Eugenics now a reality

This woman was arrested for trying to give Terri some water..

Question: Now that we are following in the path of the Hitlerian final solution in dealing with the problem of societal burdens, will this woman now be tried and punished as an Enemy of the State?

Since when does one get "arrested" for trying to save a life? Not in my America.

****UPDATE*****

Gabriel Keys (foreground) is arrested by police officers for trespassing in Pinellas Park, Florida, March 23, 2005. The young protester attempted to take a glass of water into the Woodside Hospice for the brain-damaged Terri Schiavo. A federal judge rejected a request from the parents of Schiavo to order her feeding tube reinserted, dealing a blow to attempts by the U.S. Congress and the White House to prolong her life. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Why does it take a child to point out what is right and what is wrong?

Are we repeating history? ...sieg heil?

I came across this tidbit of how the Nazi regime took care of the problem of what to do with people they deemed as the mentally and physically handicapped. Along with forced sterilizations, there was the "final" solution:

Forced sterilization in Germany was the forerunner of the systematic killing of the mentally ill and the handicapped. In October 1939, Hitler himself initiated a decree which empowered physicians to grant a "mercy death" to "patients considered incurable according to the best available human judgment of their state of health." The intent of the socalled "euthanasia" program, however, was not to relieve the suffering of the chronically ill. The Nazi regime used the term as a euphemism: its aim was to exterminate the mentally ill and the handicapped, thus "cleansing" the Aryan race of persons considered genetically defective and a financial burden to society.

Does this seem reminiscent of those who would see Terri Schiavo's life end via starvation and dehydration, as well as others who through the inability for self-care are deemed a burden on society? At least the Nazis tried sterilization first. Seems the culture of death in this nation has already passed go and collected their $200 on the matter. With all the comparisons being made of conservatives with nazis nowadays, one may entertain the idea that the pot is truly attempting to call the kettle black.

Right to die? ...or right to kill?

As Terri Schiavo's fate currently hangs in the balance of a decision by a federal District judge, so hangs the balance between the culture of life and the culture of death. It leads me to wonder; if the Schiavo execution is allowed, are the Alzheimer's patients next? Should we starve them to death? How about advanced Parkinsonian patients? Should we deny the Pope a drink of water? How about the severely developmentally disabled? Do people suffer less when their cognition is impaired?

Let's call a spade a spade, shall we? A willful witholding of food and water, effectively causing the torture and ultimate death of a cognitively disabled though otherwise physically healthy human being, is an execution. The difference between pulling a feeding tube and holding a gun to Schiavo's head and pulling a trigger can be measured with a calendar; not to mention a week or two of torture.

Why, again, are liberals opposed to the death penalty for cold-blooded murderers (which the death penalty is almost exclusively reserved for) and yet pro-death penalty for the most vulnerable amongst us (babies who have yet to be born, the infirmed, etc) who have committed no crimes?

Although I am sure that there are and have been similar, though less-publicized cases, the publicity of and outcome of this can prove to be a watershed event for either side. If the outcome is in favor of Terri Schiavo, it will be a watershed event for those who argue for the sanctity and value of life, even in its most vulnerable and precarious states.

On the other hand, if the case comes out in Michael Schiavo's favor, it will mark a watershed event for the Culture of Death. Eventually, an artificially imposed darwinism will mark the most vulnerable among us for extinction. And afterward the not-so-vulnerable. It will be morbidly interesting, dear readers, to find out how quickly you or I will be deemed "obsolete."

Allowing this execution to pass unfettered would open up many cans of worms that, rightfully, not too many of us would be in a position to stomach. Sadly, what it comes down to, is that Terri Schiavo's fate, either way, is our own.

Oh Where, Oh Where have the Liberals Gone?...Oh where, oh where can they be?

