The Next-Best Thing to TerriJust when the wackos of the religious right got their "Save Terri" machine up and running, Terri died. Bummer. But now they've found the next best thing: an innocent old lady who is being killed by a heartless granddaughter (who probably has ANOTHER grandmother, so wants to knock off this one so she can move on with her life), with the aid of a two-bit judges and evil doctors and such. The story was, until yesterday, a WorldNetDaily exclusive. It involves an 81-year-old widow, Mae Magouirk, who was reportedly diagnosed with an "aorta dissection"; the problem was apparently life-threatening, but the doctors determined that she wasn't a fit candidate for surgery, and Mrs. Magourik was sent to a hospice to spend her final days. However, per her nephew Ken Mullinax, her granddaughter wouldn't let the medical personnel insert a feeding tube in Aunt Mae, and she hasn't had anything substantial to eat or drink for days -- so her her REAL next-of-kin (brother, sister, and the nephew) are fighting to save Mae's life. There are claims that Mae's living will is being violated, that the granddaughter falsely claimed to have power of attorney so she could kill Mae before the other relatives knew anything about it, plus the usual obstructionalist judge and hospice in league with the euthanasia industry. However, you'll notice that the only source for the story is the nephew Ken (plus somebody from an anti-hospice group). That's what I call reporting! I don't know exactly what Ken's motive's are in all this: perhaps to save his dear old Aunt from his cruel cousin, possibly to get his time in the limelight, or maybe something else entirely. But whatever the case, I do think this portion of what he told WND was a tad over the top:
Um, she's 81 and has a serious heart problem that requires that she either be in the hospital ICU or the hospice -- she's NOT going to be joining them in a new house with an extra bedroom. At least, not in this reality. The story was picked up from WND by the usual suspects, such as as InstaPundit and The Corner. But apparently nephew Ken saw how the Schindler family used the pro-life groups, and contacted not only WorldNetDaily, but also BlogsforTerri, (which, as the editor of hugely popular Crooks and Liars recently pointed out to me, has declared itself to be an advocacy group against "the growing acceptance of euthanasia in American society," and which, as TBogg noted a couple of days ago, was finding itself going towards the light, what with Terri being dead and all). So, it jumped right on this story. And between Blogsfor Terri and WND, it's all over the internets. WND just came out with an "Starving Grandmother" update (type face reduced by about 300%):
It basically says that the court decided that three cardiologists would examine Mrs. Magouirk, and whatever the majority of them recommended as treatment, would be carried out -- but apparently that happened Monday. I guess it's just getting reported today, because the story was more dramatic when it was about a heartless granddaughter who was starving an old lady. And anyway, apparently Ken isn't happy with the compromise the judge worked out with the family. Here's part of his recent email to BlogsforTerri:
It's a conspiracy! Everyone is against them!
So, it sounds like he's really planning to go the Schindler route -- which means that we may be hearing more about this, despite the fact that it's none of our business. However, it you want to see some actual reporting, forget WND -- the local paper (the Lagrange News) has put it to shame by actually interviewing some people besides Ken Mullinax. Here's part of their article, which deals with the court decision, and the beginnings of the "Save Mae" movements :
Or so he hopes. This could be Ken's chance to be somebody! He could be a contender!
Since the WND story (and the BlogsforTerri posts) just came out on Thursday, Troup County ain't seen nothing yet!
Well, a normal life with a feeding tube.
