March 24, 2005 by s.z.

More About the Culture of Life Let's start with this very interesting paragraph from the Tallahassee Democrat: Gary McCullough, a media adviser to activist Randall Terry, says the Schiavo case grew from 10 pickets and a couple of TV cameras at her parents home to a national debate in 18 months because of careful "packaging." And the save-Terri forces made an early tactical decision to focus on Gov. Jeb Bush, who has been adamant in his support of reconnecting the stricken woman's feeding tube. Yeah, we knew that the Terri hysteria was all about "packaging," but it's nice to get it confirmed.  And the focus has been on Jeb for some time, it appears -- I guess they recognized him as their kind of tool (although he's proving himself to be a mighty weak one). And then there's this from Knight Ridder: The Center for Reclaiming America [the outreach program of D. James Kennedy's  Coral Ridge Ministries] completed the petition drive in 48 hours, often collecting 5,000 names an hour - a record for the Broward County-based group dedicated to mobilizing Christian grass roots. "Back in the Cruzan days [a reference to Nancy Cruzan, the woman who was in a PV state for five years until 1990, when her parents got a court order allowing her feeding tube to be pulled], this was physically impossible. A few dozen activists on a phone or a fax machine couldn't reach people who would care," said Gary McCullough, now editor of the Christian Wire Service, who sends as many as five news releases on the Schiavo case to 6,000 recipients every day. "But now," he continued, "you have the Internet, blogging, Web sites, discussions groups, organizations like NewsMax and talkshow hosts like Sean Hannity whose producers don't have to be called by someone like me. They see the groundswell and get on board. It's a whole different ballgame." I think it's so cool that Sean Hannity doesn't even need the fringe wingnuts to call him anymore, because he monitors the wingnut "groundswells" and jumps aboard their lunacy ships without prompting Anyway, Mr. McCullouch is identified in several other news reports as a "Schindler family spokesman," and also as being from "Christian Communication Network, a spokesman for the Schindlers."  But just who is Gary McCullough? His bio at Christian Communications Network (the PR business Gary set up "to see that pro-life and pro-family organizations and individuals are afforded the opportunity for their messages to reach more people through mass media" gives us some clues: Activist . . . went to work for the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue in 1989.  Arranged first interviews for jailed cell-mates by keeping details of media interview times and phone numbers written with soap on his jail cell's concrete floor.  Arrested for peaceful sit-ins (called Rescues) in front of abortion clinics over 30 times. Yeah, he got arrested for just peacefully sitting.  Here's just one account of his peaceful activities (a stunt he didn't even get arrested for).  It happened in 2000: California: Gary McCullough and 20 teenage “survivors” invaded a clinic, screaming and calling people “murderer” and “baby killer”, and passing out  literature. Police responded but made no arrests. McCullough describes “survivors” as those born after 1973, who “survived the abortion holocaust.” He told police that this was the group’s first “survivor training.” But Gary's "peaceful" harassment of abotion clinics, interesting as it is, isn't the whole story.  For instance, there's this Missionaries to the Preborn (MTP), is one of the most dangerous and violent of the direct action anti-abortion groups active in the United States. [...] Missionaries to the Preborn leaders, Joseph Foreman and Gary McCullough are long-time anti-abortion activists with ties to Paul Hill's Defensive Action network. Hill's Defensive Action network promoted the idea that killing "abortionists" is justifiable homicide.  They got behind Michael Griffin, the whackjob who, in 1993, murdered Dr. David Gun at the clinic where he worked.  Gary McCullough, Editor of the "Prisoners of Christ," a national directory of "pro-life prisoners of war," was listed as Paul Hill's media consultant during Michael Griffin's trial. McCullough's name appeared under a Defensive Action letterhead bearing the endorsement of some thirty national leaders of the direct action anti-abortion movement. Here is part of the group's statement: Defensive Action Group Paul J. Hill - Director; Media Consultant - Gary McCullough; Publicist - Jerry McGlothlin We, the undersigned, declare the justice of taking all godly action necessary to defend innocent human life including the use of force. We proclaim that whatever force is legitimate to defend the life of a born child is legitimate to defend the life of an unborn child. We assert that if Michael Griffin did in fact kill David Gunn, his use of lethal force was justifiable provided it was carried out for the purpose of defending the lives of unborn children. Therefore he ought to be acquitted of the charges against him. Interesting enough, in 1994, Paul Hill comitted his own murders, shooting a doctor and his escort as they entered an abortion clinic.  Hill was executed in 2003.  