RIP Terri Schiavo: The Sad Truth of Denial

The news of Terri Schiavo's death was not unexpected, but I nonetheless personally reacted to it with a hint of sadness. My feeling that she's in a better place, is seemingly similar to most people's reactions. However, there is a distinct difference between the two sides -- one which favors allowing Ms. Schiavo's wishes to be respected and honored -- and the other, which favors keeping her "alive" despite her wishes. Further, despite the fact that most thinking people concur with and respect her wishes and believe she would indeed want to be allowed to die, under the circumstances which have defined the last 14 years of her life, the volume and the urgency and the extremism which can be attributed to those who deemed her destiny theirs to control is quite interesting.

As I've touched on herein on several occasions, it amazes me that there are those so fervently against this nation's policy toward abortion that they are willing to kill doctors who perform abortions. This mentality -- of "doing right" no matter what the cost, or what common sense would dictate -- extended to the Terri Schiavo situation. Despite several doctors confirming Ms. Schiavo's cerebral cortex was gone -- virtually wiped out by the heart failure which occurred 14 years ago -- and that she had no hope for recovery, there remained -- and remains -- a minority of people who suspect conspiracy. Conspiracy by the doctors who apparently conspired to kill their daughter; conspiracy by the variety of judges who have heard various arguments connected to this situation to support Judge Greer, who ordered Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube removed on March 18th; and conspiracy by the media to bury all the truths that have been otherwise ignored in favor of a mass scale to assist Michael Schiavo in killing his wife.

In the minds of people supporting or concurring with the above-rendered "facts," these represent part or all of the truth surrounding Ms. Schiavo's "struggle to stay alive."

These are very interesting theories, they're very creative, and they are certainly thorough. Unfortunately, of course, they're all bullshit. But that hasn't stopped an entire segment of the Christian Right from extruding it like manure all over the place, infecting whomever is stupid enough to believe it.

At some point yesterday, my girlfriend and I were discussing the news of Douglas Smith, Jr., the former Boy Scout official who was indicted for sharing and possessing child pornography, when I mentioned to her that he had plead guilty to the lone charge set forth against him. "When was the last time you heard of someone pleading guilty to something like that?" she replied. And it occurred to me that I didn't remember the last time a high-profile case was cut short due to a guilty plea. Denial, it seems, whether it is OJ Simpson or a petty theft, is the word of the day.

Within that context, I was perusing the results of a search engine this morning and came across another blog which has addressed the Terri Schiavo situation, http://www.blogsforterri.com/. I clicked over to the "facts" page here and was impressed with both the creativity and the conviction the author conveyed. As I worked my way through it, however, I was amazed at how inaccurate the uncredited writer is. The below is a partial list of "facts" from the aforelinked page; my comments are in italics.

***

A few facts about Terri

For those of you who have not been keeping up with Terri's plight, here are some facts about Terri that you should know: · Terri Schiavo is not a “vegetable,” she is not “brain dead,” and she is not in a persistent vegetative state. She recognizes and responds to others and makes attempts to verbally communicate. Videos and the truth about her condition is available at www.BlogsforTerri.com and www.terrisfight.org.

Unfortunately, this is not "fact," it's fiction. Ms. Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state, according to the court-appointed doctor who examined her together with her records. Her records include a variety of MRI's of her brain which shows her cerebral cortex is no longer present; it doesn't receive blood, and it has been replaced by spinal fluid. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain which permits thought, reason and communication. It also enables the brain to interpret pain, pleasure and other sensory input received from cells all over the body. Since Ms. Schiavo's cerebral cortex is non-existent, she was, prior to her death, unable to experience any of these things. Doctors described her particular condition as a persistent vegetative state, because not only was she unable to experience these things, communicate in any meaningful way, or experience life as a human being, but because brain tissue does not regenerate, she had no hope of improvement.

· Terri is not on life support but does receive food and water through a removable tube, which experts testify would not even be necessary if she were given therapy. This assisted feeding is a natural means of preserving life and not a medical act of life support or heroic measures.

Partial fact, partial fiction. She was not on life support other than sustenance via a feeding tube; however, there was one "expert" who testified that therapy might have been sufficient in replacing the tube. That doctor, Dr. William Cheshire, suggested that Ms. Schiavo was not in a persistent vegetative state and that she could improve with therapy.

