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macintologist · 09:33 AM

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../pl_nm/bush_dc

President Bush broke his public silence on Saturday about the deadliest U.S. school shooting in six years, touting the government's response "at this tragic time" after some American Indian leaders complained he paid little attention to the rampage.

Bush's delayed public reaction to the shooting stood in contrast to his swift and high-profile intervention this week to prolong the life of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman in Florida whose feeding tube was removed.

It seems that Bush's "culture of life" applies only to those subjects that interest the "Christian"-Right. Bush won't concern himself too much with a Native American killing nine and himself at his school.

What about Wanda Hudson having to watch her six-month old's feeding tube being removed just last week against her wishes, thanks to the Texas Futile Care law, a bill Bush passed as governor of Texas in 1999. Where's the Christian Coalition and Right-to-Life PAC on that one?!

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/bl...ink&id=581

6 month old Sun Hudson died at Texas Children's Hospital yesterday, after being removed from the breathing tube._ He "wiggled with eyes open, his mother said, and smacked his lips."_ His mother, Wanda Hudson, had fought to keep her son alive against the medical judgment of the hospital._ It is the first such case in this country, where a hospital's decisions about the life of a patient were placed over the wishes of a family member or legal guardian.

Baby Sun had a fatal form of dwarfism which has always resulted in death shortly after the birth of the infant._ It is usually diagnosed in utero, and I imagine makes up a portion of late term abortions._ Wanda didn't have that knowledge when she gave birth however, as she had no prenatal care. Even if she had, the right to make a decision about a late term abortion isn't hers, yet a hospital can turn around and take the decision away from her after her child is born._

Yet we hear absolutely nothing of this landmark case in the national media._ In fact, I had to go to 6 different news stories to find a picture of the mother and her baby._ One newspaper had the poor taste to post a picture of the hospital. The lack of pictures was likely due to the fact that "the hospital has blocked the media from Hudson's invitation to see the baby."

I don't know the answer to these very serious medical questions._ But I do know that there is something seriously wrong in the debate when a court overrules a parent, a child dies, and no right-to-life advocate says a word;_yet just a few states away, the legal guardian advocates removal of life support and half the country feels the need to intervene.

Why was no one there for Baby Sun?

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationwo...tion-headlines

Baby Removed From Life Support in Texas

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Associated Press Writer

March 15, 2005, 6:28 PM EST

HOUSTON -- A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge cleared the way for doctors to halt care they believed to be futile. The infant's mother had fought to keep him alive.

Sun Hudson had been diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder called thanatophoric dysplasia, a condition characterized by a tiny chest and lungs too small to support life. He had been on a ventilator since birth.

Wanda Hudson unsuccessfully fought to continue her son's medical care. She believed he needed time to grow and could eventually be weaned off the ventilator.

"I wanted life for my son," Hudson said Tuesday. "The hospital gave up on him too soon."

Texas law allows hospitals to end life support in cases such as this but requires that families be given 10 days to find another facility to care for the patient. No hospital was found to take the baby.

The ethics committee at Texas Children's Hospital reviewed Sun's case before recommending that life support be stopped. Hospital officials also recommended the case be taken to court and offered to pay Hudson's attorney fees.

"Texas Children's Hospital is deeply saddened to report that Sun Hudson has died," the hospital said in a statement issued Tuesday.

FYI I agree with the Texas Futile Care Law. I think it's practical and makes sense. It suggests that Bush is not really a "right to life" person and is just using that to get political support from evangelical Christians.

Before anyone mentions this, Bush signed the law in 1999 to apply to adults. The law was amended in 2003 to include minors. But that's irrelevant as supposedly all innocent life should be protected, not just juvenile life, right?

From the Houston Chronicle

The law was passed in 1999 and amended two years ago. Acting as a negotiator for Houston-based Texas Right to Life, Burke Balch flew in from Washington "20 to 25 times" to sit at a table with represent-
atives of the Texas Hospital Association and other parties to negotiate the law and its amendment. - - Right to Life was at the table partly because then-Gov. George W. Bush had vetoed a similar bill two years earlier at the request of some members of the religious right, according to its sponsor, then-Sen. Mike Moncrief, now may