Here's more about Gary, including the statement he made about Hill's actions: Gary McCullough served as a media consultant with the Defensive Action group during Michael Griffin's trial and wrote an article in the anti-abortion journal, "Life Advocate", asserting that Michael Griffin, Dr. Gunn's killer, was a "hero."  When confronted by this writer during an interview with KNTV Channel 11, McCullough declared that "Paul Hill is my friend. No, I won't denounce his actions." And there's this, from a very informative Salon article, "Our Own Terror Cells," which notes how our own former Attorney General donated money to a network which might have funded terrorism (which action, under the Patriot Act, could have resulted in his detention for undetermined amount of time, at an undisclosed location): Self-described anti-abortion "terrorist" Clayton Waagner, arrested last month by the FBI, might remain a footnote in the White House's war on terror. But should the Department of Justice decide to treat Waagner -- the man who has admitted to sending hundreds of anthrax threats to clinics and abortion rights organizations in October and November -- as more than just a lone nut case, and rather as part of a domestic terrorist network, that could all change quickly. [...] Waagner signed his anthrax hoax letters "Army of God" -- after the violent anti-abortion group he affiliates with. An Amy of God adjunct called Prisoners of Christ, meanwhile, gets part of its cash flow from an Oklahoma City company called AmeriVision, which fashions itself as a Christian right version of the liberal Working Assets long-distance phone service. AmeriVision says it has donated over $50 million to its "partners" in the 10 years of its existence. One of those partners is Prisoners of Christ -- whose address is a private postal box four blocks from the White House. This reporter called LifeLine in December as a prospective customer and was told that LifeLine had cut checks averaging between $40 and $50 a month to Prisoners of Christ since May of 1996, and that the money flows to a Washington D.C. public relations group called Christian Communication Network headed by Gary McCullough -- the longtime principal of Prisoners of Christ. (McCullough's group maintains a web link to the Prisoners of Christ site.) When Salon called McCullough for comment about the LifeLine connection, he said, "we are a small potato in that pie and I prefer not to comment," then hung up. What can I add but "culture of life"?  Oh, and "way to pick your family spokesmen, Schindlers!" 7:53:06 PM

It Almost Makes You Feel Sorry for the Guy.  Almost. With the Supreme Court refusing to hear the Schindler's case, Obi-Wan Jeb is the wingnuts only hope.  (They hope that he will team up with some young idealists, some mercenaries, and a wookie, and break into the Death Star and rescue Princess Terri.)  And so they're reminding him, "We made you and your brother, and we can break you if you don't do what we want." Here's Randall Terry: Terry, the spokesman for Schiavo's parents and the former leader of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, threatened political retribution on those who didn't support them. "I promise you, if she dies, there's going to be hell to pay with pro-life, pro-family, Republican people of various legislative levels, both statewide and federally, who have used pro-life, pro-family, conservative rhetoric to get into power, and then when they have the power, they refuse to use it," he said. The hostility also shifted toward the governor. Increasingly, supporters of Schiavo's parents decried what they called Bush's unwillingness to act independently of the courts. "Do you think there's anyone here who doesn't feel let down?" Terry said. "He can still redeem himself and his memory on this planet for generations to come if he intervenes." And, of course, if Jeb doesn't order the police (or the National Guard, or a bunch of armed social workers) to seize Terri from her hospice, he will be remembered for generations to come as Jeb "667" Bush, the wimpy Brother of the Beast. But here's the official rendition of the "Jeb, you'se our bitch" meme from RightMarch: At 2:00 pm, we got a meeting between folks from RightMarch (William Greene and our attorney, Larry Klayman) and Governor Bush's chief counsel (his top lawyer on staff). We presented information on why the Governor has the authority RIGHT NOW under Florida Law and the state constitution to take Terri into protective custody NOW, and save her life. One hour later, Gov. Bush held a press conference announcing that he believes he has the authority to take Terri into protective custody. That was GREAT news... except, he DIDN'T DO IT. What a big liar!  It's almost like he's just using the anti-abortion wingnuts for political purposes, but has no real commitment to the sanctity of life! Instead of stepping right in and saving Terri's life, he waited until Judge Greer (who ordered Terri to be starved to death) issued an order forbidding the Governor or his agencies to get involved.Instead of stepping right in and saving Terri's life, he waited until Judge Greer (who ordered Terri to be starved to death) issued an order forbidding the Governor or his agencies to get involved. This is OUTRAGEOUS. Governor Bush needs to step up to the plate NOW, and exercise his constitutional and legal authority NOW, before Terri dies. But he doesn't seem to be willing to take that chance and do it... so we thought we should help encourage him. Hey, I hear that Mafia enforcers are good at the "encouragement" stuff.  