Dr. Cheshire, however, as I wrote in a prior entry, is the director of biotech ethics at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, a group founded in 1994 to recognize the contribution of 'biblical values' to the bioethical debate. Judge George Greer discounted Dr. Cheshire's testimony in part due to his heavily-biased credentials and in part because all medical science demonstrated that, without a cerebral cortex, therapy and time would not improve Ms. Schiavo's condition. Further, there was discrepancy based on her failure to complete a "swallow" test -- which test determines if the incapacitated patient can ingest liquids and/or solid food. If said patient cannot do either, a feeding tube is necessary.

Incidentally, Ms. Schiavo never successfully completed a swallow test.

· Twelve medical experts and nurses who cared for her confirmed these facts. Video available through BlogsforTerri.com shows Terri responding and interacting with others. Health care workers have testified under oath that she expresses herself using words, such as “mommy” and “help me”. This evidence was not allowed in court by Judge Greer.

More fiction. Twelve "medical experts" did not verify any of the above. If they had, they would have been listed in any number of court cases during which Michael Schiavo and Ms. Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, clashed.

The video listed above doesn't show her "saying" anything; it shows her making sounds that can be interpreted in any number of ways. For example, one of the sounds she made was "uh" -- some people can interpret that as her indicating pain; others could interpret that as her jokingly referring to someone in her hospital room as ugly; and others, adhering to the fact that Ms. Schiavo, without a cerebral cortex, would be unable to form words, attributed this and other sounds as her body simply reacting physioglogically and without any predetermined or premeditated thought.

Further, the one videotape that Judge Greer viewed was edited, and that showed Ms. Schiavo reacting to her father waving a Mickey Mouse balloon and showed Ms. Schiavo smiling at her mother as she rubbed her shoulders; after Judge Greer requested and viewed the unedited tapes, however, he confirmed that Ms. Schiavo was unable to follow stimuli; she would smile, as she did in the edited tape at her mother, for no apparent reason and without anyone present in the room. She had the same blank look on her face whether her father was waving a balloon, her mother was rubbing her shoulders, or a nurse was changing her bedpan. In short, any and all reactions were actually physiological actions devoid of thought or cognitive reason.

· Terri is a person with disabilities who thinks and expresses her moods and desires. She is loved by her family and responds to their visits with smiles and laughter.

Fiction, except (presumably) the part about her family's love. By the time Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube was ordered to be removed by Judge Greer on March 18th, she had no cerebral cortex. She was, unfortunately, therefore, incapable of expressing moods, desires, love or responses. She was able to "laugh" but in essence there was no cognitive thought behind said laughter. In effect, by March 18th, she had less cognitive brain function than most pet dogs.

· Terri Schiavo may be the victim of ongoing negligence and injustice. She has been denied therapy and rehabilitation by her guardian since 1991. Florida’s guardianship laws REQUIRE that these necessary services be given to her.

Another vote for fiction. She was not only given proper care, her supervision was mandated to Michael, her husband, by a court of law, and five different courts (and at least a dozen judges) supervised her treatment as recommended not by a doctor hired by Michael but appointed by the court. Florida's guardianship laws require that necessary services be provided to people who require them. Each court reviewed Michael's care and supervision of Ms. Schiavo and none found any instance of wrongdoing whatsoever.

According to the Second District's initial opinion in connection with Ms. Schiavo's situation, this was part of their decision:

Theresa has been blessed with loving parents and a loving husband. Many patients in this condition would have been abandoned by friends and family within the first year. Michael has continued to care for her and to visit her all these years. He has never divorced her. He has become a professional respiratory therapist and works in a nearby hospital. As a guardian, he has always attempted to provide optimum treatment for his wife. He has been a diligent watch guard of Theresa's care, never hesitating to annoy the nursing staff in order to assure that she receives the proper treatment.

· In 1992, Terri’s husband Michael won $1.7 million in negligence lawsuit under the pretext of funding her rehabilitation and care. He testified, “I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that.” Since that time, Terri has received no rehabilitation, all beneficial forms of stimulation (e.g. music) have been prohibited and basic health care, such as treatment for a life threatening urinary tract infection, has been purposefully withheld at Michael’s direction.

More fiction. Firstly, Michael offered to share or relinquish that money to her family provided they acknowledged her interest in not being kept alive indefinitely. They refused. Secondly, she received rehabilitation, stimulation, and both basic and sophisticated health care throughout the last 14 years. Finally, to suggest that 30 or more separate court decisions have been offered without continuing medical testing is so ludicrous that it doesn't merit response.

· Even though Terri’s husband has started a family of his own with another woman and their two children, he refuses to end his marriage to Terri or relinquish her care to her immediate family.

