.
In statements on Vatican Radio, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said: "If Mr. Schiavo succeeds legally in causing the death of his wife, this not only would be tragic in itself, but would be a grave step toward the legal approval of euthanasia in the United States."
He added: "I would like to remind everyone in this connection, about all that the Holy Father has said in past days to the Pontifical Academy for Life, confirming that the quality of life is not interpreted as economic success, beauty and physical pleasure, but consists in the supreme dignity of the creature made in the image and likeness of God.
"No one can be the arbiter of life except God himself."
In statements on Vatican Radio, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said: "If Mr. Schiavo succeeds legally in causing the death of his wife, this not only would be tragic in itself, but would be a grave step toward the legal approval of euthanasia in the United States."
He added: "I would like to remind everyone in this connection, about all that the Holy Father has said in past days to the Pontifical Academy for Life, confirming that the quality of life is not interpreted as economic success, beauty and physical pleasure, but consists in the supreme dignity of the creature made in the image and likeness of God.
"No one can be the arbiter of life except God himself."
Pope Undergoes Tracheotomy to Help Breathing
Operation Successful, Says Spokesman
ROME, FEB. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II underwent a successful tracheotomy operation to ease his breathing problems, after having been hospitalized for congestion and fever linked to the flu.
During the 30-minute operation this evening, a breathing tube was inserted in the Pope's throat.
Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls said the tracheotomy was a success and that the Holy Father, 84, had approved the procedure.
Earlier in the day the Pope had been readmitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic due to a relapse of the flu that caused his hospitalization Feb. 1.
"As of yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, February 23, the Holy Father showed signs of a relapse of the flu syndrome which had affected him in preceding weeks," said Navarro Valls, director of the Vatican press office, in a statement.
"For this reason, the Pope was admitted this morning to Gemelli Polyclinic for opportune specialized treatment and further tests," added the spokesman.
The Pope arrived by ambulance at the Gemelli around 11:30 a.m. Witnesses said he was conscious, on a stretcher but not totally lying down, and had a calm _expression.
He returned to the same hospital where he was admitted three weeks ago with episodes of larynx-spasm caused by the flu.
The Pope is being treated in his room on the 10th floor of the hospital.
The courtyard of the Gemelli quickly filled with dozens of journalists. Some arrived in vans with parabolic antennas and parked in front of the hospital.
News of the Holy Father's relapse began to spread when his absence was noted at the consistory for the announcement of five upcoming canonizations. It was the first time John Paul II missed such a consistory.
On Wednesday, the Pontiff gave a "video-audience" from his private library to pilgrims gathered in Paul VI Hall, in lieu of his usual midweek general audience.
ZE05022404
In other breaking news on the Pope:
At Gemelli, Journalists Watch and Wait
ROME, FEB. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A few hours after John Paul II's readmission to hospital, the Gemelli Polyclinic of Rome was filled with reporters, anxious to hear about his state of health.
Father Jarek Cielecki, editor in chief of Vatican News Service, a new television service, explained to ZENIT that he has asked his Polish television viewers "to pray before the image of the Virgin of Czestochowa" for the Pope. "The Holy Father will carry the cross while he is alive," the priest said. "The Pope does not resign. Only God can make him resign."
ROME, FEB. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II underwent a successful tracheotomy operation to ease his breathing problems, after having been hospitalized for congestion and fever linked to the flu.
During the 30-minute operation this evening, a breathing tube was inserted in the Pope's throat.
Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls said the tracheotomy was a success and that the Holy Father, 84, had approved the procedure.
Earlier in the day the Pope had been readmitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic due to a relapse of the flu that caused his hospitalization Feb. 1.
"As of yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, February 23, the Holy Father showed signs of a relapse of the flu syndrome which had affected him in preceding weeks," said Navarro Valls, director of the Vatican press office, in a statement.
"For this reason, the Pope was admitted this morning to Gemelli Polyclinic for opportune specialized treatment and further tests," added the spokesman.
The Pope arrived by ambulance at the Gemelli around 11:30 a.m. Witnesses said he was conscious, on a stretcher but not totally lying down, and had a calm _expression.
He returned to the same hospital where he was admitted three weeks ago with episodes of larynx-spasm caused by the flu.
The Pope is being treated in his room on the 10th floor of the hospital.
The courtyard of the Gemelli quickly filled with dozens of journalists. Some arrived in vans with parabolic antennas and parked in front of the hospital.