You want that I should send Benny "Knuckles" Masucci to break Jeb's kneecaps? We need EVERYONE READING THIS EMAIL to call Governor Jeb Bush RIGHT AWAY, and ask him to do one simple thing: "PLEASE EXERCISE YOUR LEGAL AUTHORITY, AND TAKE TERRI SCHIAVO INTO PROTECTIVE CUSTODY RIGHT AWAY." "And Jeb, please take all the unborn into protective custody too, because as governor you are responsible for all life in Florida, except the born life that wants to live." On Thursday, we're also bringing in Alan Keyes and Larry Klayman to try to meet with the Governor and urge him to take Terri into protective custody. Call Gov. Bush NOW and ask him to USE his legal powers to save Terri's life. And if Jeb won't heed the legal advice of Alan Keyes, then he is past all reason. You can also call his brother, President George W. Bush, at 202-456-1414 (or fax him at 202-456-2461). Leave a message for him that he AND his brother both have the authority to use the police services at their disposal to take Terri into protective custody, restore her food and hydration, and arrest anyone who would interfere. Yeah, call George Bush and tell him that he has the authority to order the police to insert feeding tubes into women.  So, super-thin models and starlets, beware! For the sake of Terri's life, we CANNOT afford to wait while the courts bicker over jurisdiction -- and we CANNOT let little two-bit judges order the Executive branch to not do their duty. Yeah, what kind of a governor (and president) would let themselves be ordered around by little two-bit judges?  Clearly, only dinky one-bit ones. 7:21:50 PM

I Am Half In Love With the Idea of Easeful Death For Peggy Noonan Remember when I said that Dr. Samuel Blumenfeld had out-Peggied Peggy with his piece "What's Love Got to Do With It?" (You know, the column that said that Terri Schiavo was better off than most people because she got to live in a "kind of painless euphoria" where all that she knew was love).  Well, it turns out that I was wrong, and that nobody can out-Peggy Peggy, as Peggy demonstrates with her column, "In Love With Death." I don't have the strength to go through the whole thing, so let's just look at key passages. God made the world or he didn't. God made you or he didn't. [...] Most--not all, but probably most--of those who support Terri Schiavo's right to live believe the above [that each life is precious, and comes from God].  This explains their passion and emotionalism. They believe they are fighting for an invaluable and irreplaceable human life. They are like the mother who is famously said to have lifted the back of a small car off the ground to save a child caught under a tire. Or maybe they just have the fabled strength of the insane.  I do not understand the emotionalism of the pull-the-tube people. What is driving their engagement? Is it because they are compassionate, and their hearts bleed at the thought that Mrs. Schiavo suffers? But throughout this case no one has testified that she is in persistent pain, as those with terminal cancer are. No, no one has testified that she is in pain like terminal cancer sufferers are, but she still could experience some kind of pain.  Dr. Jeffrey Frank, director of neurointensive care at the University of Chicago, said of PVS patients that "their discomforts may be very primitive and poorly understood by the patient depending on the extent of their brain injury.  But patients do suffer. I would say they suffer more by the life-sustaining kind of treatments than they would from just being allowed to die peacefully."   So, since Terri has lost her higher brain functions and is never going to get them back, why use artificial means to keep her alive, and make her continue to suffer whatever discomfort she may be experiencing? If they care so much about her pain, why are they unconcerned at the suffering caused her by the denial of food and water? Here, Peggy, read this article about the New England Journal of Medicine study about terminal patients who refused food and water to hasten death; it says that 92% if them seemed to die with "little apparent pain and suffering."  And if you like, I'll tell you about my grandmother, whom my mother took care of in her home for two years after Grandma's health prevented her from living on her own anymore (before that, she resided by herself herself in the small house she had lived in for most of her life, supplementing her meager social security checks by growing a vegetable garden and raising some chickens, even though she was in her late 80s).  My mother, unlike the Schindlers, actually cared for a bed-ridden loved one by herself, with only visits from Home Health doctors and nurses to assist her.  It was really hard on Mom, especially when Grandma slipped into dementia, and seemed to be experiencing nothing but pain from her continued existence.  