This is true in that a) Michael Schiavo has has two children with another woman; and b) he refused to end his marriage to Ms. Schiavo. However, he was appointed her legal guardian by the State of Florida, and the Schindlers begged him to relinquish this position after he petitioned the court to see whether Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube should be disconnected. He didn't petition the court to have the tube removed, but merely to investigate whether, based on Ms. Schiavo's wishes, it should be removed, and he waited, incidentally, to even consider the subject until after the Second Court issued the following decision:

Over the span of this last decade, Theresa's brain has deteriorated because of the lack of oxygen it suffered at the time of the heart attack. By mid 1996, the CAT scans of her brain showed a severely abnormal structure. At this point, much of her cerebral cortex is simply gone and has been replaced by cerebral spinal fluid. Medicine cannot cure this condition. Unless an act of God, a true miracle, were to recreate her brain, Theresa will always remain in an unconscious, reflexive state, totally dependent upon others to feed her and care for her most private needs.

· Terri’s “collapse” has become controversial after a previously unavailable bone scan surfaced in 2002 which revealed multiple fractures consistent with a traumatic event. To date, no investigation has been conducted to determine the source of Terri’s injuries, but a radiologist gave a sworn statement that the date of those injuries would fall within the period of her mysterious collapse.

Truth. According to www.abstractappeal.com, a bone scan was taken in 1991 and that the doctor who read it saw on it evidence of past trauma at various places on Terri's body. Some consider that evidence of a severe beating by her husband, others consider it evidence consistent with bulimia, a fall, and CPR by paramedics. Whether trauma really happened, or what kind, or when, are all unclear.The bone scan was not raised in the original trial regarding Terri's wishes. The issue was raised by the Schindlers in a November 2002 emergency motion. Judge Greer rejected the matter as being irrelevant to the issue of Terri's wishes.

· Remarkably, The Florida Courts have sided with Michael, accepting the testimony of two “expert witnesses”, one of whom is a known advocate of “mercy killing”, over that of twelve independent medical professionals (6 of them neurologists).

Fiction. The testimony provided by the Schindler family was based in large part on the examination-by-proxy performed by Dr. William Cheshire, (the director of biotech ethics at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, a group founded in 1994 to recognize the contribution of 'biblical values' to the bioethical debate). The Court-appointed physician simply was asked to determine whether Ms. Schiavo’s condition was permanent and what the then-current status of her brain injuries were. Once it was established that her cerebral cortex was irreparably damaged by the court-appointed physician (verified by MRI tests), there was no need to revisit the issue provided by any number of medical personnel hired by the Schindler family.

· Without intervention by the Florida Governor and Legislature, Judge George Greer is set to give Michael the legal empowerment to withhold food and water from his wife for the purpose of starving her to death.

Fiction. Judge Greer never ceded to Michael that power. Michael sought a hearing to determine whether Ms. Schiavo’s feeding tube should be removed. He did not request her feeding tube be removed. Greer himself deemed Ms. Schiavo’s medical situation to be hopeless; he similarly agreed that her wish was to be allowed to die if she indeed became permanently incapacitated. Finally, it was Judge Greer who gave the order to have her feeding tube removed.

· Terri Schiavo deserves to have medical tests and therapy. She does not deserve to be starved and dehydrated to death.

Fiction in part. Certainly, Ms. Schiavo, like any human being, deserved proper medical attention. The fiction is the suggestion that she did not receive it.

Over the course of the past 14 years, Ms. Schiavo was examined by over 20 different doctors and had a cavalcade of tests. No human being deserves to be starved and dehydrated to death. However, in the place of the administration of a drug that would almost instantly allow Ms. Schiavo’s body to die, the only other option, legally and politically, was the removal of Ms. Schiavo’s feeding tube.

It should be made clear that a human being without a functioning cerebral cortex cannot process pain, sensation or stimuli. To wit, Ms. Schiavo was unable to feel a pin-prick on her skin, a hand on her shoulder or a tap on her knee. And despite her body’s ability to react physiologically to stimuli (eg a tap on the knee to test for reflexes), her mind was not able to feel the stimulus or control the movement of her knee. In fact, her mind was not able to sense the presence of the doctor examining her, the instrument used to test her reflexes, or the light in the room.

In layman's terms, her body was “alive” but her mind was not.

· Advancements in the understanding of brain activity and misdiagnosis and the recent recovery of a patient after 20 years in a persistent vegetative state, further calls into question any decision that would end the life of Terri Schiavo. Terri deserves to be cared for and loved by her family. She laughs and cries, she has a need for human companionship, she feels emotional and physical pain, she loves music, and she hates her dad's mustache when he kisses her (she makes a face). Her body isn't perfect, but her heart is. Why does Michael Schiavo, Judge George Greer, and George Felos want her dead?