News of the Holy Father's relapse began to spread when his absence was noted at the consistory for the announcement of five upcoming canonizations. It was the first time John Paul II missed such a consistory.
On Wednesday, the Pontiff gave a "video-audience" from his private library to pilgrims gathered in Paul VI Hall, in lieu of his usual midweek general audience.
ZE05022404
In other breaking news on the Pope:
At Gemelli, Journalists Watch and Wait
ROME, FEB. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A few hours after John Paul II's readmission to hospital, the Gemelli Polyclinic of Rome was filled with reporters, anxious to hear about his state of health.
Father Jarek Cielecki, editor in chief of Vatican News Service, a new television service, explained to ZENIT that he has asked his Polish television viewers "to pray before the image of the Virgin of Czestochowa" for the Pope. "The Holy Father will carry the cross while he is alive," the priest said. "The Pope does not resign. Only God can make him resign."
Pope back in hospital with relapse of flu symptoms
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Two weeks after being released from the hospital after suffering breathing difficulty related to the flu, Pope John Paul II apparently suffered a relapse and returned Feb. 24 to Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said, "Yesterday afternoon, Feb. 23, the Holy Father had a relapse of the flu syndrome with which he had been affected in the preceding weeks.
"For that reason, the pope was hospitalized this morning at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for the appropriate specialized care and further tests," Navarro-Valls said.
The spokesman said the 84-year-old pope left the Vatican at 11:25 and arrived at Gemelli at about 11:45 a.m. He did not provide further details.
Police at the hospital said the pope arrived by ambulance at a side entrance to the hospital, not at the entrance to the emergency room. A source at the hospital said Pope John Paul was conscious when he arrived.
Most people working at the hospital did not know the pope was inside even an hour after he had arrived.
Nicola Cerbino, the hospital spokesman, said there were no immediate plans to issue another medical bulletin.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said, "Yesterday afternoon, Feb. 23, the Holy Father had a relapse of the flu syndrome with which he had been affected in the preceding weeks.
"For that reason, the pope was hospitalized this morning at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for the appropriate specialized care and further tests," Navarro-Valls said.
The spokesman said the 84-year-old pope left the Vatican at 11:25 and arrived at Gemelli at about 11:45 a.m. He did not provide further details.
Police at the hospital said the pope arrived by ambulance at a side entrance to the hospital, not at the entrance to the emergency room. A source at the hospital said Pope John Paul was conscious when he arrived.
Most people working at the hospital did not know the pope was inside even an hour after he had arrived.
Nicola Cerbino, the hospital spokesman, said there were no immediate plans to issue another medical bulletin.
Watch a Newscast from Tampa Bay News
Clearwater - For the second day in a row, protesters were back in front of Michael Schiavo's home, trying to convince him to give guardianship of his wife Terri Schiavo back to her parents.
Randall Terry, President of the Society For Truth And Justice, taped a sign that read "Michael, let Terri live" on Schiavo's front door.
WTSB Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg
Randall Terry, President of the Society For Truth And Justice, taped a sign that read "Michael, let Terri live" on Schiavo's front door.
WTSB Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg
Judge extends stay on removal of Florida woman's feeding tube
CLEARWATER, Fla. - (KRT) - A judge Wednesday barred the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube for 48 more hours, while in a surprise move the state's social welfare agency asked for an indefinite delay to investigate potential abuse of the severely brain-damaged woman.
"We are really elated. Forty-eight hours to us right now seems like six years," said Bob Schindler. "We've been complaining and complaining and complaining that Terri has been abused, but it's fallen on deaf ears."
"We are really elated. Forty-eight hours to us right now seems like six years," said Bob Schindler. "We've been complaining and complaining and complaining that Terri has been abused, but it's fallen on deaf ears."
2.23.2005
Donate to the BlogsforTerri advertising effort
A paypal account should be in place later this evening on BlogsforTerri for the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in order that they can transfer the funds directly to the newspaper(s). Since the funds have to directly to the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, it has taken a few extra steps. A link to their Paypal account will be placed at BlogsforTerri.
Here is a response I received from the Florida H.R.
Dear Constituent:
Thank you for your email. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me regarding this very important issue.
If Terri Schiavo's family chooses to continue the fight for their daughter's life, I hope they will explore all of their remaining legal options.