When Grandma stopped eating and drinking, the medical personnel said that it was a sign indicating that Grandma was ready to go -- but that she could be taken to a hospital and a feeding tube inserted to keep her alive longer, if that's what the family wanted (although the doctor didn't recommend it, since Grandma's final years were spent fighting one medical problem after another,  and my mother didn't consider requesting it, because she knew that Grandma wanted to die).  Grandma passed on about 4 days later (renal failure was probably the ultimate cause).  She didn't seem like she was suffering in those last days.  It was a peaceful ending to a well-lived life.  I'm sure glad Congress didn't get involved in our family's private matters. And why do those who argue for Mrs. Schiavo's death employ language and imagery that is so violent and aggressive? The chairman of the Democratic National Committee calls Republicans "brain dead." Michael Schiavo, the husband, calls House Majority Leader Tom DeLay "a slithering snake." As far as I know, Howard Dean hasn't argued for Terri's death.  In fact, he was recently quoted as saying, "Most Americans believe this is a deeply private, tragic matter, and that politicians ought to stay out of it. I believe it is.''   And possibly the reason that Mr. Schiavo called DeLay a "slithering snake" is because DeLay is one. Why are they so committed to this woman's death? They seem to have fallen half in love with death. Peggy seems really proud of that line "half in love with death," and repeats it again later ("Those who are half in love with death will only become more red-fanged and ravenous.")  Too bad Keats isn't around to sue her for plagiarism.  What does Terri Schiavo's life symbolize to them? What does the idea that she might continue to live suggest to them? Why does this prospect so unnerve them? Again, if you think Terri Schiavo is a precious human gift of God, your passion is explicable. The passion of the pull-the-tube people is not. I was going to write an essay about my religious beliefs, and why I believe that life is a precious gift, but that mechanically keeping a body alive when the brain has been destroyed is a horrible desecration of that gift -- but instead I will just refer Peggy to Neal Boortz, who actually makes some good points this week. He says in part: Do you believe that the human soul can make the transition to everlasting life while the human body that carried that soul through life clings to life on this earth?  If you do, then you must surely believe that Terri Schiavo has earned and is already enjoying her reward in heaven. That being the case, why is it so important to you that the now-unneeded body of Terri Schiavo is kept alive? But perhaps you believe, as I do, that the human soul is so connected to and integrated with its earthly body that any transition will not be made until that body ceases functioning -- until death occurs..  That being the case, why do you so ardently desire that the soul of Terri Schiavo spend five, ten, perhaps 30 years or more trapped in a useless and non-functioning body, unable to move on to whatever reward awaits her?  Isn’t 15 years enough? Where do your concerns truly lie, with the eternal soul of Terri Schiavo, or with her earthly body? And maybe that why people who believe in God, and who believe that life is a gift from God, can also believe that it's time to let Terry go -- because life is too precious of a gift to mock by keeping Terri's empy shell in a hospital bed as some kind of a trophy. Anyway, to try to end things on a lighter note, here's a quote from Peggy about the people who are lifting cars off of small children in order to save Terri's life, and then a Deep Thought from Jack Handey: They do not want an innocent human life ended for what appear to be primarily practical and worldly reasons--e.g., Mrs. Schiavo's quality of life is low, her life is pointless. They say: Who is to say it is pointless? And what does pointless even mean? Maybe life itself is the point. Maybe in order to understand mankind we have to look at that word itself. MANKIND. Basically, it's made up of two separate words "mank" and "ind." What do these words mean? It's a mystery and that's why so is mankind. 5:50:10 AM

Ann Coulter Double-Dog Dares Jeb to Seize Terri Sure, the Schindler family has asked the Supreme Court to take Terri's case, but there's not much chance that the justices will rule the way the wingnuts want.  Therefore, manly action is required. Let's go to Ann's latest column to learn what she thinks should be done to save Terri: So how about a Republican governor sending in the National Guard to stop an innocent American woman from being starved to death in Florida? [...] Gov. Mitt Romney will never recover from his acquiescence to the Massachusetts Supreme Court's miraculous discovery of a right to gay marriage. Neither will Gov. Bush if he doesn't stop the torture and murder of Terri Schiavo. As we know, yesterday Jeb Bush TRIED to seize Terri, but he wasn't forceful enough to do it effectively.  