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Monday, March 21, 2005

While the Cameras rolled
The House passed a bill just before midnight after calling lawmakers back from
their Easter Vacation for an emergency Sunday session. There actions could
open the way for allowing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube to be reinserted thus
allowing her life to continue.

Off Camera
"More than 20,000 people perished yesterday of extreme poverty"
Jeffrey Sachs - "The End of Poverty" & The Millennium Project   (Time 03/14/2005)

While the Cameras rolled
The President signed the bill into law at 1:11 a.m.,, saying, "I will continue to
stand on the side of those defending life for all Americans, including those
with disabilities."

Off Camera
The budget submitted by the President to Congress contained a provision to
cut Medicaid by 15 billion dollars. This the same Medicaid responsible for
paying much of the cost of Terri Schiavo's care, and many others patients with
similar medical problems. Fortunately on March 17th the Senate passed the
Smith Bingaman Amendment that stripped that provision from the budget.

While the Cameras rolled
"In our deeds and public actions, we must build a culture of life that welcomes
and defends all human life."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R. Wisc.)

Off Camera
"The U.S. has promised repeatedly to give a larger share of its annual output to
help poor countries. But year after year America has failed to follow through."
Jeffrey Sachs - "The End of Poverty" & The Millennium Project (Time 03/14/2005)

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

While the Cameras Rolled
U. S. District Court judge refuses request to reinsert Terri's feeding tube.   The
Schindler family submits an appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Off Camera
"More than 20,000 people perished yesterday of extreme poverty"

From Right Wing Talk Radio, the speakers blare (not exact quotes, but close)
"I can't understand why some liberals are so intent on killing Terri Schiavo?"
Rush questioned. "Here again some state liberal judge will decide on matters
of life and death regardless of the will of the people and Congress"!   And from
our local talk show host, Jerry; "The courts want to kill Terri, by starving her to
death, what a horrible way to die" "Why, even Scott Peterson, if he should be
put to death, will have a choice of the gas chamber or lethal injection; A quick
painless death. He won't have to suffer for 14 days starving." "Wouldn't it be
humane to give Terri that choice?" "I wonder if there is an insurance policy
and that's why, her husband, Michael wants her dead?"

In my head
Wait a minute, is this the right station? Is this really "States Rights, uphold the
Constitution, follow the law" Rush? And Jerry the "Too much government
interference in personal family matters" guy? Our Right Wing religious guy
pushing euthanasia ???? As I reach for the radio off switch, Rush opines:
"Who knows where the libs will want to go next, maybe they will decide the
mentally ill are too inconvenient...."

March 23, 2005

While the Cameras Roll
Terri Schiavo's parents prepare to petition the Supreme Court as the 11th
Circuit Court denies their appeal

Off Camera
"More than 20,000 people perished yesterday of extreme poverty"

And in a Florida Hospice
"... while the battle rages over her, there is Terri, who can smile and grimace
spontaneously; who cannot speak or respond to stimuli. She will not know
what a great contribution she is making to *morality and politics in America."
(Correspondent Daniel Schoor, NPR 03/21/2005) ( *Morality as used here was a "tongue in cheek"
reference. Please read Daniel Schoor's entire piece to understand throughly: Click Here

March (sometime within the next week) 2005

While the Cameras Roll
Assuming all goes in the direction it seems to be going, it will be published in
all of the newspapers, and on all of the TV stations: Terri is at rest.

Members of Congress, led by Senator Frist, will quietly applaud themselves
for they will have appeased the the "Culture of Life" advocates; thus
bolstering their hopes for victories in upcoming elections. Tom DeLay will feel
he has gained back some moral high ground; shifting the spot light away from
discussion of his ethics problems. President Bush will believe he has proven
his dedication and compassion for life. Though he may face some lingering
questions over the legislation he signed in 1999 while Governor of Texas.
Legislation that would have, in Texas ended Terri's life about 14 years ago.
Legislation that totally contradicts his actions of the past week. (See Article).
Michael Schiavo's reputation will have been sliced and diced, and he hung in
effigy. America will have vented it's outrage from both sides of the issue and
will be now ready to grieve and morn.

Off Camera on that same day:
"More than 20,000 people perished [again] yesterday of extreme poverty."

April 1,2005 - April Fool's Day
America will arise to a new day comfortable in the fact that we live in the USA,
the pillar of compassion and morality. Knowing we are the bright light of the
world, for we are good people. We have God on our side. Terri Schiavo will
somewhat be just a dim memory by then. Most of us will blithely move on with
life, never recognizing that: "More than 20,000 people perished yesterday of
extreme poverty." or that at years end 8 million and 1 people will have starved
to death in 2005, and that only one of them invaded our consciousness. The
other 8 million will not be real to us. Though their struggle to live will have
been much more real to them than Terri's struggle was to her. 8 million people
whose life and death revolved around about a dollar a day.

I wonder: what if all of that energy, all that money that was spent on flying
congressmen back to Washington, all the brain power and time that was spent
on legislating and the court rulings, all that money that was spent on news
coverage, all that outrage, all the good intentions and passion had been
directed toward saving just some of those 8 million people: could we have
improved their "Culture of life". Sadly, Terri's quality of life would never be
altered by all of this activity; and time after time we ignored the chance to alter
this headline: "More than 20,000 people perished [again] yesterday of extreme
poverty."

While you are still angry about "death by starvation" contact your Senators and
House Representative and direct them to live up to our commitments to the UN
Millennium Project and the Monterrey Consensus, geared to halve poverty in
the world by 2015. Let's see if we can convert some of this passion into action.

Take Care
Paul

For further information about the UN Millennium Project pick up a copy of Time
03/14/2005 or Jeffrey Sachs book "The end of Poverty"