Fiction. Lots and Lots of it.

The advancements in the study of the brain have certainly made progress since Ms. Schiavo’s heart failure, but what this progress has done was confirm, over the past 14 years, that her cerebral cortex had been irreparably damaged and its condition worsened over this period of time. And medical science has not yet found a way to regenerate brain tissue. Had that technology been discovered and successfully implemented, Ms. Schiavo might be alive today.

Unfortunately, the state of medical science was not able to “fix” or replace her cerebral cortex and until medical science finds a way to do this, someone without a functioning cerebral cortex will exist in a vegetative state.

As for laughing and crying, Ms. Schiavo uttered sounds which resembled laughter, but she did so involuntarily. She could not “cry;” one or both of her eyes, on occasion, would become watery, but it was her body’s way of expelling dust or other pollutants from the eye. Most humans, in their lifetime, will get a grain of sand, dust or even an errant eyelash on their eyeball; even if they are extremely happy at that moment, one of their eyes will water (or tear) in order to assist in removing the pollutant. It’s an involuntary, physiological response to environment, not a conscious, emotional reaction to a life event.

As for her need for human companionship, the review of unedited video showed she was unable to even acknowledge the presence of one or more people in her room at the hospice. Her “reactions” to same were identical, in fact, to instances where there were no people in her room at all.

Because her cerebral cortex is gone and non-functioning, the supposition that she could feel physical and emotional pain is patently false. It’s physiologically impossible for someone without a cerebral cortex to feel or sense anything.

As far as her hating her father’s mustache, prior to her heart failure, that is certainly a possibility. However, once she lost the ability to reason cognitively, it’s likely that her father’s mustache simply “tickled” her facial muscles and said muscles “reacted” by contorting. It would be the same reaction if someone ran their fingers repeatedly on the sole of another (ticklish) human’s foot. The person being tickled has no control over their reaction to the stimulus; but it doesn’t imply a conscious, cognitive reaction to the stimulus; rather, it’s purely physiological.

Finally, none of the people – Judge Greer, Michael Schiavo, nor George Felos – wanted Ms. Schiavo dead. Neither did the Second District Court, nor the Appellate Court, nor the US Supreme Court, nor Jeb Bush, nor the hospice, nor the members of the Florida Senate, nor the members of the Florida House, nor the members of the US Congress, nor the President himself, want Ms. Schiavo to die. However, all of these entities concurred that Ms. Schiavo’s wish to not be kept alive artificially, despite the beliefs and/or the ignorance of a group of people, were irrelevant.

***

While Ms. Schiavo’s death this morning was greeted with sadness and disappointment, many among us agree that it was her desire to not be kept alive artificially should she become incapacitated without hope for improvement. And many more among us feel similarly with regard to our own lives.

While Bob & Mary Schindler are allowed their own beliefs, as is every US citizen, it is unfortunate that they disregarded their daughter’s own wishes, distorted the facts, stole what little dignity she had left, and made a spectacle of the end of her life.

It amazes me that, of the extremely vocal minority who opposed her being allowed to die with dignity, so many thereof are armed with falsehoods, fiction and belief in the place of truths. The lone essential fact that Ms. Schiavo had no cognitive brain function, as a result of the irreparable damage to her cerebral cortex, made it impossible for her to function as a human being on a meaningful mental level, precluded her improvement no matter what therapy known to medical science was implemented, and made irrelevant any and all opinions about her life that were not hers.

Finally, I originally intended to cease addressing Ms. Schiavo herein once she passed away; and I will honor that, in order not only to be bound by my own decision but out of respect to her dignity. However, I anticipate that tomorrow, and the days thereafter, will be filled with more fiction in connection with this matter; if the author(s) of the listed material feel comfort in blatantly misrepresenting and/or corrupting the truth, I am sure that they are not alone. However, I would encourage any and all people interested in this topic to visit http://www.abstractappeal.com/ for unbiased, succinct review of the facts surrounding Ms. Schiavo’s life and death.

Further, I would hope that, in the face of clearly differing opinions, the reader will make his or her own decisions about the veracity of facts, opinions and concepts put forth here and every- and anywhere he or she travels. Blatantly obeying faith, half-truth and misrepresentation is why this “controversy” became so out-of-hand. In the words of Rush lyricist Neil Peart, in the song “Hemispheres,” I subscribe to the following, and I encourage all to do the same.

