Category: Current Affairs

While I was gone for the wedding, a bunch of kindly folks sent me links regarding Terri Schiavo. Given how desperate things are becoming, I don’t want to stretch out the time of posting in order to give me time to read and comment on them, so here are the raw links:

SECRET AGENT MAN: The Due Process Scam.

PAPAFAMILIAS: Fasting For Terri.

WILLIAM FEDERER: The Court-Ordered Death Of Terri Schiavo.

MARK SHEA: E-mail the President & Governor!

EMPIRE JOURNAL: Darth Greer Is Legally Blind (In the Literal, Not the Metaphorical Sense: I.E., He’s Disabled.)

BARBARA WELLER: My Last Visit With Terri.

NEW SOWELL TRILOGY! ONE! TWO! THREE!

Cowboy hat tip to all who sent links!

Happy and Blessed Easter to one and all. My post on Queen Camilla generated some great comments, so I thought I’d do a follow-up:

I know precious little about the British monarchy, but it does seem interesting. I think that tales of palace intrege would be particularly interesting. Could you recommend a book or two on the subject? Thanks!

Unfortunately, I don’t know of a general history I can recommend (suggestions welcome!). I do recommend focusing on particular individuals or houses that interest you and look for books on that narrower focus. One such historian, who has written a number of books on British royals, is Alison Weir, although I disagree with her conclusion that King Richard III is the most likely murderer of his nephews, the princes in the Tower. Sure, he’s a prime suspect, but the traditional case against him is far from conclusive. (Indeed, I think one of the reasons he has persisted in the popular mind as a villain is thanks to Shakespeare’s play, which Shakespeare probably wrote at least in part to please Tudor England.)

The monarchy never really recovered after Henry VIII–yes, yes, I’ve heard of Elizabeth, and even Victoria. But Henry was the most destructive man in English history. It just takes some things longer to disappear than others, once they’ve been mortally wounded.

True enough, although there were moments of greatness, as another reader recounts:

I like to think of the Queen Mum stepping over the rubble left by bombs in wartime London. The reign of the Royals of the ’40s (after the Duke of Windsor and Wally sailed off in their yacht), and the gov’t of Winston Churchill, by inspiring London during the Blitzkrieg and overseeing Britain’s "finest hour," represented one of the few bright spots in the dull to dumb to slapsticky British history that Henry VIII and his apostasy begat.

If only there the moments of greatness were extended to generations of greatness….

Just skip over Charles and go straight to William.

Were that the case, I would again be a fan of the Windsors (at least for a while). However, although I cannot find confirmation of this online, I believe I’ve read that Charles has already indicated that he has no intention of stepping aside for William. Hard to blame him, as he’s been the twentieth-century’s Edward VII (Queen Victoria’s son); but stepping aside would be the noble thing to do.

The elimination of the monarchy poses an interesting political question – if the royalty were eliminated, what would the United Kingdom and the other countries do to fill the "Head of State" position?

Since my interest is in British history, not British constitutional law, I don’t know; but I assume the prime minister would become the head of state. For all intents and purposes, he already is anyway. Queen Elizabeth II is a great lady, but really a figurehead monarch.

The traditional response would be to look for a better royal house, as was done with the Bloodless Revolution in 1688.

No thanks. The so-called "Glorious Revolution" ousted the rightful king and last Roman Catholic monarch, James II, in favor of his Protestant daughter and her husband. Indeed, the "Glorious Revolution" was also responsible for the Bill of Rights 1689, which ensures that no Roman Catholic or royal married to a Roman Catholic will ever again ascend to the British throne.

I also thought I’d never say this, but . . .

GO RALPH NADER!

Excerpts:

The courts not only are refusing her tube feeding, but have ordered
that no attempts be made to provide her water or food by mouth. Terri
swallows her own saliva. Spoon feeding is not medical treatment. "This
outrageous order proves that the courts are not merely permitting
medical treatment to be withheld, it has ordered her to be made dead,"
Nader and Smith assert.

(Cowboy hat tip: Southern Appeal.)

Thomas Sowell argues that the clear meaning of the law Congress passed to help save Terri is being ignored by the courts:

When a case goes up to a higher court on appeal, the issue before the appellate court is not whether they agree with the merits of the decision of the lower court. In a criminal case, for example, the issue before the appellate court is not whether the defendant was guilty or innocent, but whether the trial was conducted properly.

In other words, the defendant is not supposed to be tried again at the appellate level. So, no matter how many appellate judges rule one way or the other, that tells you absolutely nothing about the fundamental question of guilt or innocence.

Similar principles apply in a civil case, such as that of Terri Schiavo. Liberals can count all the judges they want, but that does not mean that all these judges agreed with the merits of the original court’s decision. It means that they found no basis for saying that the original court’s decision was illegal.

What the law just passed by Congress did was authorize a federal court to go back to square one and examine the actual merits of the Terri Schiavo case, not simply review whether the previous judge behaved illegally. Congress authorized the federal courts to retry this case from scratch — "de novo" as the legislation says in legal terminology.