On my way to Naperville last night I was able to tune in to Hannity on the radio. On it Terri Schiavo's brother related how earlier yesterday, one of Terri Schiavo's female attorneys was visiting with Terri and the family. The attorney reportedly looked Terri in the eye, saying, (paraphrased) "Terri, all you have to do to end this is say, "I want to live!" According to reports, Terri said, in a loud voice, "I waaaaaaaaaaaaaant! Waaaaaaaaant!" The police, who were standing outside the room, came in and removed the attorney. Now, this wasn't just on Hannity. On ABC's top of the hour news (around 3am CST) they had the same report. Thing is, I can't find it anywhere on the net this morning.

One thing I did notice last night during my travels, that the top-of-the-hour newscasts predictably had many pro-death soundbites from Michael Schiavo and his attorney, and very few from the Schindler's attorneys or spokespeople. ABC News went so far as to say that they expect Terri Schiavo to experience a peaceful death. As I have stated here, death by dehydration, especially when one is able to feel pain and the body is not shutting down due to cancer, etc., is anything but peaceful. Consider this:

"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."

Getting around to the topic of this post, where are all the liberals in this matter? Where are all the liberals who went apoplectic about Abu Ghraib? As recently as March 15, Jeff Jacoby wrote this op ed in The Boston Globe entitled Where's the Outrage on Torture? in which Jacoby outlines the alleged abuses of war prisoners in Afghanistan, Gitmo and Iraq.

A question for Mr. Jacoby and all the other strangely silent liberal voices on the Schiavo matter: Where's the outrage on torture? Where are all these people? :

Ohio Horse Trainer Charged With Cruelty for Starving Horses

An Ohio horse trainer was hired to transport two horses to New Jersey, and upon their arrival, the guardians found them to be so severely emaciated that they were half their normal weights. Their ribs, spines, and hip bones were clearly visible. After PETA put pressure on authorities, the trainer was charged charged with cruelty for nearly starving the animals to death.
Read more about how you can help horses in need:
http://www.helpinganimals.com/angel-horsepack.html.

Terri, in her deprivation, will suffer every bit as much as those horses. Worse, Terri will die. What is the difference? Terri is a human being.

Apparently, unless you're a terrorist hell bent on murdering Americans, or unless you are an animal, you are not worthy of life. Torture means nothing. Leave it to the liberals, "the champions of the common man" to leave the most vulnerable among us, whether it's Schiavo or an unborn child, wanting for our very lives.

The Death Watch begins... Schiavo's feeding tube removed

In an action sure to bring about pain and torture on an innocent woman, Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed in the presence of her husband:

Michael Schiavo has been living for 10 years with his fiance, Jodi Centonze, with whom he has two children. He has said he will marry her after his wife's death.

The move came after a Florida judge blocked an eleventh-hour end-run around the court-ordered removal, waged by members of House and Senate panels, ruling the device can be removed immediately.

Early this morning, the House Government Reform Committee decided to launch an investigation into the case and issued subpoenas which order doctors and the administrator at the hospice facility in Pinellas Park, Fla., where the severely brain-damaged woman resides not to remove her feeding tube and keep her alive until the investigation is complete.

At the same time, the Senate Health Committee requested Terri Schiavo and her husband appear at an official committee hearing on March 28.

As a result, minutes before the 1 p.m. EST deadline for the tube removal passed Pinellas Circuit Court Judge David Demers ordered the feeding tube remain in place while presiding Judge George Greer addresses the matter of the congressional subpoenas in a court hearing.

But an hour later, Greer disregarded the subpoenas and again ordered the feeding tube pulled.

In the opinion of the Ice Palace, Judge Greer will have some 'splainin' to do, both now and in the hereafter:

The subpoenas direct the recipients to appear at the hospice facility to give testimony to House committee members on March 25 at 10 a.m. EST.

"No things including those things reflecting data, information, or records called for by this request shall be destroyed, modified, transferred, disconnected, discontinued, or otherwise made inaccessible to the Committee," the subpoenas read, according to Fox, which means the feeding tube must stay in place for another week.