We can walk our road together
If our goals are all the same
We can run alone and free
If we pursue a different aim

Let the truth of love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the heart and mind united in a single
Perfect
Sphere

The Day Common Sense Took A Holiday

Here at the HoB, we've gone a bit heavy on the Terri Schiavo matter, but since I'm still personally recovering from a four-day cold, a dearth of sleep and reeling over the masturbatory futility of the Schindler family's legal attempts at circumventing the laws of the United States, I figgered it'd be worth cramming in as much of this saga as is humanly possible prior to Ms. Schiavo's impending death, which, frankly, will be coming soon.

Incidentally, many people who have been overtaken with the Constitutional issues embedded in this fiasco forget that at the heart of this matter is a woman who will soon die. Granted, she's been unable to communicate, think or even blink her eyelids in any deliberate way since she suffered heart failure due to a bulemia-caused chemical imbalance. In other words, she's pretty much gone already; but once her heart stops beating, that will be it. Despite right and wrong, the loss of human life, especially considering the bizarre spectacle in which this situation has culminated, is worth contemplating on its own.

The day's events came fast and furious: Jesse Jackson made his way to speak with Florida Governor Jeb Bush; he was invited to the hospice by the Schindlers but was denied a visit with Ms. Schiavo by her husband, Michael. The main reason, one would speculate, Michael Schiavo denied Jackson access to his wife was to limit his on-camera time. Jesse Jackson is clearly not concerned about Ms. Schiavo's well-being; his interest in this case is to express and instill his beliefs on the politicians and the proletariat at large. The only thing that he has not yet attempted is riding up to the entrance of the hospice on a large white horse named "Miracle." And frankly, I wouldn't put that tactic past him.

Meanwhile, Dubya's wife Laura weighed in on the whole situation while doing her Tupperware Party in Afghanistan. Her brilliancy shone through: "It's a life issue. The federal government has to be involved. It really does require the government to be involved."

With all due respect to Ms. Bush, it's a personal issue, not a life issue. I can scribble out a living will right now and have my next-door neighbor, Cherry (she's a stripper) bear witness to my living will; the government, subsequently, cannot and should not be involved in my choice to be allowed to expire should I recede into an incapacitated, unrecoverable state (judging by this forum, that's to be expected -- soon). No government official, elected or otherwise, has the right to tell me I cannot choose to be allowed to die should I become incapacitated without hope for recovery. Doesn't matter how many bibles or protesters shack up outside my apartment -- it ain't happening. In fact, a government official has more right to demand more new episodes of Melrose Place than dictate to me my right to die, should I so choose.

More participants weighed in today, as was expected; specifically, Ms. Schiavo's father Bob described Ms. Schiavo fighting to stay alive. She can't give a thumbs up, cannot say "hello" and hasn't been aware of her surroundings for 14 years, but, according to Mr. Schindler, "she's fighting to stay alive." Okee. I believe Mr. Schindler. Just because he's suggested a variety of judges are conspiring to kill his daughter, as is the hospice which is looking after her, not to mention her husband, doesn't mean his credibility is completely in the toilet. Not at all. In fact, if he offered, I'd buy the Brooklyn Bridge from him. Again.

Mr. Schindler's wife Mary spoke directly to Ms. Schiavo's husband and his companion this afternoon. "Michael and Jodi, you have your own children. Please, please give my child back to me."

The problem is, of course, that it's not Michael's or Jodi's or Ned's or Billy-Bob's place to "give" her daughter back to her. God, and Ms. Schiavo herself, made these decisions: the former provided heart failure, and Ms. Schiavo's bulemia (which went unnoticed by doctors) and her own personal feelings and choices were the remainder.

I'm not going to address the expected national reaction to Ms. Schiavo's death, which is near. Last weekend I remarked to friends that I was surprised no network (nor cable) news program/network hasn't entitled a segment or dedicated a rolling bar called "The Terri Schiavo Death-Watch." America has locked onto this issue and, while it largely focuses on the Constitutional rights of individuals, the states, the Fed and the Judicial Branch (on the state and Federal levels), it seems to me that this situation should be anything but focused (or intruding on the family struggles) of Ms. Schiavo, her husband, and her family.

