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An American Fatwa?
Apr. 1st, 2005 12:05 pmInteresting column in the Boston Phoenix about the Schiavo case
Some excerpts:
What Hammesfahr had to say was — quite literally — incredible. He told Hannity that Terri Schiavo was "completely conscious." That she "tries to communicate." That she was "a very, very, very aware, alive, vibrant individual trapped in a body that’s preventing her from communicating properly."...
... Thus did the media help to advance the monstrous notion that Terri Schiavo is a fully sentient woman suffering only from a serious disability, a lack of treatment, and a husband and judicial system who’d rather see her dead than rehabilitated.
Because of Hammesfahr, Hannity, and others like them, Michael Schiavo has reportedly received numerous death threats. Florida state judge George Greer, who has presided over this fiasco for many years now, is under armed guard. Last Friday a North Carolina man named Richard Alan Meywes was arrested and charged with sending out an e-mail promising a $250,000 reward for the murder of Michael Schiavo, and another $50,000 for bumping off Judge Greer. According to reports, FBI affidavits revealed that the e-mail, supposedly written on behalf of an unidentified multimillionaire, said in part: "It is my understanding that whoever eliminates Michael Schiavo from the planet while inflicting as much pain and suffering that he can bear [my bolding] stands to be paid this reward in cash."...
How untrustworthy is Hammesfahr? Let’s start with his oft-repeated boast that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1999... Last week Bob Somerby, on his Daily Howler Web site, noted that the St. Petersburg Times had reported in 2002 that Hammesfahr’s nomination consisted of nothing more than his having once persuaded his congressman to write a letter to the Nobel committee...[T]he St. Pete Times reported the following year that Greer had dismissed Hammesfahr in court as a "self-promoter" who could not remotely support his claim that Terri Schiavo had been responsive when he examined her, and who had not produced any documentation to support his contention that his treatments had helped other severely brain-damaged patients. Somehow Hannity and Scarborough missed that...
To believe the likes of Hammesfahr, Weller, and Frist is to believe in the monstrous conspiracy of a homicidal husband, a heartless judge, and a judiciary and a medical system that value death over life. How is this possible? How could a person like George Greer — himself a conservative Christian who attends a Southern Baptist church — take part in such a horror?
I am sick and disgusted over the increasing fundamentalizing (hey, new word) of American culture--and I say this as someone with deeply felt religious beliefs. I am a Christian and I go to church regularly. It appalls me when I hear about this hysterical, damn-the-facts-what-I-feel-is-ever-so-much-more-important fucking BULLSHIT. This is not Saudi Arabia or Egypt. This is America. This is not a theocracy. It is NOT a Christian nation--it is a nation of many different religions and they are all welcome here. The "Christian values" that America embodies are not unique to Xtianity. Yes, there are more Xtians than any other practitioners but we are not a theocracy. I LIKE being exposed to other religions, and learning from them. It's good to be challenged in your faith, because if you're not it starts to be an echo chamber which leads to unimaginative thinking, which leads to shit like offering rewards for murder, in the name of God.
(Besides, I like Jewish food.)
And I don't want to hear any bullshit about a culture of life--that term means nothing from a man who signed a bill as Governor of Texas authorizing hospitals to pull the plug on some patients even when the family objected. Yes, we could debate why Bush did that but the parallels are certainly striking. (And the rank hypocrisy of Tom DeLay crusading on this issue--fucking TOM DELAY who pulled the plug on his father--I'm sure he appreciated being left along to make that decision with his family. I wish he'd returned the favor.) Maybe Bush had good reasons for signing that bill--but then so did Michael Schiavo. More importantly, all the judges thought so. Over 20 courts found in Michael's favor--that may frustrate some but they really do have to accept that. I just cannot believe the hysterical reaction over this. I have such contempt for that sort of untrammelled, hysterical, self-indulgent emotion. All these fucking losers with nothing going on in their useless lives, who have nothing better to do than go down to Florida and beat their breats and wail and sit around hating Michael Schiavo. Oh, and get their kids arrested. Fucking pull yourselves together and look at the facts. I don't mind if people's opinions conflict--I could certainly discuss with someone whether or not to end the life of someone in a persistent vegetative state--but it's maddening when people won't even acknowledge facts, and have to trump up some bullshit about Terri saying "I want to live!" or allow some quackfamewhore "Nobel nominee" to contradict every other neurosurgeon. Fucking religious freaks. I share nothing with you--no value system, nothing--and I wonder if you're even that religious. Christ said the two most important commandments were Nos. 1 & 2--Love God and Love each other. Love thy neighbor.
(I know, I'm not exactly demonstrating that myself right now. But at least I'm not talking about murdering people.)
Dammit. What is happening to this country? Are we really like this? I feel like this is the red, white and blue version of Iraq or Mexico, where if you don't like the judicial system you can murder a judge, or invoke God's name as you plan to murder a husband, or an abortion doctor. Hey, it's all in God's name--you know this is what he wants--so it's okay. I feel like everything is changing, badly, and our American values of diversity and heterogenity (and, y'know, THE LAW) are being spit on.