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/hea...pport_sto.html

Under chapter 166 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, if an attending physician disagrees with a surrogate over a life-and-death treatment decision, there must be an ethics committee consultation (with notice to the surrogate and an opportunity to participate). _In a futility case such as Sun Hudson's, in which the treatment team is seeking to stop treatment deemed to be nonbeneficial, if the ethics committee agrees with the team, the hospital will be authorized to discontinue the disputed treatment (after a 10-day delay, during which the hospital must help try to find a facility that will accept a transfer of the patient). _These provisions, which were added to Texas law in 1999, originally applied only to adult patients; in 2003; they were made applicable to disputes over treatment decisions for or on behalf of minors. _(I hasten to add that one of the co-drafters in both 1999 and 2003 was the National Right to Life Committee. _Witnesses who testified in support of the bill in 1999 included representatives of National Right to Life, Texas Right to Life, and the Hemlock Society. _Our bill passed both houses, unanimously, both years, and the 1999 law was signed by then Governor George W. Bush.)

So it's pretty obvious, from examining the hard evidence, that the GOP and the "Right to life" folks are hypocrites when it comes to Terri Schiavo and reality.

The media has been pretty silent on this.

spacefreak · Mar 27, 2005, 07:39 PM

Bush got involved because Congress pulled a few all-night sessions to get a bill on his desk. Presidents tend to do that sort of stuff, and Bush isn't one who lets bills sit on his desk unattended.

There was no bill on his desk after the school shooting, and those killed (along with the suspect) were all dead. There was really nothing for a President to do.

What's BS are your nonstop attempts aimed at trying to "prove" that Bush is evil, that Republicans and conservatives are evil, that Christians are evil, and that all those mentioned are stupid.

Your hacks are getting old, as is your insistence and belief that everyone who disagrees with you is an idiot.

Athens · Mar 28, 2005, 07:37 AM

give me a break! Every school shooting in the US I can remmeber and thats a few have gotten the same treatment. Bush is far from a racist, look at his right hand man well woman, a Black Woman and they are very very good friends. Go fish somewhere else.

Chuckit · Mar 28, 2005, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by Athens:
Bush is far from a racist, look at his right hand man well woman, a Black Woman and they are very very good friends.

"Yeah, come on, I have a black friend. I can't possibly be racist and have a black friend, right? I'm totally down with the blackly inclined folks!"

budster101 · Mar 28, 2005, 09:21 AM

I'll feed the troll.

Here, little troll, here boy! come here I got a smackdown sandwich for you...

The kid had been on a ventilator, not a feeding tube. The child had malformed lungs that would never deveop. NEVER.

This isn't a feeding tube issue alone...and has nothing to do with anyone being a christian or not.

As for the shootings etc. You are way out of line and have been shown as such.

STOP TROLLING your Trash.

Moderator · 01:07 PM

This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue

-GOP memo

Excited? You all bought it..just like they knew you would.

People on the Talibanical right will never admit what is blatently obvious...the GOP wanted to throw a bone to the fanatic Christians.

The Fundamentalists wouldn't get so excited about a poor black single mother and her baby..

plus, she couldn't pay so...**** her
state's rights..**** 'em
judges who we don't agree with...**** 'em

Theocratic rule...aww yeaaahh. The United States of Iran.

von Wrangell · Mar 28, 2005, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by budster101:
The kid had been on a ventilator, not a feeding tube. The child had malformed lungs that would never deveop. NEVER.

And how is that different from 70-90% upper brain atrophy?

budster101 · Mar 28, 2005, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by von Wrangell:
And how is that different from 70-90% upper brain atrophy?

The breathing machine will ALWAYS be necessary for life, not a feeding tube.

Your assertion of brain atrophy is rediculous and quite debated.

von Wrangell · Mar 28, 2005, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by budster101:
The breathing machine will ALWAYS be necessary for life, not a feeding tube.

Your assertion of brain atrophy is rediculous and quite debated.

In what way is a breathing machine more necessary than a feeding tube? Can you live without food all of a sudden?

And please show me one link that shows that Schiavo's doctors are wrong. I'd be interested in seeing that.

Chuckit · Mar 28, 2005, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by von Wrangell:
And how is that different from 70-90% upper brain atrophy?

Because we generally believe that personhood is a product of the mind, not the lungs?

christ · Mar 28, 2005, 10:25 AM

Come on guys stop the lefty polemical trolling - Bush can't be wrong.

If God hadn't wanted Bush to be President, God wouldn't have let the electorate vote Bush in.

God's representative on Earth doesn't have to be consistent, nor does he have to have reasons, he is right because he cannot be wrong.

And to disagree is just plain anti-American, and traitorous - surely it is obvious that Terry Schiavo's husband is an al-Qaeda sympathiser.