I anticipate mass memorials throughout the locale the hospice is located (Pinellas Park, Florida) as well as Washington, where protesters began plying their beliefs. As I've indicated herein on more than one instance, I respect and admire the fact that this country fosters -- thrives on -- the freedom of speech. However, we must temper that freedom of speech and the notion itself of self-government with education and intelligence, lest our efforts fail. Thomas Jefferson, in an 1819 letter to John Adams, wrote:

"[If a] people [are] so demoralized and depraved as to be incapable
of exercising a wholesome control, their reformation must be taken up ab
incunabulis. Their minds [must] be informed by education what is right and what
wrong, [must] be encouraged in habits of virtue and deterred from those of vice
by the dread of punishments, proportioned indeed, but irremissible. In all
cases, [they must] follow truth as the only safe guide and eschew error which
bewilders us in one false consequence after another in endless succession. These
are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the
structure of order and good government."

The same Thomas Jefferson also wrote the following:

"Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its evidence
before the world is to be sought in my life: if it has been honest and dutiful
to society the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one."

Sometimes I wish those people clamoring for the reinsertion of Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, and for our government to intervene on her behalf -- against her own wishes -- would spend more time reading and learning about our government and actually thinking and less time reading about and obeying the Bible. The freedom to think and the freedom of religion are not mutually exclusive; unfortunately, as Ms. Schiavo's destiny has played out across the country, it appears increasingly that they are. If nothing else, that is the next question we as a nation, as a people and a culture should be asking ourselves.

Between prayer vigils, of course.

It Gets Better...Someday

There’s so much going on, I don’t even know where to start. So I’ll start with this: Jesse Jackson is now a participant in the pathetic saga of Terri Schiavo.

For the most part, I’ve always regarded Mr. Jackson in the same regard as I have two other political figures of dubious accomplishment: Al Sharpton and Yasir Arafat.

Mr. Sharpton, aside from often behaving in a manner which befits a cartoon character (two words: Tawana Brawley), always seems to be in the middle of issues in which he has no place. And while he seemingly fights the system on behalf of African-American people in the City of New York as well as elsewhere, it always seems his agenda is more self-serving than selfless. Mr. Arafat, prior to his recent death, fought on behalf of the Palestinian people in their desire to establish a Palestinian state, but despite winning a Nobel Peace Prize for his part in bringing “peace” to the Palestinian-Israeli struggle, it was largely ignored that he was a terrorist that ordered or committed a variety of anti-Israel attacks that killed civilian women and children. When then-President Bill Clinton was able to secure Arafat a Palestinian homeland, something to which he had dedicated his life, he politely declined a compromise with Israel, opting instead to maintain “secret” alliances with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and whatever other terrorist groups were willing to continue blowing themselves up along with buses, cafes, cars and trucks filled with Israelis. By the time Arafat died, even President George W. Bush was aware he couldn’t be trusted because, with each denial of his involvement or knowledge of Palestinian-sponsored terror, it became increasingly obvious that he was not only aware of but directing anti-Israel terror.

These two men, to me, are examples of self-serving, egomaniacal, publicity-seeking leeches with bad intentions. Mr. Jackson hasn’t reached that level quite yet, in my opinion; however, if he truly believed “While law is important, law must be tempered with mercy to have justice," then perhaps he would respect Ms. Schiavo’s wishes to not be forced to endure an existence devoid thought, cognitive reason or pleasure. Justice is an ideal to which we should all aspire; is it justice to force a husband to disregard the final wishes of his wife and instead adhere to beliefs held by others? Another of Mr. Jackson’s suggestions followed: “a consistent moral and ethical position would extend a feeding tube to all who are confronted with starvation -- to demand public, government policy to feed the hungry.” I respectfully suggest that the American public is starved for government that will keep itself out of matters to which it should not and does not have jurisdiction. And personally, I am starved for politicians who are not full of shit.

Looks like we’re all going hungry.

As an aside, another aspect of the Terri Schiavo saga reveals the hypocritical nature of the so-called Christian Right. According to CNN.com, Ms. Marianne Clark questioned why Ms. Schiavo’s mother “counts less to the courts than the husband who asked that Schiavo's feeding tube be removed. ‘You have a husband who hasn't been faithful, and he's the one the judges all listen to,’ the Sarasota woman said from a protest line outside the hospice where Schiavo was in her second week without food or water. ‘There's nothing like a mother. A mother knows her child, and nobody else should be able to make that decision.’”

Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Clark, but the Constitution of the United States is this country’s legal framework and, through the judicial branch, appointed Mr. Schiavo her legal guardian. Aside from the fact that the Bible regards the husband/wife relationship as far more significant than that of the mother/child, Michael Schiavo has remained at his wife’s side despite not being able to communicate with her for the past 15 years, despite her parents pleading for him to grant a divorce so they could retain control of her care. And Ms. Schiavo herself indicated she would not want to be kept alive artificially without hope of recovery. How much clearer can it get?

