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March 25, 2005
What's Next for the Pro-Life Crowd?
Michael Spencer has put up a thought-provoking piece, questioning the media sensation surrounding Terri Schavo's gruesome situation. For the record, we're approaching seven days with no food or water. A painless death, indeed.
Witness this quote from Spencer's commentary:
It is at times like this that I realize how much of what we all "care about," is generated by our media of choice, and what it tends to focus on. In a very real way, our compassion is directed- perhaps manipulated- by the media we watch or read. Without demoting the importance or reality of any of the stories we focus on, I wonder if we've considered why we care, and more importantly, what we don't care about- and why?(Emphasis is Spencer's)
There are fine points worth considering. We must not and should not abandon Terri's Fight. This case is important because it is the most notable of its kind to date; it is setting all sorts of precedents. But let's pay heed to Spencer's words. There are people suffering all around us. The inner cities of our country are just bad as they ever were; how can we change this? The Delta region of the Southeast, the Appalachian regions, the desert Southwest; all of these areas are full of poor and desperate people. Our own suburban neighborhoods are populated with folks whose lives are empty, having fallen victim to a debased consumerist culture.
How can we help? I don't pretend there are any answers; I'm setting in my nice apartment wearing nice clothes watching Sportscenter and listening to Cross Canadian Ragweed worrying about how my NCAA tournament bracket is busted. All I know is that there is a suffering world out there and I'm called to help, whether it's Terri Schiavo or a black kid from the inner city or a white kid from the mountains or a native American kid...we've got to do something.
Posted by Matt at March 25, 2005 09:49 AM
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There may be no concrete ways that we can help Terri--May God rest her soul. But throughout her well-publicized ordeal I have learned there is one thing we can do for other. We can make sure that all the spokespersons and advocacy groups that assured us that starvation and dehydration were humane and natural continue this same advocacy with our help in the context of capital punishment. All of the artificial--and hence "barbaric" practices of gas or needles should be shunned in favor of starving and dehydrating all our death row inmates. In the name of compassion of course.
Posted by: Derek Simmons at March 25, 2005 12:32 PM
I feel shame for this great nation. We’re watching protestors in Florida being arrested one by one for attempting to give a cup of water to a dying woman who is being executed via slow dehydration and food deprivation. How far we have fallen from the ideals and wisdom once so proudly proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution! “We hold these truths to be self evident”! How blind we’ve become.
Posted by: RLG at March 26, 2005 09:22 PM