Ignoring the subpoenas would amount to being in contempt of Congress and would incur penalties of fines and/or imprisonment. It is unclear, however, if such penalties would hold in the face of a conflicting court order.

The Culture of Death is smiling in Florida right now. Currently, it is the judge and Mr. Schiavo, who are doing the "end around" a congressional subpoena. Mr. Schiavo has two children and is currently living with his fiancee, the mother of his two children. He states that he will be married as soon as Terri dies. Has Mr. Schiavo ever heard of a divorce? Terri's parents have been taking care of her and have every stated intention of continuing to do so. A businessman has offered Mr. Schiavo a million dollars to walk away and let Terri live. Why do Mr. Schiavo and Judge Greer have such an obsession with seeing this woman die. Right now?? If this truly does come to pass, and Terri dies the painful, grisly death that starvation and dehydration entails, Judge Greer not only needs to be charged with contempt of Congress. He needs to be charged with murder.

*****UPDATE*****

Congress has reportedly come up with a deal that will set the stage for Terri's case to be reviewed by a federal court, and in doing so buy some time for Terri while her case is again reviewed. To my understanding, as of yesterday, the House version of the legislation contained the verbiage "shall" be reviewed by a federal court, while the Senate version contained the verbiage "may". It will be interesting to see what this latest compromise entails.

Terri Schiavo's Death Sentence..and Scientology?

Here is a compelling and thought provoking page that explores a possible relationship between the insanity of the Schiavo situation and Scientology. Pinellas County is one of the main hotbeds for Scientology. The article makes the connection with Scientology and the key political players that hold those beliefs. Scientologists embrace a culture of death:

Of course death is not a big deal for Scientologists. It is called "dropping the body" and the body is regarded as a hindrance and a distraction. 4

Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, believed that when a man dies it simply means that his thetan (spirit) separates from his body. The thetan then "picks up another body" and lives again. L. Ron Hubbard's belief in reincarnation—which George Felos shares—is the foundation for his frightening doctrines about death and the disabled.

George Felos, of course, is the attorney for Michael Schiavo.

This wouldn't be the first time the Scientologists would be involved in a case of torturing a disabled adult.

Hat tip to Irongoat from Unto the Breach

There before the grace of God...go we...

My 14-year old son and I left the St. Cloud area around 5pm CST for Naperville, Illinois and drove into a major snowstorm starting in Minneapolis. It was there that I put my ol' 1995 Geo Tracker into 4-wheel drive mode and went headlong into an odyssey that would see a car or a semi (or a combination of both) in the medians and the ditches every two or three miles. My Tracker was in rare form, and handled it like a champ. I finally got out of the weather just south of Madison, where I was able to take it out of 4-wheel drive and cruise normally. A trip than normally takes seven hours took 10 and a half hours--I finally got to Naperville around 3:35am CST. I'm a bit exhausted right now, but I guess I'll live :)

Terri Schaivo Sentenced to Death ...by torture

A Florida State Judge ordered that Terri Schaivo's feeding tube be removed at 1pm EST today! (Friday). The story goes that Michael Schaivo wants his wife, who he says is in a persistive vegetative state, to die a humane death. Question: has Mr. Schaivo or the judge that sentenced Terri to death actually considered what it's like to die of starvation and dehydration?
Nancy Harvey wrote an article in 1995 that is very applicable in these circumstances:

Having spent a fair amount of time dehydrated and malnourished, I can confidently say that hydration is far more pleasant than the opposite. Anyone who doubts this can forgo fluids for a few days or nourishment for a few weeks and experience the reality. And after my experiences with staph infections, I would want antibiotics even if I were dying of cancer.

And...

My distant cousin, a man with cancer, died from the removal of his food and water. His sister was not allowed to be in on the decision, but she watched him die in torment. While he was still able to feel pain, he was racked by agonizing muscle spasms. When he was finally dead, he was so contorted that the undertaker was unable to make him presentable. His sister, a registered nurse, considered it the most horrible death she had ever seen.

