We Don't Even Speak the Same Language Any More
I got the following comment posted to my website today, in response to my article, "Go from us in Peace":
I guess it all depends on what you mean by life. I felt extremely sorry for Terri and was glad she passed away today. She is in a better place, right, with God? And why would you force a woman to have a baby? If she doesn't want it, what kind of life will it have? It will be back to the days of garage abortions.And why should stem cell research be prevented? It is a promising line of science that will result in therapies for now incurrable diseases. Is this killing? While I support the current admin on the war on terror, I shudder to think what will happen to this country if the repubs get to appoint one or two Supreme Court Justices.
The whole thrust of my article was that the decision to pull the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo was a gross violation of her personal right to life. It didn't necessarily mean it was a GOOD life - we know she had serious problems. But the judicial decisions regarding Terri Schiavo, and the medical examinations those decisions were based upon, were inadequate at best, and criminally negligent at worst, making Terri's death murder, not "allowing her to die". And I could never be glad that ANYONE died. I might be thankful that she no longer suffers, or that she is no longer in pain, but her death is still a tragedy, not a blessing - a loss to all of us, as John Donne so aptly put it. Whether she will be with God is of far lesser consideration to her parents and her siblings - she is no longer with THEM, and that is the source of their - and my - sorrow. The method in which she was deprived of life was cruel and barbaric, and that eats away at them, too.
As for "forc(ing) a woman to have a baby", why shouldn't I expect an adult to take sufficient responsibility of her own actions to prevent a child in the first place, rather than killing it afterward as reward for her carelessness? Nor am I against all abortions - there are legitimate reasons for a woman to have an abortion. I am uncomfortable with, but would not deny any woman's option to have an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. I cannot tolerate, however, carrying a child to term, and then killing it in a "partial birth abortion". That is sick. I would much rather have her bring the baby to full term and give it up for adoption than to murder it at six, eight, or even nine months. As for what kind of life a child can have if the mother doesn't want it, both our adopted children seem to be doing quite well, thank you.
As for stem cell research, the comments here are totally ingenuous. There are no limitations on stem cell research - NONE. There are only limitations on US GOVERNMENT FUNDING of stem-cell research. Again, though, the source of these comments just can't seem to separate himself from the extremist Democratic Party talking points. BTW, the most successful stem-cell research, in fact the ONLY successful stem-cell research, has been done on adult stem cells. There has not been one health improvement to come from fetal stem cell research, after how many years of research? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty?
The major weapon being used by the "current administration" of George Bush is individual freedom, and the right to self-government. Individual freedom and self-government require an acceptance of responsibility - at the personal level, and at the national level. Yet the entire letter above is about the abandonment of personal responsibility, and handing all responsibility over to the State. The majority of the problems discussed in this letter are those that have arisen over the last 50 years as the legislative branch of our government has failed to do its duty, and our courts have decided to legislate in their place. George Bush has promised to restore the balance by nominating judges who believe the Constitution means exactly what it says, and that the only way to amend it is through the process written in Article V of our Constitution. I heartily praise him for that action, and DEMAND that Congress do their duty and put such judges to work for the citizens of this nation.
This comment shows that the two sides in this case - the "right to death" and the "right to life" groups - don't even use the same meaning to words, even though we supposedly speak the same language. Nor is there any indication of compromise in the writer's diatribe. It's all-or-nothing, either "my way or the highway", "no compromise". We're not talking to each other, we're talking past one another. The Left is European in thought and philosophy, and yes, even in action. The rest of us remember that our founding fathers created a new nation to break the bonds with Europe, and begin life anew. We wish to be different, we wish to be true to our own beliefs, and the beliefs of our founding fathers. It's not time to "abandon religion", as some have suggested, but to look back and see how religion has shaped us, keep the best, and look at modifying the rest until it fits our current needs while staying true to our roots, both religious, social, cultural, and political. We cannot turn our backs on 300 years of history without putting ourselves at grave risk of destroying what we are as a nation, as a people, and as individuals. We will NOT abandon hope - or our individual freedom - to become wards of the over-reaching, all-encompassing State.