For once, couldn’t the freedom of speech of be preceded by the freedom of thought?

Thanks again to Ms. Clark for reminding us all how important it is to stay in school, study and not grant interviews unless one can speak without sounding like a complete imbecile.

Johnnie Cochran, the lawyer who was able to win acquittal for O.J. Simpson, passed away at the age of 67. He accomplished a lot of other things in his time, but the simple fact that CNN and other major news agencies opted to interview Mr. Simpson upon Mr. Cochran’s death says a lot. To be precise, what it says is that your entire life is encapsulated by a man who murdered, in cold blood, his ex-wife and her male companion, and walked. I don’t know who will deliver my eulogy but if it’s a multiple murderer who escaped penalty, I’d prefer instead a moment of silence on my behalf. Or a moment of sarcastic commentary followed by some belly-laughs and a belch or two.

Jerry Falwell is in critical condition, suffering from pneumonia for the second time in five weeks. Somewhere, Larry Flynt is laughing. And somewhere else someone is noting the irony of the “celebrities die in three” theory and wondering, if Mr. Falwell does not recover, what that suggests, assuming Mr. Falwell’s name will always be linked to Johnnie Cochran’s.

Finally, Douglas S. Smith Jr., a former Boy Scout leader was charged with receiving and possessing German kiddie porn. Mr. Smith, Jr., retired last month spending 39 years with that organization, and it seems to me that there’s really no more disgusting human being than a person who puts him- or herself in a position to aid and teach children but instead uses the opportunity for prurient, deviant interests. If or when Mr. Smith admits his guilt in connection with the charges, which is expected, if I were prosecuting the case, I would request the court to require Mr. Smith, Jr., to undergo a voluntary castration.

By sledgehammer.

All images courtesy CNN.com

The Good, The Bad and The Obese

A couple weeks ago, long before the Terri Schiavo case ripped the feeding tube from the collective American consciousness, I expounded on Morgan Spurlock's anti-McDonald's documentary "Super-Size Me." I actually enjoyed watching it, and I respect Mr. Spurlock's position, but I had some problems in principle with his views and let loose herein. My diatribe, which was far too long, completely heavy-handed and thoroughly snooze-inducing, can be found here for those interested parties (including lawyers for McDonald's, Mr. Spurlock, Bette Davis, the Pope, Captain Kangaroo and Madonna's personal trainer's brother, Ned).

Essentially, I think, contrary to Mr. Spurlock's view, that anyone who eats fast food or other unhealthy fare shouldn't search for a way to point a finger at the supplier of said unhealthy fare (Mr. Spurlock's "experiment" was spurred by two girls who sued, unsuccessfully, McDonald's for making them obese). We're in charge of our own bodies, for the most part (unless we are in a persistent vegetative state and don't have a living will and reside in a hospice in the state of Florida -- in which case we'll linger for a decade and a half before we can finally move on). In other words, while I understood Mr. Spurlock's intention in his documentary, the responsibility lies with the consumer to make intelligent judgements prior to gorging themselves on seven six-piece McNuggets and a gallon-sized Chocolate Shake and two boxes of McDonald-land Cookies, before washing it down with a gallon of Coke. It's about common sense, and if you're too stupid to know better -- and actually need to review the nutrition info to know that fried foods doused in sugary sauces, consumed en masse, is unhealthy -- you're in need of a legal guardian or a nurse, not a lawyer.

Yesterday, word from CNN Money came that, not to be outdone, Burger King is now going head-to-head (or is that roll to roll) with McDonald's in the Breakfast market; seems McDonald's has been kicking Burger King's ass every morning, so Burger King finally upped the ante in what should inspire profuse sweating on the part of every All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet manager: it's called the "Enormous Omelet Sandwich" and it's a doozy. Forget special sauce, lettuce, cheese, etc.; this bad boy packs a sausage patty, two eggs, two slices of American cheese and three strips of bacon onto a bun. It boasts 730 calories and 47 grams of fat, which beats the Whopper (700 calories, 42 grams of fat) and Burger King's own Fabulous French Toast Platter, which sports three slices of French toast, two bacon strips and two sausage links (and 1261 calories and 79 grams of fat). Ah, choices... The article, if you're interested, is here.