That is precisely what the federal courts have refused to do. There is no way that federal District Judge James Whittemore could have examined this complex case, with its contending legal arguments and conflicting experts, from scratch in a couple of days, even if he had worked around the clock without eating or sleeping.

Judge Whittemore ignored the clear meaning of the law passed by Congress and rubberstamped the decision to remove Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube.

As dissenting Judge Charles Wilson of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals put it, the "entire purpose of the statute" is to let federal courts look at the case "with a fresh pair of eyes." But, by the Circuit Court’s decision, "we virtually guarantee" that the merits of the case "will never be litigated in a federal court" because Terri Schiavo will be dead.

GET THE STORY.

Not especially a surprising development for a country of which the national church’s founder insisted that his second wife be styled Queen within his first wife’s lifetime, but a disappointing possibility nonetheless:

"Camilla Parker Bowles can become queen after all, despite earlier statements by Prince Charles that she will take a lesser title after marrying him, the government said Monday.

"Replying to a question from a lawmaker, Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie said in a written statement that the marriage of Charles and Parker Bowles would not be ‘morganatic’ — in which the spouse of inferior status has no claim to the standing of the other.

"’This is absolutely unequivocal that she automatically becomes queen when he becomes king,’ said Andrew Mackinlay, the lawmaker who raised the question.

"The Department for Constitutional Affairs confirmed that interpretation, saying that legislation would be required to deny Parker Bowles the title of queen. Similar legislation apparently would be required in more than a dozen countries — such as Australia, Jamaica and Canada — in which the British sovereign is the head of state."

Now I happen to be an Anglophile with a particular love for the British monarchy. (My knowledge of British history is primarily focused after the Norman conquest in 1066.) But if I were a Brit, I’d be sorely tempted to vote for any measure that would abolish the monarchy after Queen Elizabeth II passes away. The soap-opera foibles of the Windsors may be entertaining, but surely less expensive and more professional entertainment can be found.

Since I’m not in a position to vote, all I can do is shake my head and sigh over the demise of the once-majestic legacy of the British monarchy.

GET THE STORY.

It is Holy Week for Christians; but for Jews it is nearly Purim.  Thursday will be a fast day in commemoration of Esther’s fast (cf. Esther 4:16) and Friday will be the feast of Purim, which honors the Jews’ deliverance from the deadly plans of Haman.  Just as pro-life Christians have been seeing a parallel to the events of Holy Week in the Terri Schiavo case, so pro-life Jews are seeing a parallel to Purim:

"The [Purim] story recounts how an evil man named Haman sought to kill all the Jews. But through communal prayer, fasting and the heroic acts of Queen Esther, the plot was exposed and counteracted. In a divine turn of events, it was the evil Haman who was killed. The Jews who had been marked for death were now free to protect themselves and live!

"The significance of this is not lost to me as it relates to the Schiavo case, the result of which will affect the disabled community, and all people. We see an important message for us in these days in Esther chapter 4 verse 14:

"13. And Mordecai ordered to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house from among all the Jews.

"14. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews from elsewhere, and you and your father’s household will perish; and who knows whether at a time like this you will attain the kingdom?’

"Like Esther, each of us has been placed in a unique position so that we can help bring good out of even the most evil of situations. God only asks that we do our part. Ultimately, He takes care of the rest."

READ THE POST.

(Nod to Kathy Shaidle of Relapsed Catholic for the link.)

There is a campaign to get people to say the Rosary on Good Friday for the end of abortion.

GET THE STORY.

A nurse who took care of Terri in the 1990s is now speaking out (having been released from a gag order now that the matter is in the federal courts, I’m given to understand). Not only is the nurse forcefully stating that Terri is able to communicate and use certain words, she also states that Michael has refused any therapy for Terri and further:

Iyer was eventually fired by the home because of a disagreement with Michael where she claimed he injected her with insulin.

After one visit by Michael in Terri’s room for 20 minutes with the door shut, Iyer found Terri lethargic and "crying hysterically."

She checked Terri’s blood sugar levels and they were barely showing any reading on the glucometer, she told Fox News. She also saw a vial of "insulin concealed in the trash bin."

Iyer said there were needle marks [on several intimate places on Terri’s body].

She went to police with the details and then told administrators at the facility, who were upset she didn’t report to them first.

GET THE STORY.

The affidavit that Nurse Iyer filed with Pinellas County, Florida (and which was dismissed) has now become public.

READ IT.

Excerpts:

To the best of my recollection, rehabilitation had been ordered for Terri, but I never saw any being done or had any reason at all to believe that there was ever any rehab of Terri done at Palm Gardens while I was there.  I became concerned because nothing was being done for Terri at all, no antibiotics, no tests, no range of motion therapy, no stimulation, no nothing.  Michael said again and again that Terri should NOT get any rehab, that there should be no range of motion whatsoever, or anything else.  I and a CNA named Roxy would give Terri range of motion anyway.  One time I put a wash cloth in Terri’s hand to keep her fingers from curling together, and Michael saw it and made me take it out, saying that was therapy.    

