Monday, August 30, 2004
you gotta fight
for your right to party.
The thought has recently occurred to me, my dear reader, that you and I share certain personality characteristics. If not, you are probably not reading this now.
You may properly suspect we share a sneaking streak of strong libertarianism.
Knowing this, you may be somewhat surprised by my views on a case of interest in the news. (Or, maybe not. The view I hold is essentially one of an inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)
Because the the case involved is much more complex than just another example of The Man trying to bring you down by asserting His author - I - TAY!
It is not about government imposing its authority over the most sacred of all relationships: marriage; by imposing its will and denying a husband's ability to fulfill the wishes of his wife, of whom some have declared, "she is in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery".
It is not about an individual's right to "refuse treatment and hasten their own deaths if that is what is their wish". It is not about a person's right to die with dignity.
It is about a person's right to live with dignity.
The case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo is back in the courts and back in the news.
Before you go gettin' all hasty and go tryin' to yank out that plug, read these words I never thought I'd utter, imagine or otherwise say or type: I agree with a Bush.
If you have not already done so, please go to Terri Schindler-Schiavo and check out Terri's videos.
I watched them with thoughts of "The Boy can do that", or "The Boy does that", or "The Boy is learning to do that." Six months ago he mostly did not, would not, could not do those things.
And I swear, if you so much as try to tell me that he "is in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery", I'll whip out a can of whoop ass and slam down the whole thing.
In my decade plus as a special education teacher I have worked with and witnessed dozens of children and young adults who, on their good days, are no more responsive than Ms. Shindler-Shiavo. But yet, they are clearly responsive, and subsequently demonstrating the amazing desire and ability of the human mind and spirit to persevere and belong, to love and be loved.
To see these individuals as in a "vegetative state" is dehumanizing. It's offensive, repugnant and just plain wrong.
Hope is never lost, it is let go.
Ms. von Munchausen was often overheard to remark and wrote frequently that The Boy's behavior, his smile, his movement, were caused by "abberent neurological misfirings", she stated on multiple occassions that "he doesn't have a brain."
in her mind, The Boy exists in "a persistent vegetative state". She dehumanized him to justify her abuse.
Six months ago, Ms. von Munchausen could have killed The Boy and nobody in the legal or medical community would have batted an eye. Hell, she tried and would have gotten away with it if not for us meddling kids.
Oh, and, by the way. . .
I love these people.
|
The thought has recently occurred to me, my dear reader, that you and I share certain personality characteristics. If not, you are probably not reading this now.
You may properly suspect we share a sneaking streak of strong libertarianism.
Knowing this, you may be somewhat surprised by my views on a case of interest in the news. (Or, maybe not. The view I hold is essentially one of an inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)
Because the the case involved is much more complex than just another example of The Man trying to bring you down by asserting His author - I - TAY!
It is not about government imposing its authority over the most sacred of all relationships: marriage; by imposing its will and denying a husband's ability to fulfill the wishes of his wife, of whom some have declared, "she is in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery".
It is not about an individual's right to "refuse treatment and hasten their own deaths if that is what is their wish". It is not about a person's right to die with dignity.
It is about a person's right to live with dignity.
The case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo is back in the courts and back in the news.
Before you go gettin' all hasty and go tryin' to yank out that plug, read these words I never thought I'd utter, imagine or otherwise say or type: I agree with a Bush.
If you have not already done so, please go to Terri Schindler-Schiavo and check out Terri's videos.
I watched them with thoughts of "The Boy can do that", or "The Boy does that", or "The Boy is learning to do that." Six months ago he mostly did not, would not, could not do those things.
And I swear, if you so much as try to tell me that he "is in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery", I'll whip out a can of whoop ass and slam down the whole thing.
In my decade plus as a special education teacher I have worked with and witnessed dozens of children and young adults who, on their good days, are no more responsive than Ms. Shindler-Shiavo. But yet, they are clearly responsive, and subsequently demonstrating the amazing desire and ability of the human mind and spirit to persevere and belong, to love and be loved.
To see these individuals as in a "vegetative state" is dehumanizing. It's offensive, repugnant and just plain wrong.
Hope is never lost, it is let go.
Ms. von Munchausen was often overheard to remark and wrote frequently that The Boy's behavior, his smile, his movement, were caused by "abberent neurological misfirings", she stated on multiple occassions that "he doesn't have a brain."
in her mind, The Boy exists in "a persistent vegetative state". She dehumanized him to justify her abuse.
Six months ago, Ms. von Munchausen could have killed The Boy and nobody in the legal or medical community would have batted an eye. Hell, she tried and would have gotten away with it if not for us meddling kids.
Oh, and, by the way. . .
I love these people.
|
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