LIVE AND LET DIE: In another frightening example of how the conservative and Christian right has totally taken over America, Congress rushed back into session over the weekend to draw up a bill that would prevent poor Terri Schiavo from dying...despite the fact that every court has upheld her right to die, and the Supreme Court wouldn't even hear it. And of coure, Dubya put his signature on it because he's afraid his base will desert him and that would hurt poor Jeb's chances in 2008. I have this feeling that if Jebediah wasn't the governor of Florida, where the Schiavo case is playing out, Dubya and the Republican busybodies wouldn't be nearly as interested.
While I feel for Terri Schiavo's parents, their daughter has been in vegetative state for over a decade. She is not going to snap out of it. Specialists galore have run tests and said she will never recover from the brain damage caused by a heart attack. Her parents and family says she makes sounds and smiles, but it's only muscle reflexes. My fear for Terri (and for myself should something like this happen) is that I would be aware of being trapped inside my lifeless body and unable to communicate my wishes to die. I pray this is not the case for Terri. Of course, her husband, who has been trying to allow her to die, has moved on and has a new woman in his life. He could just divorce Terri and turn her care over to the parents and then it would be on their conscious, but he's fought hard to maintain Terri's right to die. Since there's no money at stake, it tells me he believes this is what Terri wanted, despite the fact she left no will.
I do have a will and it states in very plain English that should I fall into a coma with no hope of recovery, the plug is to be pulled immediately. Will I still have that option once the government gets through meddling? Maybe not, since Congress has finally let it's God complex get the better of them, thanks to the machinations of the religious right.
The weekend was quiet. I am slowly packing up the loft for the big move at the end of May. I'm trying to make myself throw things out, including the insane number of magazines I've collected over the years. I could start some kind of library. I have a pack rat mentality when it comes to magazines. I went to see The Ring Two with Malory on Saturday night. It was okay...kinda creepy in spots, some stunning visuals (the bit with the herd of deer is scary as fuck) and Sissy Spacek doing a great cameo, but it just lacked the punch and originality of the first one. Oh, well....
On a downer note, Conquering Venus got another rejection. The editor who had been reading it thinks I take too long to get to the action. I don't disagree with him on this. I have tried to spend the first half of the book getting the readers into the head of the main characters so they aren't just one-dimensional cutouts like in so many novels these days. The editor is sending me a bunch of notes and said he would look at it again if I would do a rewrite. I'll consider it, but in the meantime, it's going back out to two other publishers. Some of the things this editor didn't like has been praised by other editors. It's so difficult to find the balance that will tip an editor's decision one way or another. What I really need is a publisher to give me a chance. Publish the book and let me sell the hell out of it. I haven't sold 700 copies of a poetry book by sitting on my ass. I was disappointed as hell all day on Sunday about this, but today I'm ready to get the novel back out there. Someone is going to look past the controversial issues, the "too literary" tone, the homosexuality, the terrorism aspect and see a great story. I just have to keep trying.
While I feel for Terri Schiavo's parents, their daughter has been in vegetative state for over a decade. She is not going to snap out of it. Specialists galore have run tests and said she will never recover from the brain damage caused by a heart attack. Her parents and family says she makes sounds and smiles, but it's only muscle reflexes. My fear for Terri (and for myself should something like this happen) is that I would be aware of being trapped inside my lifeless body and unable to communicate my wishes to die. I pray this is not the case for Terri. Of course, her husband, who has been trying to allow her to die, has moved on and has a new woman in his life. He could just divorce Terri and turn her care over to the parents and then it would be on their conscious, but he's fought hard to maintain Terri's right to die. Since there's no money at stake, it tells me he believes this is what Terri wanted, despite the fact she left no will.
I do have a will and it states in very plain English that should I fall into a coma with no hope of recovery, the plug is to be pulled immediately. Will I still have that option once the government gets through meddling? Maybe not, since Congress has finally let it's God complex get the better of them, thanks to the machinations of the religious right.
The weekend was quiet. I am slowly packing up the loft for the big move at the end of May. I'm trying to make myself throw things out, including the insane number of magazines I've collected over the years. I could start some kind of library. I have a pack rat mentality when it comes to magazines. I went to see The Ring Two with Malory on Saturday night. It was okay...kinda creepy in spots, some stunning visuals (the bit with the herd of deer is scary as fuck) and Sissy Spacek doing a great cameo, but it just lacked the punch and originality of the first one. Oh, well....
