Hard cases make bad laws. Very, very good summary, cordy.

There's a reason for that. Hard cases are "hard" because they have moral ambiguity. I'm sure Bill would disagree with me on this, but peoples' opinions on matters of life and death change radically over time. Some of this is due to advances in science, some due to changes in the religious points of view.

Imagine if our system of government had been around in the days when people thought the world was flat. Congress would've passed a law restricting sailors from venturing off the edge of the Earth! Imagine how Columbus would've felt about that!

IMO, in all seriousness, our legislature should stay the hell out of matters that are morally ambiguous. If you want to know what scares the hell out of Democrats (and, honestly, I don't think this has anything to do with being a Democrat or Republican, but since someone raised the issue...), it's that Congress and even our Supreme Court will see fit to intrude on the morally ambiguous subjects and pass legislation (and defend it in court) that should *not* exist.

This is my opinion. For whatever it's worth.

 

I agree. Although, considering the current political climate I'm quite surprised that we weren't subjected to yet another manufactured "news report" concerning the Schiavo debacle.

 

Yea it was kind of like the national enquirer the way they jumped in on this story. It's not like it hasn't been going on for a long time. I believe this is the 4th time it's been at the Supreme Court in one way or another.

I'm kind of disappointed however in the lack of coverage of Blakes trial. I was looking forward to the reruns. I want Mickey and the Our Gang Comedys. How about Pat Brian and the orphans. How come no one had reruns of Robert Blake
as the poor little orphan? What happened to the cockatoo? Hows Blake going to support himself without residuals?

For that matter how about a treatise on Robert Blakes effect upon the child labor laws.

Free Robert Blake

Oh....he already is?

nevermind

fltsfshr

 

I think the O.J. is still in the market for a "crack" investigator to go underground to find his ex-wife's real killers. Blake would be tailor made for that. and he needs the work.

 

I am so glad my life is not spread out on TV. The media could take any part of anyone's life and make it go either way. They would have a field day with mine. There are parts of my family who could definately be on Jerry Springer!

Just think if everything you said and did was scrutinized. Lies made up. Truths blown out of proportion. I know this is the price you pay for fame. But, damn, I couldn't take it.

I keep thinking of Terry Schiavo (sp?) and her thirsting to death. I just can't stand it. Her poor mother! Could you imagine not being able to help someone you love by law! I just pray she cannot feel or be aware. But we will never know. I mean they let death row inmates die a better death.

And... that cockatoo, I forgot about that..

 

Oh, I rambled about Shiavo and forgot what I was attempting to write. I am sure when she was 26 years old, in that beautiful picture of her, she would have never imagined this, these 15 years later. It could just as easily be one of us.

 

Okay Flts,

What are you doing reading the National Enquirer?

Chazmo--Republicans feel the same way. Personally, although I have nothing but contempt for the legislature (R&D), at least they IN THEORY are answerable to the people. In practice they're answerable to the lobby with the deepest pockets--hey, at least the deep pockets are getting a vote.

If only the courts interpreted the law based on the Constitution. I feel that judicial activism is throwing the "checks and balances" of our gov't out of whack.

Schiavo has trumped the Blake case--how about the 10 murdered in Minnesota? What about the 21 murders last week in Philadelphia?

In a sense, the Schiavo case has become a platform for America to talk about their beliefs regarding right to life, quality of life, and how the law applies. Unfortunately the facts of the Schiavo case are so muddled that after eveyrthing is over, the discussion won't be any clearer.

 

What is happening down in Florida may have far reaching consequences. Usually "quality of life" is determined by those who are healthy and before it is all over, we would have redefined what it means to have that "quality of life." In the near future, euthanasia will simply become a natural course of curtailing one's life when everyone comes to accept that as part of life. As we begin to live longer and longer, there has to be an innocuous way to eliminate those lives that the society deems having poor "quality of life." Slippery slope is what I am thinking. But that is good I think. At least it will make all of us look at ourselves and see how much we've come in this "modern" age when morality and ethics can't keep up with advances in all facets of medicine.

And we are no better or no worse than the current prevailing views about life and death. Somehow, we've come to accept this rush to death as being humane but keeping the feeding tube intact inhumane. It is amazing how by the use of simple language, we've come to accept and condone such cruel treatment for human being. Somehow by labeling Terry Schiavo as being in the "vegetative state," it is now alright to remove that simple means to allow food and water to enter into her stomach as her body does the rest. She is not on ventilator or any other "extraordinary means." But because she can't swallow food or water, she is somehow less than human being and even though we don't have any clear statement about her wishes, it is permissible for our society including judges, doctors, politicians and the rest of us to come to agree that it is only right to deny her food and water. The pain she might be experiencing now as she slowly dehydrates and starves to death is just as real and painful as it is for us if we go through that process. But since she is in "vegetative state," we think it is painless.

Whatever happens in this case is setting the precedence for the future. Maybe we are living in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I can see someday in the future, when we get old, we will simply check into a hospital and as we watch serene and beautiful scenery of nature, we will be given an injection and we slowly drift into a deep "sleep." I think there was a movie like that based on a book. My prayers go out to Terry Schiavo.

 

Cordy

Where everybody else reads the Enquirer

I read it standing in line at Publix waiting for old people with coupons and check books from out of state. I usually check out the Star too.

How do those two guys keep alll those movie starlets so pregnant anyway?

How come there's no Honda Tuner mags there?

I want junior mints.

fltsfshr

 

Found this on google

"Fred the bird appeared on the detective drama BARETTA/ABC/1975-78. In real life, Fred was actually called Lala (or Lalah). He got his name because he liked to repeat the phrase "La-la-la-la-la." Owned by animal trainer Ray Berwick, Lala was born in Hong Kong and found smuggled into America with a cage of chickens. He originally spoke only Chinese, but Berwick's bird was a quick study and soon learned English and a number of clever tricks like pedaling a bicycle, imitating the sound of a dog and cat, riding a scooter, running on a treadmill and saying "I love you." For the series, Lala had a bird stunt double named Weird Harold used for flying sequences (Harold died from liver illness after the first season) and two other birds called Sweetheart. Lala won a PATSY award in 1976 and again in 1977 and Photoplay magazine awarded him with a Gold Medal for being their favorite animal star. As of the 1980s, Ray Berwick featured Lala in an animal show at the Universal Studio's Tour in southern California and at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Producer's for the program initially wanted to use a Raven or myna bird, but Lala's outgoing personality and large vocabulary got him the part. Now deceased, Lala lived to be about seventy years old."

there's amazing satisfaction in google

fltsfshr