Moderator · Mar 28, 2005, 01:10 PM

9/11 changed everything�

Athens · Mar 28, 2005, 01:28 PM

why is it I feel like im the only one defending Bush against stupid unfounded crap

I think the guy is the worst leader in the free world and a bold face lair LOL so whats up with this? Moron who started this post, yes im that lazy to go see who, if your going to attack Bush attack him for things he has done, things that have marit, not things hes not.

Moderator · Mar 28, 2005, 01:32 PM

huh?

zigzag · Mar 28, 2005, 02:13 PM

Nevermind the school shootings - that just distracts from the issue.

I'm still wondering: Where is the outrage over the fact that under Texas law, people are allowed to die at the discretion of a hospital committee? Not only is this permitted without testamentary evidence, and without a trial (indeed, without so much as a court hearing), but it can be done against the wishes of entire families. Even Terri Schiavo got better than that. Where is the outrage against these sadists, torturers, killers?

The fact is that this sort of thing goes on every day across the country, and that Terri Schiavo was essentially used as a political football. Political footballs are a dime a dozen, but that doesn't make the whole episode any less disgraceful.

Athens · Mar 28, 2005, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by zigzag:
Nevermind the school shootings - that just distracts from the issue.

I'm still wondering: Where is the outrage over the fact that under Texas law, people are allowed to die at the discretion of a hospital committee? Not only is this permitted without testamentary evidence, and without a trial (indeed, without so much as a court hearing), but it can be done against the wishes of entire families. Even Terri Schiavo got better than that. Where is the outrage against these sadists, torturers, killers?

The fact is that this sort of thing goes on every day across the country, and that Terri Schiavo was essentially used as a political football. Political footballs are a dime a dozen, but that doesn't make the whole episode any less disgraceful.

I take it every state is different in how medical is handled? Because Ive gotten into Arguements before here about this issue and people said it didnt happen but im guessing it just dosent happen in there state.

zigzag · Mar 28, 2005, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by Athens:
I take it every state is different in how medical is handled? Because Ive gotten into Arguements before here about this issue and people said it didnt happen but im guessing it just dosent happen in there state.

Each state has its own laws regarding the withdrawal of life support. I don't know them all, I only know that this sort of thing happens every day, many times a day. There was no particular reason to get excited about the Schiavo case apart from the fact that her parents managed to make more noise about it.

Moderator · Mar 29, 2005, 06:16 AM

Originally posted by zigzag:
Each state has its own laws regarding the withdrawal of life support. I don't know them all, I only know that this sort of thing happens every day, many times a day. There was no particular reason to get excited about the Schiavo case apart from the fact that her parents managed to make more noise about it.

and that whole Congress/President trying to subvert Judicial branch thing

Zimphire · Mar 30, 2005, 08:15 PM

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Bush got involved because Congress pulled a few all-night sessions to get a bill on his desk. Presidents tend to do that sort of stuff, and Bush isn't one who lets bills sit on his desk unattended.

There was no bill on his desk after the school shooting, and those killed (along with the suspect) were all dead. There was really nothing for a President to do.

What's BS are your nonstop attempts aimed at trying to "prove" that Bush is evil, that Republicans and conservatives are evil, that Christians are evil, and that all those mentioned are stupid.

Your hacks are getting old, as is your insistence and belief that everyone who disagrees with you is an idiot.

What he said.

budster101 · Mar 30, 2005, 08:18 PM

It's called checks and balances, and the Judicial Branch is too big for it's Britches!

dcmacdaddy · Mar 30, 2005, 09:55 PM

Originally posted by budster101:
It's called checks and balances, and the Judicial Branch is too big for it's Britches!

Yeah, damn those liberal activist judges on the Supreme Court.

Secret__Police · Mar 31, 2005, 10:21 AM

olePigeon · Mar 31, 2005, 07:27 PM

Bush respects the Native American people cuz they're sovereign... in a... a sovereign nation... with sovereign... sovereignty... ism... it... eh... so... sovereigntistic community.

Kilbey · Mar 31, 2005, 08:20 PM

Originally posted by christ:
Come on guys stop the lefty polemical trolling - Bush can't be wrong.

If God hadn't wanted Bush to be President, God wouldn't have let the electorate vote Bush in.

God's representative on Earth doesn't have to be consistent, nor does he have to have reasons, he is right because he cannot be wrong.

And to disagree is just plain anti-American, and traitorous - surely it is obvious that Terry Schiavo's husband is an al-Qaeda sympathiser.

Originally posted by christ:
Come on guys stop the lefty polemical trolling