I believe if we are going to make a mistake in this situation we should err on the side of life. Therefore, if the Legislature can find a way to help Terri, we should pursue it aggressively. Unfortunately we have not yet identified an appropriate action, in addition to those we've already taken, that would be helpful.
What we do know is that this has been a painful tragedy for Terri and her family, and the Florida Legislature is currently working on legislation to ensure that no other family is subjected to the same confusion that the Schindlers have endured.
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved and, of course, especially with Terri.
Speaker Allan G. Bense
Florida House of Representatives
Thank you for your email. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me regarding this very important issue.
If Terri Schiavo's family chooses to continue the fight for their daughter's life, I hope they will explore all of their remaining legal options.
I believe if we are going to make a mistake in this situation we should err on the side of life. Therefore, if the Legislature can find a way to help Terri, we should pursue it aggressively. Unfortunately we have not yet identified an appropriate action, in addition to those we've already taken, that would be helpful.
What we do know is that this has been a painful tragedy for Terri and her family, and the Florida Legislature is currently working on legislation to ensure that no other family is subjected to the same confusion that the Schindlers have endured.
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved and, of course, especially with Terri.
Speaker Allan G. Bense
Florida House of Representatives
Subversive Virginity
There was a time when I was foolish enough to look for literature among women’s publications that might offer support in my very personal decision. (It’s all about choice, after all, isn’t it?) The dearth of information on virginity might lead one to believe that it’s a taboo subject.
Apparently, sexual expression takes place only in and after the act of genital intercourse. Anything subtler—like a feminine love of cooking or tendency to cry at the movies or unsuppressable maternal instinct or cultivation of a wardrobe that will turn heads or even a passionate good-night kiss—is deemed an inadequate demonstration of sexual identity. The unspoken message of Our Bodies, Ourselves is clear enough: as long as a woman is a virgin, she remains completely asexual.
Apparently, sexual expression takes place only in and after the act of genital intercourse. Anything subtler—like a feminine love of cooking or tendency to cry at the movies or unsuppressable maternal instinct or cultivation of a wardrobe that will turn heads or even a passionate good-night kiss—is deemed an inadequate demonstration of sexual identity. The unspoken message of Our Bodies, Ourselves is clear enough: as long as a woman is a virgin, she remains completely asexual.
Contacts You Can Use
It's not that hard to contact legislators and media. Instead of spending time composing a detailed letter, which may never get read, express your stance by simply typing a strong subject heading (i.e.; "SAVE TERRI") and include your signature in the body of the email.
Florida Senate
Florida House
Attorney Gen. Charlie Crist
Office of Attorney General
State of Florida - The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
850-414-3990
850-487-2564 Fax
ag@oag.state.fl.us
Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
850-488-4441
850-922-4292 Fax
fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us
Attorney General John Ashcroft
US Dept. of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washing, DC 20530-0001
202-353-1555
askDOJ@usdoj.gov
Tom Lee, Senate President,(850) 487-5072
lee.tom.web@flsenate.gov
Allan G. Bense, Speaker (850) 488-1450
speaker@myfloridahouse.gov
Florida Senate
Florida House
Attorney Gen. Charlie Crist
Office of Attorney General
State of Florida - The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
850-414-3990
850-487-2564 Fax
ag@oag.state.fl.us
Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
850-488-4441
850-922-4292 Fax
fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us
Attorney General John Ashcroft
US Dept. of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washing, DC 20530-0001
202-353-1555
askDOJ@usdoj.gov
Tom Lee, Senate President,(850) 487-5072
lee.tom.web@flsenate.gov
Allan G. Bense, Speaker (850) 488-1450
speaker@myfloridahouse.gov
Terri Schiavo counts: Now give her equal protection
Before lawmakers in Florida allow Terri Schiavo, a mentally disabled woman who is fed through a tube, to be starved and dehydrated to death, they ought to take a careful look at the 2000 Census.
It explains why the Constitution compels them to keep fighting for Terri's life.
In 2003, a Florida judge decided Terri's estranged husband (who has two children by another woman) could disconnect her tube and kill her by starvation and dehydration. Gov. Jeb Bush persuaded Florida's legislature to enact a law allowing him to restore Terri's tube. But the law was narrowly cast: It applied only to Terri, retroactively reversing the judge's decision to authorize her killing.
The Florida Supreme Court overturned Terri's Law, saying the governor and legislature did not have the authority to reverse a final judicial determination made under existing state laws. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Bush's appeal of the decision.