Terri’s medical condition was systematically distorted and misrepresented.  When I worked with her, she was alert and oriented.  Terri spoke on a regular basis while in my presence, saying such things as “mommy,” and “help me.”  “Help me” was, in fact, one of her most frequent utterances.  I heard her say it hundreds of times.   Terri would try to say the word “pain” when she was in discomfort, but it came out more like “pay.”  She didn’t say the “n” sound very well.  During her menses she would indicate her discomfort by saying “pay” and moving her arms toward her lower abdominal area.  Other ways that she would indicate that she was in pain included pursing her lips, grimacing, thrashing in bed, curling her toes or moving her legs around.  She would let you know when she had a bowel movement by flipping up the covers and pulling on her diaper. 

I made numerous entries into the nursing notes in her chart, stating verbatim what she said and her various behaviors, but by my next on-duty shift, the notes would be deleted from her chart.  Every time I made a positive entry about any responsiveness of Terri’s, someone would remove it after my shift ended.  Michael always demanded to see her chart as soon as he arrived, and would take it in her room with him.

Throughout my time at Palm Gardens, Michael Schiavo was focused on Terri’s death.  Michael would say “When is she going to die?,” “Has she died  yet?” and “When is that b*tch gonna die?”  These statements were common knowledge at Palm  Gardens, as he would make them casually in passing, without regard even for who he was talking to, as long as it was a staff member.  Other statements which I recall him making include “Can’t you do anything to accelerate her death – won’t she ever die?”  When she wouldn’t die, Michael would be furious.

Any time Terri would be sick, like with a UTI or fluid buildup in her lungs, colds, pneumonia, Michael would be visibly excited, thrilled even, hoping that she would die.  He would call me, as I was the nurse supervisor on the floor, and ask for every little detail about her temperature, blood pressure, etc., and would call back frequently asking if she was dead yet.  He would blurt out “I’m going to be rich!,” and would talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died, which included a new car, a new boat, and going to Europe, among other things.

When Michael visited Terri, he always came alone and always had the door closed and locked while he was with Terri.  He would typically be there about twenty minutes or so.  When he left Terri would would be trembling, crying hysterically, and would be very pale and have cold sweats.  It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I’d check her blood sugar.  The glucometer reading would be so low it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading.  I would put dextrose in Terri’s  mouth to counteract it.  This happened about five times on my shift as I recall.  Normally Terri’s blood sugar levels were very stable due to the uniformity of her diet through tube feeding.  It is my belief that Michael injected Terri with Regular insulin, which is very fast acting.

The congruence of Terri Schiavo’s plight with Holy Week has led to speculation by Christians on the eternal significance of this young woman’s struggle.  Some have seen in it a microcosm of another Passion, two thousand years ago:

THE PINELLAS COUNTY PASSION PLAY

TERRI AT CENTER OF MODERN-DAY PASSION PLAY

An especially powerful statement of Terri’s passion and its correlation to Christ’s Passion came earlier this week from Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida:

"And so, Holy Week, the annual remembrance of Jesus’ passion and death, begins with the Passion of Terri Schiavo. Terri’s agony has already begun and, barring some miracle, the denouement of Terri’s drama will be her death.

"This week, in recalling Jesus’ Passover from death to life, we celebrate the fact that the misterium iniquitatis is overcome through the misterium crucis.

"From the cross Jesus cried out, and his cry is echoed today by all those held captive to a world of pain and sin.

"As Terri shares in his passion, she will share in his Resurrection. Like Jesus did, Terri Schiavo cries out, though with muted voice: ‘I thirst!’"

GET THE STORY. (Warning: Evil registration requirement. Nod to Amy Welborn for the link.)

Some of the commentators have expressed reluctance for linking Terri’s plight to Christ’s Passion.  I feel no such reluctance, and indeed think that the similarities bear expression for the benefit of all those with ears to hear:

"’I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink’ … Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me’" (Matt. 25:42, 44-45).

Here’s part of a transcript of Michael Schiavo talking to Larry King last Friday:

KING:  Have you had any contact with the family today?  This is a sad day all the way around, Michael.  We know of your dispute.

M.SCHIAVO: I’ve had no contact with them.

KING:  No contact at all?

M.SCHIAVO: No.

KING: Do you understand how they feel?

M.SCHIAVO: Yes, I do. But this is not about them, it’s about Terri.  And I’ve also said that in court. We didn’t know what Terri wanted but this is what we want…..

READ THE TRANSCRIPT.

The Empire Journal states:

Schiavo’s nationally televised admission establishes grounds for him to be charged with perjury and for Gov. Jeb Bush to immediately move to take the disabled woman into protective custody before any further harm is done to her by this attempt at judicial homicide.
 

GET THE STORY.