One more reason there is something wrong with Americans.

Current mood: uncomfortable

Again I have to ask myself, "Are you kidding me?"

This is quoted from an article I read in National Geographic earlier this week.

"According to a Gallup poll drawn from more than a thousand telephone interviews conducted in February 2001, no less than 45 percent of responding U.S. adults agreed that 'God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.' Evolution, by their lights, played no role in shaping us.

"Only 37 percent of the polled Americans were satisfied with allowing room for both God and Darwin—that is, divine initiative to get things started, evolution as the creative means. (This view, according to more than one papal pronouncement, is compatible with Roman Catholic dogma.) Still fewer Americans, only 12 percent, believed that humans evolved from other life-forms without any involvement of a god."

Did you read that last line? 12% - 12% - 12% - 12% ! ! ! !

Really? That means an overwhelming 88% of the population of this country, not only believes in God, but believes He had a hand in shaping us, as humans, to become what we are today.

Now - admitedly, I have been known to be a bit on the religious side in my past - Mike will attest to that. A point I would like to emphasize, however, is the more I have matured and learned about life - the more I have realized how blinded to reality one has to be in order to believe in a Christian or other popular notion of what is God.

The same thing applies to politics. I hear neo-cons repeatedly talk about the liberalism of Higher Ed. If an idea is construed as being leftist - it must have come from the college hippies. Again - I will touch on, briefly, one idea - of course higher education breeds liberalism. They are MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED. How a neo-con can receive a PhD. and not regret their collegiate life is beyond me.

OK - that is all for now. I will expand on this when I get more time. I need to go make dinner for my wife.

The Final Terri Schiavo Post.

Current mood: relieved and still confused

I guess my biggest question and point of confusion would be extreme right-to-lifers, as I just don't understand that philosophy. If you have seen my page, then you would prob understand that I am quite the liberal.

Hmmmm . . . All the doctors that actually reviewed Terri - personally, argued she was in a persistent vegetative state, unable to respond to outside stimuli. When it appeared as though she was responding, the docs chalked it up to reflex.

See, my mother had a stroke in January and passed away like a week later, and I saw her every day. When we were around - I also saw her respond to stimuli, but I knew what she was like before - and I could tell, although she was responding, it was not what I would call a normal response. As a result, we let her go. It seemed to us - as members of her family - she was not the mom we knew and let her go to ease all our pain.

So - the response from Terri's parents does not make sense to me. Regardless of the severity of her unresponsiveness, she was not what they knew as their daughter. It makes sense to me they, especially as Catholics, would want her to go peacefully, and not have to suffer as she did. The fact they allowed her to stay in that state as long as they did seems very bizaare and frankly, quite selfish. Were they truly looking out for Terri's best interests, as they claimed in every judicial appeal, or for their own self interests? After all - the conservative idea is, "The greatest societal good results from the greatest individual greed."

I guess that is it. I just don't understand.

Here are my wishes, now this chapter is closed:

1- We, as a society can learn from this. Autonomy and individual freedoms should be revered. Faith in family and our system should not be questioned inasmuch as it is faith that keeps systems working.

2- Please, can we see death as a means to celebrate the life of the person who has passed. I do not believe death is a time for sadness. I think when someone leaves this world, we should take a few moments and reflect on what we will miss - grieve the passing, and begin to recognize the legacy that person will leave. Move on. . . Accept the passing as inevitable, (we all will die,) and use our time to appreciate what this person has done for all those with whom he or she has influenced.

3- Appreciate what Terri's families - both the Schaivos and the Schindlers - have gone through. Respect both sides and if you lean one way or the other, please try to be sympathetic to those with which you may disagree.

Bye Terri. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address my thoughts and attempt to put a little of myself out there.

Terry Schiavo (part 3.) - I anticipate only one more posting about this.

Current mood: anxious

Here is the deal - I want to give kudos to the appelate panel in the 11th Circuit Court. In what appears to be a non-partisan vote - the Appelates have concurred with District Judge Whittemore and have asserted the Terry's feeding tube NOT be re-inserted.

Here is some info, again from the AP:

["(Judges) Wilson and Hull were appointed to the appeals court by President Clinton, while (Judge) Carnes was appointed by former President Bush.

In a 2-1 ruling earlier Wednesday, the three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit said the parents 'failed to demonstrate a substantial case on the merits of any of their claims' that the feeding tube should be reinserted immediately.

'There is no denying the absolute tragedy that has befallen Mrs. Schiavo,' the ruling by Judges Ed Carnes and Frank M. Hull said. 'We all have our own family, our own loved ones, and our own children. However, we are called upon to make a collective, objective decision concerning a question of law.'