Of course, those who would remove food and fluid do not wish to torture the helpless: therefore, I can only assume that they have no idea of the quiet torment of starvation and dehydration. Doctors may say that it doesn't hurt, but knowledge of suffering cannot be gained second-hand. I do not understand how a headache feels by reading about constricted blood vessels. I know how those blood vessels feel because I have a headache. My experiences with starvation and dehydration have not encouraged me to think of them as a comfortable alternative to the "bad death" of feeding tubes, nor as a superior rival to the swift, painless, merciful death promised by those who support euthanasia.

And...

This is the great attraction of euthanasia: to spare ourselves the experience of the body's struggle with death. I believe that the only way to resist the seduction of euthanasia is to care-to nurse the terminal person with love, to manage pain better, to recognize and respond to the dying person as Ruth or Helen or Fred instead of as a problem to be solved. Dying people do not lose their personalities or their humanity. They still like lemon sherbet, fingernail polish, baseball news. They still need humor, consideration, loving caresses, and companionship.

Regardless, barring congressional intervention, Terri Schaivo is sentenced to die by what all accounts could be considered torture. Her crime? Years ago Terri's brain was injured due to anoxia secondary to anorexia and bulemia. Hardly a crime worthy of death by torture.

But in this day and age (ever since Roe v. Wade), we have embraced a culture of death. The slippery slope that we have set for ourselves, in our haste and arrogance to play the Creator, places the value of life on the currencies of convenience and functionality. Reminds me of an at-times corny, though prescient late 50s TV show; only with very real and deadly consequences for those found to be obsolete.

***UPDATE****

Peggy Noonan has a brilliant piece regarding the possible political ramifications in today's Opinion Journal

*****UPDATE****
A Circuit Court Judge George Greer has ruled today that the feeding tube must come out. Blogsforterri.com states:

If one is truly dying, nature will soon take its course. The target of the Judge George Greer, George Felos, and the Woodside Hospice crowd in Pinellas County, Florida is someone who is not dying "quickly enough," those whom ethicist Daniel Callahan unkindly termed "biologically tenacious."

I am biologically tenacious, aren't you? Knowing what I know now, I am extremely grateful that I have never lived under Judge George Greer's jurisdiction. I have chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, have an electric wheelchair, and have been through acute rehabilitation at the University of Utah Medical Center four times. In two of those extended stays in the hospital I was given the beautiful opportunity to learn how to swallow, speak, eat, and to continue with my life. I was treated by experts, a multidisciplinary medical team that had the experience to evaluate and rehabilitate me. All of these opportunities have been denied Terri Schiavo.

In previous orders by Judge Greer to remove Terri's feeding tube he based the orders on the testimonies of doctors who say Terri is in a persistent vegetative state(none of which were qualified medical rehabilitation experts). But doctors employed by the Schindlers to assess her condition conclude that with therapy, she could learn to eat and drink on her own and perhaps learn to talk. However, those assessments were not allowed in court by Judge Greer.

Dear readers, if you feel as passionately as do I regarding this subject, please call your congressman today and let him or her know how you feel, and that this abominable, cruel and unusual death sentence being imposed on Terri Schaivo cannot go uncontested.

(I will be bumping and editing this post as circumstances and time warrant. I will be travelling to the Chicago area this evening to spend time with my ailing father this weekend.. I will continue to blog as time permits.).

March of the RINOs continues.. Coleman does it again!

Deficit??? We ain't got no stinkin deficit!! At least that's what you'd think if you were watching the democrats and the usual cadre of RINOs. Yes, our own beloved Norm Coleman, along with the usual suspects, like the venerable Lincoln Chaffee, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia Snowe of Maine, and the always-available Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. This fine cadre of clowns thought it in the best interest of the taxpayers and their progeny to keep on throwing their hard-earned money (and their children's and grandchildren's hard-earned money) into an already outrageously-corrupt program. Not only did our fearless senator vote to restore the reductions in spending in opposition to our President, but he co-authored the bill and is damn proud of it!

