Monday, March 21, 2005
Jim McDermott wants to kill your baby
Seriously, he does, at least if you take his rantings late last night one logical step further. Last night, Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said that feeding Terri Schiavo was the equivalent of hooking her to a respirator. That the use of a feeding tube is the equivalent of keeping someone breathing artificially.
Okay, let's take this to the next logical step, shall we? By that definition, "forcing" food down your baby's throat--after all, a 3-month-old cannot feed itself--is the equivalent of keeping that baby alive artificially, and therefore should be stopped at once. By judicial order.
Terri Schiavo cannot walk unaided. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot speak coherently. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot go to work or contribute to society. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot feed herself. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo has a "useless mouth." So does, by that standard, a 3-month-old-baby.
For that matter, you can add Alzheimer's patients to the above sentences. And some severe Down's Syndrome patients. And many elderly people who have had debilitating strokes.
And by Jim McDermott's (D-Wash.) standards, anyone at all who is on an i.v. for any reason is being kept alive artificially.
Where do we stop? Where do we say it's all right to err on the side of life? Before or after we erect the gas chambers?
And here's a heads-up to the woman with whom Michael Schiavo has at least 2 kids--you'd better hope and pray that you never, never get sick around this man. You'd better fill out as many forms as you can and get them to a lawyer. And you'd better give away your jewelry before you get sick, because he'll melt it down for himself. And any pets you may have--well, Terri had cats that her parents wanted to take, and Michael killed them, so future-Mrs.-Schiavo, if you have any animals you love you'd be well-advised to give them to good homes as soon as possible. Because you never know when Michael will turn on you...or on your kids...
Okay, let's take this to the next logical step, shall we? By that definition, "forcing" food down your baby's throat--after all, a 3-month-old cannot feed itself--is the equivalent of keeping that baby alive artificially, and therefore should be stopped at once. By judicial order.
Terri Schiavo cannot walk unaided. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot speak coherently. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot go to work or contribute to society. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo cannot feed herself. Neither can a 3-month-old baby.
Terri Schiavo has a "useless mouth." So does, by that standard, a 3-month-old-baby.
For that matter, you can add Alzheimer's patients to the above sentences. And some severe Down's Syndrome patients. And many elderly people who have had debilitating strokes.
And by Jim McDermott's (D-Wash.) standards, anyone at all who is on an i.v. for any reason is being kept alive artificially.
Where do we stop? Where do we say it's all right to err on the side of life? Before or after we erect the gas chambers?
And here's a heads-up to the woman with whom Michael Schiavo has at least 2 kids--you'd better hope and pray that you never, never get sick around this man. You'd better fill out as many forms as you can and get them to a lawyer. And you'd better give away your jewelry before you get sick, because he'll melt it down for himself. And any pets you may have--well, Terri had cats that her parents wanted to take, and Michael killed them, so future-Mrs.-Schiavo, if you have any animals you love you'd be well-advised to give them to good homes as soon as possible. Because you never know when Michael will turn on you...or on your kids...