In his dissent to the appeals court ruling, Judge Charles R. Wilson said Schiavo's 'imminent' death would end the case before it could be fully considered. 'In fact, I fail to see any harm in reinserting the feeding tube,' he wrote."]

That's all for now. I will write more later - and as I wrote in my title, I hope the next time will be the last time as my wish is this whole issue will be over.

Terri Schiavo (part 2).

Current mood: still PISSED OFF ! ! !

I have to make this quick because my wife is waiting for me to come to bed. OK - I have to start by reiterating the idea that our Congress is filled with a bunch of feeble-minded POLITICIANS with their heads so far up their asses they could not tell you the time of day without having to run a series of opinion polls and check with the lobbyists first.

The Adjourned Congress reconvened on Sunday 03.20.05, solely to pass one specific piece of legislation - allowing for Terri's case to be brought before the Federal courts. It has been limited to the Florida State's system prior. S. 686, "For the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo," [Click Here for Info on this Bullshit Bill], was presented by the Senate to the House at 9:02 PM Sunday night.

This is a GROSS abuse of Legislative power mandated by 230 years of Government AND our Constitution. It is not bad enough the Neo-Con Majority brought this bill, but an overwhelming 47 Demos voted for it v. 53 who voted against. Give me a Goddamned break. Ordained and established to protect the People of the United States. . . I don't freakin' think so.

As to my point last week about Terri being happier and more peaceful knowing she is nearing her last days - Her husband, Michael had ths to say, "There is no happy ending," he said on CNN's "Larry King Live" late Monday. "When Terri's wishes are carried out, it will be her wish. She will be at peace. She will be with the Lord."

Fortunately, and I pray this lasts - the new Judge - U.S. District Judge James Whittemore, did not immediately make a ruling after a two-hour hearing today, Monday, and gave no indication on when he might act on the request, brought by the schindlers. The following came from the AP:

["We are rushed and we are somewhat desperate," the parents' attorney, David Gibbs III, told the judge. "Terri may die as I speak." The attorney said that forcing Schiavo to die by starvation and dehydration would be "a mortal sin" under her Roman Catholic beliefs.

"It is a complete violation to her rights and to her religious liberty, to force her in a position of refusing nutrition," Gibbs said.

But the judge told Gibbs that he was not completely sold on the argument. "I think you'd be hard-pressed to convince me that you have a substantial likelihood" of the parents' lawsuit succeeding, said Whittemore, nominated by former President Clinton in 1999.]

God Bless Bill Clinton.

Terri Schiavo

I do not live in Florida, have met neither the Schiavo nor the Schindler families, nor do I have relatives attached to feeding tubes.

I have nothing but contempt for the entire Bush clan, little respect for the Congressional majority and I think the direction the neo-con movement is taking America is abyssmal. The current leaders of Congress, time and time again, do nothing but intervene when they should not, do not intervene where they should, and as opposed to doing what is expected of them - that is look after the best interests of the U.S. citizenry - they repeatedly act to undermine the rights of ALL citizens while continuing to deepen their own pockets and push forward an absurd idea of morality that is taking us back generations in terms of societal growth.

I respect Judge Greer for his steadfast conviction, Michael Schiavo for the years of pain he has had to endure, and Congressional Demos and the ACLU for trying to repress the tyranny that is the New Right.

Terri's parents have the audacity to say they believe she is NOT in a vegetative state, and Bob, her father, has been quoted saying the only true victory Terri and the Schindler family will see is, "when we take Terri home and we get her therapy." I understand the not wanting of a family member to die - my mother passed away last January and my father 13 years ago. But to believe an adult woman, who has been a vegetable for OVER 15 YEARS, can recooperate and regain lost brain capacity with therapy is ludacris. When Terri passed out in 1990, her brain stopped receiving oxygen. She became brain damaged and was left in a state that made it impossible for her to eat by herself. She can not swallow, she can not talk, she can not move. The woman is all but dead. Without the support of machines - she would cease to exist as a person.

I say let her go.

According to her husband, Michael, who - by the way - is her legal guardian, Terri would not have wanted to remain in this condition. Makes sense to me - I would not want to be like that. My mother didn't either. She passed away peacefully - giving us, as her family and friends, closure and comfort of mind knowing she is finally at peace. The days before my mother died, she could not eat on her own, drink, communicate. But she was peaceful. That is how she would have wanted to be remembered.

I would like to see our government learn to do what is right for the populus it is entrusted to protect. Do what is simply on the side of absolute right v. wrong - NOT what is wrong simply because it comes from the Right side of the aisle.