Despite the country embracing a "trend" of healthier eating, Burger King is doing its part, along with McDonald's, Wendy's, IHOP and Denny's, to keep Weight Watchers and Liposuction as two buzzwords for not simply the future but the present as well. And this all would be comical, except for the sad expectation that Burger King serving up death on a bun will surely inspire more people to pointing fingers at fast food restaurants rather than their own eating habits. And while I quite nearly despise most of these restaurants, it would follow that each of us should be responsible for what we ingest. Blaming a bar for serving someone too many drinks is legally compensatory in part because alcohol innebriates and clouds judgement, and it's very easy for someone to have one or two too many without knowing they've had too much prior to driving. That's a fine line -- but blaming Burger King for selling a fat guy a whopper and a shake, or chastising McDonald's for selling the 24 Big Macs to your Uncle Fred right before he had his sextuple bypass is ludicrous, if not dangerous. If nothing else, I anticipate warning labels -- similer to those found on movies, music, cigarettes, alcohol, amusement park rides and anything else that is fun -- to be on the entry doors of fast food restaurants. The first would be "Eat Sensibly" and the second, my own personal creation, would be "Get Out Fat Fucks."

I personally prefer the latter, but it's a long shot.

Love is

Love is
a calamity of epic proportion,
that steals your pain, your jaded cynicism,
and lets you feel the heat of the sun even
standing in the cold of a rainy day.

Love is
endless youth, the smile everlasting,
the power to heal and bridge all.
A vintage that only improves with age,
That must be nursed and treated like
the last one on Earth.

Love is
The rite of sacrifice that allows men to become boys,
women to become girls, and remember what
intentions we hold dear,
When faced with the end
At the edge of the precipice
Of now, yesterday and forever.

The Scourge of Modern-Day Technology and Age-Old Stupidity

I've been navigating the Terri Schiavo debate for the better part of a week; some of my observations have made it here, some haven't, and some have eked through not only on this topic but in others as well.

The whole issue, for me, can be summed up in one statement I made in the comments field of another blog, "The Bennelli Brothers." The link, if you're so inclined, is here: http://bennellibrothers.com/blog/archives/2005/03/more_schiavo.php

"Logic aside, and speaking strictly on principle, it amazes me that people who so staunchly trumpet family values and the sanctity of life are so quick to desecrate the former and make a mockery of the latter."

Essentially, as I confessed to friends over the weekend, I have gotten increasingly weary hearing, depending on your perspective, how this woman is suffering or not suffering, how she can never improve or can absolutely improve, and how many protesters are being arrested. Now that might sound like superficial bullshit, but I am not minimizing the tragic, heart-wrenching struggle at the center of which this woman resides. I just think it's disgusting that so many people are weighing on this situation in so many ways: protesters, clergymen, politicians, and attorneys...obviously this has polarized the nation much like other life/death issues like abortion and the death penalty. It's not about life or death, it's about people who don't know you and whom you don't know telling you how to govern your own body, and the bodies of people who have done something wrong (either had sex that accidentally produced a child or committed murder). It's outrageous, repugnant and pathetic to think that there are people who think they have the right -- if not the responsibility -- to sound off and/or involve themselves in lives and issues therein to which they have no business even being privy.

Or as they say in the vernacular, "shut the fuck up and mind your own damned business."

Oh...and to protesters who feel the need (or that it's appropriate) to bring their children to the hospice site to be arrested in attempting to bring Ms. Schiavo water: you're sick. Your actions remind me not of minions of mercy, not of teaching your children to be charitable and kind and compassionate... you remind me of members of the Ku Klux Klan that bring children to white-power rallies to burn in effigy members of races which they brand as inferior.

One final point: just wait until these two sides become embroiled in the fight over where Ms. Schiavo's body will be buried, once it is either cremated or embalmed. I don't see any light at the end of this tunnel, and I highly doubt there will ever be. There are and will be no winners here, and, believe it or not, I'm looking forward to lamenting the stupid shit we as consumers of American news will be force-fed once the Schiavo case resides only in our memories.

Some possibly stupid topics for future consideration:

• Does Britney Spears have fake boobies?
• Are gay marriages legal, and should they be sanctioned or prohibited on a state or federal level?
• Should guidance counsellors be permitted to recommend exotic dancing as a possible profession for high-school-age women?
• Should marijuana be legalized? And if so, could you send me some?
• Is that "old guy in a tuxedo" on the Six Flags commercial irritating, or really irritating?
• What is the best invention created in America? The telephone, chocolate, or cleavage?
• And finally, will Michael Jackson receive time off for good behavior for teaching his future fellow inmates how to moonwalk?

These and other questions await our review once the Schiavo case ceases to occupy the nation's consciousness.

I can't wait.