Here's part of the story, as reported by the L.A. Times: While the senators were debating, Gov. Bush announced that the state was attempting to gain custody of Schiavo in order to investigate allegations that she had been neglected and exploited. He said that Dr. William P. Cheshire, a Florida neurologist, had filed a supporting affidavit arguing that Schiavo might be more correctly diagnosed as "minimally conscious" and thereby legally entitled to life support. "I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that Terri is afforded at least the same rights that criminals convicted of the most heinous crimes take for granted," Bush said. You know, the same rights that Karla Tucker got from Jeb's brother.  Raquel Rodriguez, general counsel in the governor's office, said that under a Florida law designed to provide emergency protective services for vulnerable adults, the Department of Children and Families could take Schiavo into protective custody. And presumably insert a tube into her body, whether she had consented to it or not.  Because, you know, she is vulnerable, and so it doesn't really matter what she wants. At an afternoon hearing in Clearwater, state Circuit Judge George W. Greer issued an emergency order at Michael Schiavo's request, barring the department or anyone acting in concert with it from taking custody of Schiavo or restoring her food and water. In 2000, Greer signed the original order authorizing the removal of the tube. He is due to issue a decision on Gov. Bush's petition today. We already know that Judge Greer is one of those activist judges who don't rule the way the Christian Right wants them too, so it was a big mistake for Jeb to submit the petition to state court, where judges like Greer get to be the bosses of everything.  No, Jeb should have just used his executive powers to send in the National Guard, like Ann recommended.  Then he could have seized Terri, emergency order be damned!   After all, what could the judge have done about it (besides order the police to shoot anybody trying to remove Terri)? Police guarding the hospice confirmed that they remained under orders to prevent her removal without a court order. "She has a guardian, and that's Michael Schiavo," said Lt. Kevin Riley. "And unless we hear otherwise from a judge, she stays here." Well, a shoot-out between Florida State employees and the police might be just what God wants (and it would make GREAT fodder for the cable news channels)! In fact, we apparently nearly had such a confrontation.  Per the Tampa Times: But by late afternoon, badged state agents were said to be en route to Schiavo's hospice to seize the severely brain-damaged woman and transport her to a hospital to reinsert her tube. In what may be remembered as a classic face-off between the judiciary and the executive branch, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer issued an order prohibiting any state agent from touching her. And Jeb lost that face-off.  Let's all repeat the classic line from the Glad trash bag commercial: "Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy!"So, I think it's time to impeach Jeb, and put a REAL man in the job -- somebody like Ann Coulter. P.S. Okay, admittedly Ann is a big liar, writing stuff like:   Greer has refused to order the most basic medical tests for brain damage before condemning a woman to death. But ever since a CAT scan of Ann's head showed massive shrinkage of her brain, and an EEG showed no signs of brain activity, Ann understandably doesn't consider these tests to be be "medical." P.P.S You can read more about Jeb's neurologist, William P. Cheshire, in this NY Times article.   But here's the part that deals with his medical opinion of Terri's medical condition: Yesterday, in an affidavit supporting a petition by the Florida Department of Children and Families in the case, Dr. Cheshire said it was more likely that Ms. Schiavo was in a "minimally conscious state." "Although Terri did not demonstrate during our 90-minute visit compelling evidence of verbalization, conscious awareness or volitional behavior," he wrote, "yet the visitor has the distinct sense of the presence of a living human being who seems at some level to be aware of some things around her." So, if a good Christian like Dr. Cheshire got a "distinct sense" that Terri was conscious, then actual medical tests and examinations that say otherwise should be disregarded. Oh, and for your edification, here's part of a poem (entitled Exit Ramp) which Dr. Cheshire wrote a few years ago for the magazine Ethics & Medicine ( "guidance to a perplexed world from the Judeo-Christian worldview")  -- it gives me a distinct sense of why the good doctor might have involved himself in the Schiavo case: And if a noble benefit  Is gained by choking respiration  Then why withhold from those unfit To voice their fatal last petition? Such killing fast degenerates,  Despite concern for patients’ best,  Into a plot that terminates  Without explicit prerequest. And exercise of “right to die,” If done with regularity, Would drive the expectation high That suicide is one’s duty. The notion of a right to die In reason finds approval nil, From such a harsh judicial lie Would obligate doctors to kill. But anyway, if we do have the big shootout at the hospice tomorrow, I hope Dr. Cheshire is there to treat the victims, despite the fact that he will probably use his "feelings" rather than established medical procedures to make his diagnoses.  And I hope that he can help Governor Ann Coulter with her quality of life, despite her minimally conscious state. 3:51:06 AM