Hey Normie (perhaps when you start voting in a manner consistent with the wishes of those who voted for you, I'll think of a more respectable title)...Here's a hint for you: Keep the cuts. Allay the burden on the producers of this country. Allay the unnecessary burden on our kids and grandkids. Go after the millions in Medicaid fraud instead. Even in Alaska, one of our least populated states:

Medicaid provider fraud costs American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually and threatens the integrity of the Medicaid program. Nationally, it is estimated that Fraud, Waste and Abuse account for 10 to 20 percent of the payments made by Medicaid. If the National trends hold true for the State of Alaska, these percentages equate to 30 million to 70 million Medicaid dollars annually, resulting in a substantial reduction in moneys available to provide necessary medical services to needy Alaskans.

Now multiply 30 to 70 million (in a low-population state) dollars per year times every state in the Union (including high population states) and you get the picture. Not to mention benefits for illegal aliens:

Applicants for emergency Medicaid are not required to provide information regarding their citizenship or immigration status.

But just like the democrats Normie and his RINO pals vote with, Ol' Normie, Chaffee, Snowe, Specter and the rest of the RINOs don't want to fix anything. Rather, their shallow-minded votes denote that they are only interested in keeping their base spoon fed with the illusion that they are looking out after everyone's best interest. Fact of the matter is, the only best interest the RINOs are looking out for is their own political backside.

Let them eat BMWs O'Rourke hits it on the head..

On yesterday's WSJ's Opinion Journal feature article, P.J. O'Rourke "extolls the virtues" of mass transit. In the course of events, Mr. O'Rourke hits on a topic that is near and dear to my just-about bled-dry taxpaying heart:

Then there is the cost, which is--obviously--$52 billion. Less obviously, there's all the money spent locally keeping local mass transit systems operating. The Heritage Foundation says, "There isn't a single light rail transit system in America in which fares paid by the passengers cover the cost of their own rides." Heritage cites the Minneapolis "Hiawatha" light rail line, soon to be completed with $107 million from the transportation bill. Heritage estimates that the total expense for each ride on the Hiawatha will be $19. Commuting to work will cost $8,550 a year. If the commuter is earning minimum wage, this leaves about $1,000 a year for food, shelter and clothing. Or, if the city picks up the tab, it could have leased a BMW X-5 SUV for the commuter at about the same price. (emphasis mine)

Well, isn't that just special? Whether they're actually buying commuters BMWs or not, isn't it soothing to know that in the midst of deteriorating roads and the spectre of resultant higher gas taxes making already record high fuel prices even more so; that we here in Minnesota will be paying through our collective sinus cavities enough of our own hard-earned money for this plaything that would even make that a possibility?

My, but it must be easy to be so generous with other people's money! P.J. O'Rourke muses that the only reason he can come up with subsidizing public transportation the way we do would be for our children. I would submit that many of us will have to sell our first-borns to pay the burdens that such largesse entails.

Wanna catch up on the Blogosphere, but don't have the time?

Here's a great find: Rip & Read Blogger Podcast.

It's a digest of different takes on subjects by different blogs.. and you don't even need your computer to "read" them. Just download the daily digest on your MP3 player and Charlie Quidnunc does the rest by "reading" it to you. The Podcast, though in its infancy, will no doubt be the next generation blog.

St. Cloud's Own "Ox" going to Iraq

Dan "The Ox" Ochsner, morning personality at 1450 KNSI's Hot Talk with the Ox, along with news director Cory "the Kamp" Kampschoerer will be broadcasting live on location in Iraq, from April 28 through May 6. They will begin in Kuwait on April 28, and commence broadcasting from Saddam's home town of Tikrit. Congrats. Their mission? To bring some of Minnesota to the troops in Iraq, and bring some of the experience from Iraq back to Minnesota. I'll be looking forward to their live broadcasts, and will be applying for the job of "roadie" for the trip. Now KNSI is only a 1000 watt station, but if you live anywhere outside of a 20 mile radius of St. Cloud, you can tune into the morning show (6a-9a CST, M-F) live on the net here

"Human Relations" 101... N.J. High Schoolers get a taste..