Some excerpts:
What Hammesfahr had to say was — quite literally — incredible. He told Hannity that Terri Schiavo was "completely conscious." That she "tries to communicate." That she was "a very, very, very aware, alive, vibrant individual trapped in a body that’s preventing her from communicating properly."...
... Thus did the media help to advance the monstrous notion that Terri Schiavo is a fully sentient woman suffering only from a serious disability, a lack of treatment, and a husband and judicial system who’d rather see her dead than rehabilitated.
Because of Hammesfahr, Hannity, and others like them, Michael Schiavo has reportedly received numerous death threats. Florida state judge George Greer, who has presided over this fiasco for many years now, is under armed guard. Last Friday a North Carolina man named Richard Alan Meywes was arrested and charged with sending out an e-mail promising a $250,000 reward for the murder of Michael Schiavo, and another $50,000 for bumping off Judge Greer. According to reports, FBI affidavits revealed that the e-mail, supposedly written on behalf of an unidentified multimillionaire, said in part: "It is my understanding that whoever eliminates Michael Schiavo from the planet while inflicting as much pain and suffering that he can bear [my bolding] stands to be paid this reward in cash."...
How untrustworthy is Hammesfahr? Let’s start with his oft-repeated boast that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1999... Last week Bob Somerby, on his Daily Howler Web site, noted that the St. Petersburg Times had reported in 2002 that Hammesfahr’s nomination consisted of nothing more than his having once persuaded his congressman to write a letter to the Nobel committee...[T]he St. Pete Times reported the following year that Greer had dismissed Hammesfahr in court as a "self-promoter" who could not remotely support his claim that Terri Schiavo had been responsive when he examined her, and who had not produced any documentation to support his contention that his treatments had helped other severely brain-damaged patients. Somehow Hannity and Scarborough missed that...
To believe the likes of Hammesfahr, Weller, and Frist is to believe in the monstrous conspiracy of a homicidal husband, a heartless judge, and a judiciary and a medical system that value death over life. How is this possible? How could a person like George Greer — himself a conservative Christian who attends a Southern Baptist church — take part in such a horror?
I am sick and disgusted over the increasing fundamentalizing (hey, new word) of American culture--and I say this as someone with deeply felt religious beliefs. I am a Christian and I go to church regularly. It appalls me when I hear about this hysterical, damn-the-facts-what-I-feel-is-ever-so-much-more-important fucking BULLSHIT. This is not Saudi Arabia or Egypt. This is America. This is not a theocracy. It is NOT a Christian nation--it is a nation of many different religions and they are all welcome here. The "Christian values" that America embodies are not unique to Xtianity. Yes, there are more Xtians than any other practitioners but we are not a theocracy. I LIKE being exposed to other religions, and learning from them. It's good to be challenged in your faith, because if you're not it starts to be an echo chamber which leads to unimaginative thinking, which leads to shit like offering rewards for murder, in the name of God.
(Besides, I like Jewish food.)
And I don't want to hear any bullshit about a culture of life--that term means nothing from a man who signed a bill as Governor of Texas authorizing hospitals to pull the plug on some patients even when the family objected. Yes, we could debate why Bush did that but the parallels are certainly striking. (And the rank hypocrisy of Tom DeLay crusading on this issue--fucking TOM DELAY who pulled the plug on his father--I'm sure he appreciated being left along to make that decision with his family. I wish he'd returned the favor.) Maybe Bush had good reasons for signing that bill--but then so did Michael Schiavo. More importantly, all the judges thought so. Over 20 courts found in Michael's favor--that may frustrate some but they really do have to accept that. I just cannot believe the hysterical reaction over this. I have such contempt for that sort of untrammelled, hysterical, self-indulgent emotion. All these fucking losers with nothing going on in their useless lives, who have nothing better to do than go down to Florida and beat their breats and wail and sit around hating Michael Schiavo. Oh, and get their kids arrested. Fucking pull yourselves together and look at the facts. I don't mind if people's opinions conflict--I could certainly discuss with someone whether or not to end the life of someone in a persistent vegetative state--but it's maddening when people won't even acknowledge facts, and have to trump up some bullshit about Terri saying "I want to live!" or allow some quack
(I know, I'm not exactly demonstrating that myself right now. But at least I'm not talking about murdering people.)
Dammit. What is happening to this country? Are we really like this? I feel like this is the red, white and blue version of Iraq or Mexico, where if you don't like the judicial system you can murder a judge, or invoke God's name as you plan to murder a husband, or an abortion doctor. Hey, it's all in God's name--you know this is what he wants--so it's okay. I feel like everything is changing, badly, and our American values of diversity and heterogenity (and, y'know, THE LAW) are being spit on.