But the truth is Terri's Law did not go far enough. This time, Gov. Bush and the Florida legislature should protect not only Schiavo from starvation and dehydration, but also every other person in the state.
As the 2000 census illustrates, this is their constitutional duty.
Under the 14th Amendment, the Constitution requires the census to count "the whole number of persons in each State." Accordingly, the 2000 Census counted 88,828 "persons" living in nursing homes in Florida, 3,538 living in "hospitals/wards and hospices for the chronically ill" and 4,233 living in psychiatric hospitals or wards. Nationwide, it counted 1,720,500 persons living in nursing homes.
There was no degree of disability, incapacitation or illness that disqualified someone from being counted as a "person" under the Census Bureau's 14th Amendment mandate to count "the whole number of persons."
Under the 14th Amendment, Terri Schiavo and other disabled people are indisputably "persons."
Even judges who wrongly deny that unborn babies are persons cannot deny that the 41-year-old Shiavo is a person. Every member of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected from a district drawn a certain way because all disabled persons such as Schiavo were counted just like any other person under the plain meaning of 14th Amendment.
This presents what ought be an insurmountable constitutional obstacle for those who want state governments -- either through their courts or legislatures -- to legalize the killing of innocent persons like Schiavo, no matter by what means the intended killing is affected. The same 14th Amendment that considers Terri a "person" when it comes to taking a census and apportioning Congress also says, "No State shall ... deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Terri has an equal right to every other person in Florida to the state's protection from homicidal acts. Florida may no more legalize killing mentally disabled persons than it can legalize killing persons with brown hair.
America has seen antecedents to this type of moral crisis. There is an ineradicable force in the fallen nature of man that will always drive some human beings to trample the God-given rights of others. The reason we have a Constitution is to stop them. It is especially the reason we have a 14th Amendment.
When the Constitution was originally ratified, it did not command the census to count all persons. It commanded that it count "the whole Number of free Persons" and only "three fifths of all other Persons."
The "other persons," of course, were African-American slaves. Many Southerners preferred slaves to be counted as persons when it came to apportioning their state's congressional representation, but not when it came to apportioning federal taxes among the states by population. Many Northerners, who rightly viewed slavery as a gross violation of human rights, nonetheless wanted slaves counted as persons for apportioning taxes, but not for apportioning congressional seats.
Northerners and Southerners compromised and wrote constitutional language that pretended slaves were not full persons. This failure to recognize and protect the full humanity of all persons was the original sin of the Republic. It led to years of turmoil, a bloody Civil War and, finally, a 13th Amendment to abolish slavery and a 14th Amendment to ensure that all states give all persons equal protection of the law -- and that all persons are counted in the census.
All along, the Declaration of Independence had stated the truth: God endows all men with certain inalienable rights, including life and liberty.
Florida lawmakers must protect Terri Schiavo and all other persons from death by starvation and dehydration. It is their constitutional duty.
It explains why the Constitution compels them to keep fighting for Terri's life.
In 2003, a Florida judge decided Terri's estranged husband (who has two children by another woman) could disconnect her tube and kill her by starvation and dehydration. Gov. Jeb Bush persuaded Florida's legislature to enact a law allowing him to restore Terri's tube. But the law was narrowly cast: It applied only to Terri, retroactively reversing the judge's decision to authorize her killing.
The Florida Supreme Court overturned Terri's Law, saying the governor and legislature did not have the authority to reverse a final judicial determination made under existing state laws. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Bush's appeal of the decision.
But the truth is Terri's Law did not go far enough. This time, Gov. Bush and the Florida legislature should protect not only Schiavo from starvation and dehydration, but also every other person in the state.
As the 2000 census illustrates, this is their constitutional duty.
Under the 14th Amendment, the Constitution requires the census to count "the whole number of persons in each State." Accordingly, the 2000 Census counted 88,828 "persons" living in nursing homes in Florida, 3,538 living in "hospitals/wards and hospices for the chronically ill" and 4,233 living in psychiatric hospitals or wards. Nationwide, it counted 1,720,500 persons living in nursing homes.
There was no degree of disability, incapacitation or illness that disqualified someone from being counted as a "person" under the Census Bureau's 14th Amendment mandate to count "the whole number of persons."
Under the 14th Amendment, Terri Schiavo and other disabled people are indisputably "persons."