Remember the course in college entitled, "Human Relations?" It was a required course for graduation for all liberal arts majors (i.e., Fed 385 at UW-Eau Claire). Actually, the Course title of Human Relations was just code for gauntlet for liberal indoctrinations:

385 /585 Social Foundations: Human Relations
3 crs (3-1). F, Sp, Su.
Admission to School of Education required
CD3
School psychology, CDIS and nursing majors may also enroll
Students will examine cultural contributions of racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and economic groups. They will also examine forces of discrimination and racism on individuals, society, and education and analyze practices that promote dignity, justice, and equality.

When taking the course, we were treated to a barrage of far-left whacko speakers, with one consistent message: Minorities and women, good. White males, bad. We were constantly admonished on how we needed to feel guilty for past wrongs committed by our ancestors, even though our ancestors may not have even been around when said transgressions took place.

Well it just so happens that students at Paul VI High School in South Jersey were treated to similar fare when N.J. Secretary of State Regina Thomas browbeated the students:

Tensions have been building up at Paul VI High School since Thomas' speech on racial justice last week.
Many students and faculty members walked out of the speech offended. They said that she lambasted one student for not knowing his black history and that she insinuated that the students were racist.

"It's, like, really crazy right now. Teachers are just standing by the doors. Kids are trying to get out. Kids are in the hallway, they won't go to class," one female student said.

With a Secretary of State like that, who needs Ward Churchill.. or for that matter, Wes Craven? However, to all the kids at Paul VI High school who are college bound, The Ice Palace gives some sage advice borne of experience: "Get used to it"

Coleman goes RINO.....again

Both Senators Dayton and Coleman voted yea today on an amendment to Senate Resolution 18 that would have prohibited drilling at ANWR. It appears that Senator Coleman would prefer seeing us being held hostage energy-wise to a bunch of terrorist-funding mullahs, even if it meant that only eight one-hundredths of one percent of ANWR would be utilized for that purpose. One would expect such reckless abandonment and kowtowing to enviro-whackos from Dayton; but not from Coleman.

Coleman's RINO tendencies are making themselves more and more apparent as time passes. As a delegate, I will continue to voice my disapproval. I would encourage all like-opinioned voters to do the same.

And if you don't give us what we want we'll stomp our feet!

In their latest childish antic, the democrats, with their trusty leader, the ol' soft spoken, harmless little fuzzball Harry Reid, threatened to block all business in the Senate not linked to terrorism or defense (that may be an improvement; they've been stonewalling on those latter issues as well--why break precedent?) should the wascally Wepublicans exercise the (gasp!!) nuclear option to prevent further democrat fillibusters of judicial candidates:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats threatened Tuesday to slow or stop most Senate business if Republicans unilaterally change the rules to assure confirmation of President Bush's controversial court appointments.

Any such change would mark "an unprecedented abuse of power," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., wrote Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. "The power to confirm judges includes the right to use well-established Senate rules to reject nominees."

Folks, what is a bloody unprecedented usurpation and abuse of power is the democrat fillibustering up or down action on judicial appointees, and,in effect, extra-constitutionally demanding a supermajority for approval of judicial candidates.

What the democrats have not yet learned, as evident by the last election, is that they didn't gain any votes by stonewalling; rather they lost seats. In the words of their esteemed fearless leader, one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Going by their own party's definition, the members of the minority party in the Senate (soon to become even more of a minority party should their behavior continue) should be fitted for straitjackets, post-haste.

Lady luck is surely smiling on the GOP. With this continued untoward behavior, even more Senate seats are surely to fall into GOP hands in 2006, through no additional effort on the GOPs part. After all, when your rival is in the process of making a fool of himself, it's best just to get out of the way. To say that the democrats are in the process of imploding would truly be one of the great understatements of this decade.