On a downer note, Conquering Venus got another rejection. The editor who had been reading it thinks I take too long to get to the action. I don't disagree with him on this. I have tried to spend the first half of the book getting the readers into the head of the main characters so they aren't just one-dimensional cutouts like in so many novels these days. The editor is sending me a bunch of notes and said he would look at it again if I would do a rewrite. I'll consider it, but in the meantime, it's going back out to two other publishers. Some of the things this editor didn't like has been praised by other editors. It's so difficult to find the balance that will tip an editor's decision one way or another. What I really need is a publisher to give me a chance. Publish the book and let me sell the hell out of it. I haven't sold 700 copies of a poetry book by sitting on my ass. I was disappointed as hell all day on Sunday about this, but today I'm ready to get the novel back out there. Someone is going to look past the controversial issues, the "too literary" tone, the homosexuality, the terrorism aspect and see a great story. I just have to keep trying.
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Poet on witcha bad sef--Robin
Smoochies,
CK
He was asked by Larry King about the starvation and he answered that she wouldn't be starved: she'd stop being fed and die a painless death.
DUH. Zero food = starvation. Starvation does not equal painless. Ask several thousand Africans.
I'm not into the hype or the religious take on this at all. But after weighing the more sober facts and implications? I'd rather err on the side of Terri living - and *maybe*, as evidenced by certain reactions she's had to stimuli and visitors, learn to improve communication.
I wish the State didn't have to get involved in this case, however. Too messy. But I'm so used to the bad guys winning, the jerks getting off scot free, and the scum being coddled, that I hope something good comes of this - instead of an F-ed up wife (who MIGHT hve been beaten into that state by a piece of shit) being swept away like dust by way of a flimsy "vow" by this robot with a whole other family and *perhaps* a secret to hide.
Too many dungheap hubbies knocking off their wives lately. Let's make sure here.
He keeps raving about the importance of living wills. Well, yeah. Terri didn't have one. He does now, he says. Grr. The meaner side of me hopes he gets a knock on the gourd and can hear and see everything when they pull HIS feeding tube or plug...
On a lighter note, I'm sorry to hear about the pass on your book. Like the previous poster said, it's numbers. So many authors have had dozens and dozens of rejections. Keep going, Collin!!!
-D.
Naomi Watts is a splendid actress and a cutie-pie.
-D.
It's pretty clear Michael Schiavo has nothing to gain now. There's no pot of money waiting the moment Terri draws her last breath. If someone could explain his motivation at this point, other than to see her die peacefully instead of living as a vegetable, I'd listen.
Hannity had Terri's brother on the air this afternoon as well and he made a big slip up. Sean asked the brother if he had been in to see Terri and how she was doing. The brother said, "Well, you know it's hard to tell." There was a brief moment of silence before Sean launched into some other scathing commentary praising Dubya and Congress for meddling in private lives.
Like I said...I have much sympathy for the Schiavo family, but they are deluding themselves in their grief. Terri has been in vegetative state for fifteen years. No matter how she got that way, she's not coming out of it and it's time to let her go.
I basically specified that I'm no Hannity fan and I certainly don't rely on Fox News for my info./opinions. (Hannity used to be somewhat cool back in the early 1990s. Now he's almost all celeb.)
I would be wary of *any* singular citation, from CNN, NBC, etc. Instead, I mostly listen to radio (KDKA, NPR, sometimes shortwave), cruise news sites (from BBC to NEWSMAX to JWR to TIMES OF INDIA, SEATTLE TIMES, etc., etc. - a blend of lefty, middly, and righty sources for synthesis.
I can rap about additional thought son Terri's case, and how it differs from the usual, numerous "right-to die" cases later.
Who is Hannity's brother you mention? A reporter for the show?
Did he pun on "terrorist" and "Terri": "terririst"? :)
-D.
Even with no brain damage it takes many years of convalescence and therapy to be able to sit up, walk, speak or feed themselves. Now Terri's situation may not be like these folks in a coma but she's suffered brain damage, can't feed herself and will not just snap out of it and live a happy and pleasurable life. Where do people get the idea that she will? From television, movies, soap operas - that's fiction, folks. It doesn't happen that way in real life. Volunteer at a hospital and see. Let the lady just go. I understand it's hard for her family to lose her - but she's already lost.
You may not think this is the same (only real animal lovers will be with me here) but I've got to make a decision about one of my dogs being put to sleep. He's crippled - a hazard of his breed with their 'low suspension' - and becoming incontinent. As the vet said - It's a shame because the front half of him is still good! But now the front half seems a little confused at times. We had to make the decision to send his mom to "Summerland" two years ago. I don't want him to suffer as long. Anyone who's had to have a beloved pet put put to sleep will tell you it's hard, but why keep them in a state of pain and infirmity? So if we animal folks can realize right from wrong even though it hurts to let go, we wish the Schindlers could also.
So everyone - make sure you have a will - NOW - so you'll never be in the position of Terri or her husband.