I guess it all depends on what you mean by life. I felt extremely sorry for Terri and was glad she passed away today. She is in a better place, right, with God? And why would you force a woman to have a baby? If she doesn't want it, what kind of life will it have? It will be back to the days of garage abortions.And why should stem cell research be prevented? It is a promising line of science that will result in therapies for now incurrable diseases. Is this killing? While I support the current admin on the war on terror, I shudder to think what will happen to this country if the repubs get to appoint one or two Supreme Court Justices.
The whole thrust of my article was that the decision to pull the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo was a gross violation of her personal right to life. It didn't necessarily mean it was a GOOD life - we know she had serious problems. But the judicial decisions regarding Terri Schiavo, and the medical examinations those decisions were based upon, were inadequate at best, and criminally negligent at worst, making Terri's death murder, not "allowing her to die". And I could never be glad that ANYONE died. I might be thankful that she no longer suffers, or that she is no longer in pain, but her death is still a tragedy, not a blessing - a loss to all of us, as John Donne so aptly put it. Whether she will be with God is of far lesser consideration to her parents and her siblings - she is no longer with THEM, and that is the source of their - and my - sorrow. The method in which she was deprived of life was cruel and barbaric, and that eats away at them, too.
As for "forc(ing) a woman to have a baby", why shouldn't I expect an adult to take sufficient responsibility of her own actions to prevent a child in the first place, rather than killing it afterward as reward for her carelessness? Nor am I against all abortions - there are legitimate reasons for a woman to have an abortion. I am uncomfortable with, but would not deny any woman's option to have an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. I cannot tolerate, however, carrying a child to term, and then killing it in a "partial birth abortion". That is sick. I would much rather have her bring the baby to full term and give it up for adoption than to murder it at six, eight, or even nine months. As for what kind of life a child can have if the mother doesn't want it, both our adopted children seem to be doing quite well, thank you.
As for stem cell research, the comments here are totally ingenuous. There are no limitations on stem cell research - NONE. There are only limitations on US GOVERNMENT FUNDING of stem-cell research. Again, though, the source of these comments just can't seem to separate himself from the extremist Democratic Party talking points. BTW, the most successful stem-cell research, in fact the ONLY successful stem-cell research, has been done on adult stem cells. There has not been one health improvement to come from fetal stem cell research, after how many years of research? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty?
The major weapon being used by the "current administration" of George Bush is individual freedom, and the right to self-government. Individual freedom and self-government require an acceptance of responsibility - at the personal level, and at the national level. Yet the entire letter above is about the abandonment of personal responsibility, and handing all responsibility over to the State. The majority of the problems discussed in this letter are those that have arisen over the last 50 years as the legislative branch of our government has failed to do its duty, and our courts have decided to legislate in their place. George Bush has promised to restore the balance by nominating judges who believe the Constitution means exactly what it says, and that the only way to amend it is through the process written in Article V of our Constitution. I heartily praise him for that action, and DEMAND that Congress do their duty and put such judges to work for the citizens of this nation.
This comment shows that the two sides in this case - the "right to death" and the "right to life" groups - don't even use the same meaning to words, even though we supposedly speak the same language. Nor is there any indication of compromise in the writer's diatribe. It's all-or-nothing, either "my way or the highway", "no compromise". We're not talking to each other, we're talking past one another. The Left is European in thought and philosophy, and yes, even in action. The rest of us remember that our founding fathers created a new nation to break the bonds with Europe, and begin life anew. We wish to be different, we wish to be true to our own beliefs, and the beliefs of our founding fathers. It's not time to "abandon religion", as some have suggested, but to look back and see how religion has shaped us, keep the best, and look at modifying the rest until it fits our current needs while staying true to our roots, both religious, social, cultural, and political. We cannot turn our backs on 300 years of history without putting ourselves at grave risk of destroying what we are as a nation, as a people, and as individuals. We will NOT abandon hope - or our individual freedom - to become wards of the over-reaching, all-encompassing State.
posted by Old Patriot | 4:29 PM
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