Even judges who wrongly deny that unborn babies are persons cannot deny that the 41-year-old Shiavo is a person. Every member of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected from a district drawn a certain way because all disabled persons such as Schiavo were counted just like any other person under the plain meaning of 14th Amendment.
This presents what ought be an insurmountable constitutional obstacle for those who want state governments -- either through their courts or legislatures -- to legalize the killing of innocent persons like Schiavo, no matter by what means the intended killing is affected. The same 14th Amendment that considers Terri a "person" when it comes to taking a census and apportioning Congress also says, "No State shall ... deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Terri has an equal right to every other person in Florida to the state's protection from homicidal acts. Florida may no more legalize killing mentally disabled persons than it can legalize killing persons with brown hair.
America has seen antecedents to this type of moral crisis. There is an ineradicable force in the fallen nature of man that will always drive some human beings to trample the God-given rights of others. The reason we have a Constitution is to stop them. It is especially the reason we have a 14th Amendment.
When the Constitution was originally ratified, it did not command the census to count all persons. It commanded that it count "the whole Number of free Persons" and only "three fifths of all other Persons."
The "other persons," of course, were African-American slaves. Many Southerners preferred slaves to be counted as persons when it came to apportioning their state's congressional representation, but not when it came to apportioning federal taxes among the states by population. Many Northerners, who rightly viewed slavery as a gross violation of human rights, nonetheless wanted slaves counted as persons for apportioning taxes, but not for apportioning congressional seats.
Northerners and Southerners compromised and wrote constitutional language that pretended slaves were not full persons. This failure to recognize and protect the full humanity of all persons was the original sin of the Republic. It led to years of turmoil, a bloody Civil War and, finally, a 13th Amendment to abolish slavery and a 14th Amendment to ensure that all states give all persons equal protection of the law -- and that all persons are counted in the census.
All along, the Declaration of Independence had stated the truth: God endows all men with certain inalienable rights, including life and liberty.
Florida lawmakers must protect Terri Schiavo and all other persons from death by starvation and dehydration. It is their constitutional duty.
2.21.2005
SIGN THE 11TH HOUR PETITION FOR TERRI
Without 11th-hour help Terri Schindler-Schiavo will soon be starved to death. Husband Michael Schiavo -- thanks to yet another outrage by an activist judge -- again has permission to execute this courageous woman by removing her feeding tube.
Your quick help is needed! Please go to ConservativePetitions.com to see what is at stake not only for Terri but for all Americans. Here's the address: http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions.php?id=298
Act NOW to spare Terri's life! The Schiavo family has asked Alan Keyes, Fr. Frank Pavone and all caring Americans to join with them and not only right this terrible wrong to their daughter, but fix the system that allows such judicial tyranny. First, sign petitions to Governor Bush to intervene, and to President George W. Bush to nominate only U.S. Supreme Court Justices who will faithfully interpret the Constitution as written -- and PROTECT INNOCENT LIFE. Then stand ready to help as encouraged by subsequent email alerts!
Here's your chance to stop judicial tyrants who blithely order the death of an innocent, handicapped woman while denying her the right to be fairly represented in court, refusing to honor her family's love or religious convictions, or even taking objective expert medical or forensic opinion into account. Send a message to activist judges everywhere by setting a precedent in this nationally publicized case. Here's where to make your stand: http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions.php?id=298
America's conservatives and people of faith MUST re-establish the supremacy of the people's elected officials -- the legislature and the governor --over UN-elected and UN-accountable judges. Please read the petitions, and if you agree, immediately take this first step toward helping Terri by signing them today!
Your quick help is needed! Please go to ConservativePetitions.com to see what is at stake not only for Terri but for all Americans. Here's the address: http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions.php?id=298
Act NOW to spare Terri's life! The Schiavo family has asked Alan Keyes, Fr. Frank Pavone and all caring Americans to join with them and not only right this terrible wrong to their daughter, but fix the system that allows such judicial tyranny. First, sign petitions to Governor Bush to intervene, and to President George W. Bush to nominate only U.S. Supreme Court Justices who will faithfully interpret the Constitution as written -- and PROTECT INNOCENT LIFE. Then stand ready to help as encouraged by subsequent email alerts!