Ken has MADE the national debate rear its head in Troup County, Georgia. At least, that's his goal. And, like I said before, it seems a shame to have a perfectly good "tube feeding" activist machine up and running, and not to have a dying woman to use it on. Personally, if Mrs. Magourik were my grandmother, and the doctors told me that she had a good chance of gaining some quality time by treating her heart conditon (and I thought that she would want the treatment), then I would fight to get it for her, despite her age. However, if they told me that surgery was the only possible treatment, and that she probably wouldn't survive it, then I wouldn't demand that a feeding tube be inserted to keep her alive for a few aditional weeks in the hospital. I would (as is reportedly being done for Mrs. Magourik) make sure that my grandmother was being given drugs to ease her pain, and whatever food and liquids she could consume naturally, but in this case, a feeding tube would be an extraordinary measure that I wouldn't insist on. You can call me heartless if you want, but I don't think prolonging suffering for no good reason is what Jesus would do. 5:22:16 AM  |
Important Updates1. In the comments to our story, "Florida, America's Wang," reader Peter vE noted that a new Florida law that says that if you are being attacked (like in an English class, when the commie professor insists that Laura's "lump in the bed" poem isn't as good as a Shakespearian sonnet), one has the right to simply blow away one's repressor. Mark from Fried Green al-Qaedas emailed me with info about the law:
But, as we know, many people in Florida are old. How can they protect their right to stab or shoot those who might try to force them to hear stuff they don't like? Mark has the answer! 2. I said that the WSJ used its editorial to order wingnuts like the Moonie Times and James Lileks to stop embarrassing them by claiming that Sandy Berger had destroyed copies of documents that proved that Bill Clinton was in the pay of Osama bin Laden. However, SullyWatch suggests that maybe I was a little naive, and that there could be more to it than that. Since the prosecutor, Noel Hillman, seems to have made a special effort to convince both the WSJ and the NY Post that there was no Clinton conspiracy (but didn't speak to the Wash Post or the NY Times), maybe this does involve some machinations amongst the conservatives that outsiders can't really perceive. I sure hope so! Anyway, read the SW story and see what you think. 3. There's been a change over at Power Line. Apparently, the three lawyers who run the Blog of the Year decided to deal with all the derision, ridicule, and jokes resulting from SchiavoTalkingPointsFiascoGate by changing their names. Yes, "Hindrocket," "The Big Trunk," and "Weasel" (or something), are no more, having been replaced by "John," "Scott," and "Poochy" (or something). I think this is a sad, sad day for conservatism. 4:19:23 AM |
"Now, dear Reader, I don't want you to get the idea that I am some sort of frumpy troglodyte"Since TBogg is experiencing technical problems (something to do with FireFox, the invisible airplane that Clint Eastwood could fly with his mind; or possibly a problem with WildFire, the horse that the girl went out calling until they both died), I thought I'd give you the highlights of the latest America's Worst Mother ™ column (you know, just to hold you until Tom pays his electricity bill). So, here you go: 1. Meghan gets a trunk load of hand-me-down maternity clothes from a "beautiful and exquisitely-dressed woman" (the Knocked-Up Fairy Godmother?) So, now Meghan doesn't have to be both pregnant and barefoot, and she is understandably elated. 2. Hugo Gurdon and David Frum refuse to go shopping together, because that would be, you know, fruity.
To cleanse themselves of the creepy idea, the two men were forced to immediately retreat to a strip club and hit on the cocktail waitresses. But Hugo and David both had a lot to drink while they were there, and one thing led to another, and, well ... but since no drags queens were involved, they ARE NOT gay. 3. Daughter Dysplasia performs the "cute kid trick" of the week. It goes something like this: When asked to name one fact about the Pope during Spanish Inquisition Time, all the other (inferior) kids at Miss Higgenbottom's Private School for Precocious and Adorable Anglophile Tots merely said that he was "nice," thus proving that their parents are liberals. But then it was Dysplasia's turn, and she blew everyone away by saying that the KGB had tried to terminate the Pope with extreme prejudice, because they knew that he and St. Ronald Reagan were going to destroy communism. There is silence after Dysplasia's remark, and the girl is afraid that she has gone too far, for the kids live in abject fear of Miss Mackenzie and her fists of fury. But Miss Mackenzie merely says tersely, "They've been forcing you to read National Review again, haven't they, you poor child?" Meghan is so proud. 4. There is the bimonthly mention of son LeoSayerStrauss's burgeoning masculinity ("Sweetheart, how do you get so dirty?" "I'm made for it"). Clearly, LeoSayerStrauss is going to grow up to be all man, just like his father. 5. Meghan tries out for the Doug Giles Memorial Alliteration Award:
6. Plus, one ceremonial "Mummy-O." So, I give it an "8" on the AWM scale. But that's just a laywoman's opinion. You'll have to wait for TBogg for the official score. 3:17:05 AM |
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