From Life Matters!:
"Anyone familiar with America's long and shameful history of indifference and hostility to persons with disabilities will not be greatly surprised by the death sentence imposed on Terri Schindler Schiavo by the Florida Supreme Court.
Anyone with an ounce of decency, however, should be outraged. And anyone who cares in the least about his life or the lives of those he loves should be alarmed.
While those seeking to murder Terri have denied her the opportunity that she deserves for rehabilitation and while they have distorted Terri's condition in their Goebbels-style campaign to dehumanize her, this battle has never been about the medical facts.
Nor should it be! The life of a person living in coma deserves no less protection than the healthiest TAB (temporarily able-bodied person). In fact, it requires and deserves greater protection, and any civilization that has transcended the jungles of social Darwinism would provide it.
If the life of every innocent person does not enjoy the full protection of our laws and courts then no man's life is safe from the tyranny of unjust courts like those that have repeatedly provided legal cover for Terri's impending murder as they have once again done today."
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The Annual Pickle Festival in My Hometown
From The Keene Sentinel Local News for Keene, NH and the Monadnock Region of NH:
"The parade began around 11 a.m., led by "Mr. Pickle" himself in a army green jeep. He was decked out in his familiar green tuxedo suit, green hat, and even a green handkerchief to wipe his brow under the hot afternoon sun.
Henry A.L. Parkhurst of Winchester has been "Mr. Pickle" from the beginning and has watched the changes over the last seven years.
"There is much more community spirit (this year) and pulling together," he said."
"The parade began around 11 a.m., led by "Mr. Pickle" himself in a army green jeep. He was decked out in his familiar green tuxedo suit, green hat, and even a green handkerchief to wipe his brow under the hot afternoon sun.
Henry A.L. Parkhurst of Winchester has been "Mr. Pickle" from the beginning and has watched the changes over the last seven years.
"There is much more community spirit (this year) and pulling together," he said."
Monday, September 27, 2004
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Majority of Priests Like Their Vocation
From Charlotte Observer | 09/25/2004 | Survey: 92% of priests like job:
"Two and a half years after the clergy sex abuse scandal erupted, Roman Catholic priests continue to be satisfied with their ministries. But some still worry about declining morale in the priesthood, according to a new survey by the director of a treatment center for troubled clergy.
The survey of 834 priests in 11 dioceses was conducted by the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, president of the St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Md. Rossetti also serves as a consultant to a bishops' committee on sexual abuse.
Rossetti said 92 percent of priests were happy as priests, only 6 percent were considering leaving the priesthood and 83 percent said they would make the same choices if they had to do it all over again.
Those findings were roughly in line with a 2001 survey by the National Federation of Priests' Councils and a 2002 study by the Los Angeles Times. Rossetti's survey was conducted between September 2003 and last March.
While 83 percent of priests reported personal satisfaction, only 40 percent agreed with the statement that 'morale in the priesthood is good.' Three-quarters of priests reported a good relationship with their bishops, but only 26 percent thought priests accused of abuse were treated fairly."
"Two and a half years after the clergy sex abuse scandal erupted, Roman Catholic priests continue to be satisfied with their ministries. But some still worry about declining morale in the priesthood, according to a new survey by the director of a treatment center for troubled clergy.
The survey of 834 priests in 11 dioceses was conducted by the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, president of the St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Md. Rossetti also serves as a consultant to a bishops' committee on sexual abuse.
Rossetti said 92 percent of priests were happy as priests, only 6 percent were considering leaving the priesthood and 83 percent said they would make the same choices if they had to do it all over again.
Those findings were roughly in line with a 2001 survey by the National Federation of Priests' Councils and a 2002 study by the Los Angeles Times. Rossetti's survey was conducted between September 2003 and last March.
While 83 percent of priests reported personal satisfaction, only 40 percent agreed with the statement that 'morale in the priesthood is good.' Three-quarters of priests reported a good relationship with their bishops, but only 26 percent thought priests accused of abuse were treated fairly."
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Hurricane Jeanne Heading Toward Florida, Could Be Category 4
The NOAA issues discussions that are posted on their site and various newspapers that give the technical oppinion on Hurricanes and tropical storms. Forecaster Beven expects the storm to strengthen, and possibly become a Category 4 storm by the time the eye of the storm reaches the Florida coast.