Here's your chance to stop judicial tyrants who blithely order the death of an innocent, handicapped woman while denying her the right to be fairly represented in court, refusing to honor her family's love or religious convictions, or even taking objective expert medical or forensic opinion into account. Send a message to activist judges everywhere by setting a precedent in this nationally publicized case. Here's where to make your stand: http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions.php?id=298
America's conservatives and people of faith MUST re-establish the supremacy of the people's elected officials -- the legislature and the governor --over UN-elected and UN-accountable judges. Please read the petitions, and if you agree, immediately take this first step toward helping Terri by signing them today!
2.20.2005
2.19.2005
Abortion and the Black Community
"Several years ago, when 17,000 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a pathology laboratory in Los, Angeles, California, some 12-15,000 were observed to be black."
--Erma Clardy Craven (deceased)
Social Worker and Civil Rights Leader
Minority women constitute only about 26% of the female population (age 15-44) in the United States, but they underwent approximately 36% of the abortions.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion.
On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States.
This incidence of abortion has resulted in a tremendous loss of life. It has been estimated that since 1973 Black women have had about 10 million abortions. Michael Novak had calculated "Since the number of current living Blacks (in the U.S.) is 31 million, the missing 10 million represents an enormous loss, for without abortion, America's Black community would now number 41 million persons. It would be 35 percent larger than it is. Abortion has swept through the Black community like a scythe, cutting down every fourth member."
A highly significant 1993 Howard University study showed that African American women over age 50 were 4.7 times more likely to get breast cancer if they had had any abortions compared to women who had not had any abortions.
Don't forget to read "Dawning of a King's Dream" and "Black Leadership's Misplaced Priorities" by LEARN New Jersey Director Clenard H. Childress
--Erma Clardy Craven (deceased)
Social Worker and Civil Rights Leader
Minority women constitute only about 26% of the female population (age 15-44) in the United States, but they underwent approximately 36% of the abortions.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion.
On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States.
This incidence of abortion has resulted in a tremendous loss of life. It has been estimated that since 1973 Black women have had about 10 million abortions. Michael Novak had calculated "Since the number of current living Blacks (in the U.S.) is 31 million, the missing 10 million represents an enormous loss, for without abortion, America's Black community would now number 41 million persons. It would be 35 percent larger than it is. Abortion has swept through the Black community like a scythe, cutting down every fourth member."
A highly significant 1993 Howard University study showed that African American women over age 50 were 4.7 times more likely to get breast cancer if they had had any abortions compared to women who had not had any abortions.
Don't forget to read "Dawning of a King's Dream" and "Black Leadership's Misplaced Priorities" by LEARN New Jersey Director Clenard H. Childress
United Nations voted for Total Ban on Human Cloning
The UN voted Friday for a comprehensive ban on human cloning. It comes after a two year negotiation and confirms the defeat of the French and German effort to allow for human experimental cloning
“This is a powerful message to the world community that this morally questionable procedure is outside the bounds of acceptable experimentation,” said Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, one of the main NGOs involved in the negotiation. “ This should encourage similar bans in legislatures around the world including in the US Senate,” said Ruse
“This is a powerful message to the world community that this morally questionable procedure is outside the bounds of acceptable experimentation,” said Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, one of the main NGOs involved in the negotiation. “ This should encourage similar bans in legislatures around the world including in the US Senate,” said Ruse
2.12.2005
Father Pavone Visits Terri Schiavo
She is not dying.
She has no terminal illness.
She is not in a coma.
She is not on life-support equipment.
She is not alone, but rather has loving parents and siblings ready to care for her for the rest of her life.
She has not requested death.
Father Frank Pavone visits Terri Schiavo bringing comfort and support to her and her loving family.
What can we do to support Terri and her family?
Father Pavone says; at the present time, there are two simple things: Educate your neighbors about this situation. Visit the Priests for Life website, www.priestsforlife.org, and click on the "Terri Schiavo" link. Second, contact anyone you know in Florida and ask them to encourage their Governor and state legislators to continue doing everything possible to save Terri's life.
She has no terminal illness.
She is not in a coma.
She is not on life-support equipment.
She is not alone, but rather has loving parents and siblings ready to care for her for the rest of her life.
She has not requested death.
Father Frank Pavone visits Terri Schiavo bringing comfort and support to her and her loving family.
What can we do to support Terri and her family?
Father Pavone says; at the present time, there are two simple things: Educate your neighbors about this situation. Visit the Priests for Life website, www.priestsforlife.org, and click on the "Terri Schiavo" link. Second, contact anyone you know in Florida and ask them to encourage their Governor and state legislators to continue doing everything possible to save Terri's life.
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