From Sun-Sentinel: South Florida weather:
"Guidance now suggests that upper-level winds will remain favorable for Jeanne to strengthen until landfall. Therefore...the main restraining factors for development are the current large eye...and the abundant dry air surrounding the hurricane. SHIPS and the GFDL both take Jeanne to 100 kt by landfall. Given the current trends...the intensity forecast will go a little higher and call for 105 kt. It would not be a surprise to see Jeanne get stronger than that...and reaching category four status is not out of the question. Jeanne should steadily weaken after landfall...becoming a depression over the southeastern United States and eventually becoming extratropical over the northwestern Atlantic. "
From Sun-Sentinel: South Florida weather:
"Guidance now suggests that upper-level winds will remain favorable for Jeanne to strengthen until landfall. Therefore...the main restraining factors for development are the current large eye...and the abundant dry air surrounding the hurricane. SHIPS and the GFDL both take Jeanne to 100 kt by landfall. Given the current trends...the intensity forecast will go a little higher and call for 105 kt. It would not be a surprise to see Jeanne get stronger than that...and reaching category four status is not out of the question. Jeanne should steadily weaken after landfall...becoming a depression over the southeastern United States and eventually becoming extratropical over the northwestern Atlantic. "
Five Columnist Forced Crisis Publisher to Resign
From Publisher of Catholic magazine forced to resign - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - September 22, 2004:
Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis magazine and, until recently, a top Bush political adviser on outreach to Roman Catholics, will resign from the magazine at the end of the year after five of his most influential columnists pressured the board to get rid of him.
The columnists, who include some of the nation's best-known Catholic scholars, told the board in a letter that they would leave the magazine unless the board ejected Mr. Hudson, 54.
According to two scholars familiar with the letter, the columnists were angry about an Aug. 19 National Catholic Reporter (NCR) expose on Mr. Hudson's sexual liaison with an 18-year-old student in 1994, an action that cost him his tenured professorship at Fordham University and a $30,000 settlement.
And who were the five? According to the Washington Times they were:
"The five columnists include the two founding editors of the magazine: Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and University of Notre Dame philosophy professor Ralph McInerny.
The other columnists were Claremont University political science professor Michael Uhlmann; Faith & Reason Institute President Robert Royal; and Russell Hittinger, professor of Catholic studies at the University of Tulsa. "
Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis magazine and, until recently, a top Bush political adviser on outreach to Roman Catholics, will resign from the magazine at the end of the year after five of his most influential columnists pressured the board to get rid of him.
The columnists, who include some of the nation's best-known Catholic scholars, told the board in a letter that they would leave the magazine unless the board ejected Mr. Hudson, 54.
According to two scholars familiar with the letter, the columnists were angry about an Aug. 19 National Catholic Reporter (NCR) expose on Mr. Hudson's sexual liaison with an 18-year-old student in 1994, an action that cost him his tenured professorship at Fordham University and a $30,000 settlement.
And who were the five? According to the Washington Times they were:
"The five columnists include the two founding editors of the magazine: Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and University of Notre Dame philosophy professor Ralph McInerny.
The other columnists were Claremont University political science professor Michael Uhlmann; Faith & Reason Institute President Robert Royal; and Russell Hittinger, professor of Catholic studies at the University of Tulsa. "
Terri Schiavo's Parents Respond
From Terri's Fight:
The ruling by the Florida Supreme Court today was not unexpected; nevertheless the family is disappointed at the outcome. We would like everyone to understand the reason the Florida legislature and Governor Bush interceded in Terri’s case was to protect Terri from a serious miscarriage of justice. The Governor specifically wanted answers to the following questions, all of which are extremely troubling: (1) Why Terri’s purported desire to die was hidden from the jury in the 1992 medical malpractice case, during which Michael Schiavo testified that Terri would need compensation to live out her life; (2) What did Michael Schiavo mean when he purportedly said at Palm Gardens Nursing Home such things as “When is she going to die?” “Has she died yet?” “When is that bitch going to die?” “Can’t you do anything to accelerate her death?” (3) What Michael Schiavo knows about the multiple traumatic injuries of relatively recent origin that were found to be present in a bone scan conducted on Terri by Dr. Campbell Walker in March of 1991? (4) Why were nurses’ notes which documented Terri’s rehabilitation potential deleted from her chart at Palm Gardens? (5) Why were observations of the nursing assistants regarding Terri’s level of function and responsiveness deleted from her chart? and (6) What would Terri’s desires be regarding who should make end-of-life decisions for her if she knew that Michael Schiavo was living with another woman who has borne two children by him?
The ruling by the Florida Supreme Court today was not unexpected; nevertheless the family is disappointed at the outcome. We would like everyone to understand the reason the Florida legislature and Governor Bush interceded in Terri’s case was to protect Terri from a serious miscarriage of justice. The Governor specifically wanted answers to the following questions, all of which are extremely troubling: (1) Why Terri’s purported desire to die was hidden from the jury in the 1992 medical malpractice case, during which Michael Schiavo testified that Terri would need compensation to live out her life; (2) What did Michael Schiavo mean when he purportedly said at Palm Gardens Nursing Home such things as “When is she going to die?” “Has she died yet?” “When is that bitch going to die?” “Can’t you do anything to accelerate her death?” (3) What Michael Schiavo knows about the multiple traumatic injuries of relatively recent origin that were found to be present in a bone scan conducted on Terri by Dr. Campbell Walker in March of 1991? (4) Why were nurses’ notes which documented Terri’s rehabilitation potential deleted from her chart at Palm Gardens? (5) Why were observations of the nursing assistants regarding Terri’s level of function and responsiveness deleted from her chart? and (6) What would Terri’s desires be regarding who should make end-of-life decisions for her if she knew that Michael Schiavo was living with another woman who has borne two children by him?
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