Regarding Monster Michael

Frustration deepens in Schiavo case. Bloggers who have sympathized and empathized and agonized over this case are getting more and more desparate -- and these are people who don't even know Terri. Imagine what her parents are suffering!

Paul Deignan has the idea that raising money to pay Michael Schiavo off might make it possible to free Terri from her monster husband.

It seems clear to me at least that the motivation of the "husband" was originally monetary and is now both monetary and pride. If offered enough money (something over $50,000), would the "husband" relinquish custody of Terri to her parents? I will put forward $100 myself to test this idea.

If anyone else is interested, reply in comment here with your proper e-mail address, name, and amount you are willing to make available by PayPal to the Schlindlers or a third-party trust for this offer. We will go through the logistics of collecting and offering the money Monday should we reach an amount pledged of over $60,000. The money would not we collected unless the offer would be accepted by all parties involved.

Please be assured that you will only be asked to make good on your pledge should we have a workable proposition where trust is verifiable to all. Naturally, this is at the cost of some privacy (name, amount, and e-mail). That is a facet of the proposition.

I would like to encourage discussion here about this idea.

My first reaction is utter repulsion but on second thought, everything about this case is deeply repulsive and Terri has the right to live -- a right guaranteed to her by the Constitution of the United States. Since the courts won't honor that right and her parents have tried everything else, perhaps paying off Monster Michael is simply the last great hope.

One thing for sure, Michael won't take any money, no matter how much, if his fear is what I suspect it is: That Terri will remember that he tried to murder her and will communicate that fact to her family, who would then bring the Monster up on attempted murder charges.

The way Terri got into a coma in the first place coupled with all of Monster Michael's behavior since then has led me to believe that this is his fear -- attempted murder charges. If that IS the case, there's not enough money on earth to pay him off and Terri will die.

Her parents have certainly tried everything to let him off the financial hook to get Terri back. On October 26, 2004, their attorney wrote a settlement letter to Monster Michael promising that if he would divorce her and give her back to her parents:

1. The Schindlers would never seek any money from Michael. He could retain any monies or other assets that might remain to him, either from their married life together, from the malpractice awards for himself or for Terri, or any other assets he might have received in the past. They would not seek any financial help from him for any care, therapy, or rehabilitation for Terri.

2. The Schindlers fully understand and appreciate that Michael now has a new life with Jodi and their two children. If he would desire to divorce Terri, the family would sign any necessary legal documents to assure Michael that, upon Terri's natural death, he would receive any of Terri's estate that he would inherit were he to remain her husband. Whether or not Michael would choose to pusue a divorce from Terri, the Schindlers would guarantee that he could retain whatever visiting rights he might desire with Terri for the rest of her life.

3. The Schindlers would permit Michael's attorneys to draft any agreement regarding this matter that Michael would desire, including the above referenced terms and any other terms he and his attorneys would find appropriate, excluding payment of Michael's previous legal fees or costs.

Now that Michael is a father himself, the Schindlers are pleading with him to consider their love for their daughter and sister and to permit them to take over Terri's care, with their blessings on Michael as he continues to live his own life with his new family.

As far as I can tell, Monster Michael ignored this and continues to nip at Terri's legal heels like the attack dog he is. If indeed he is guilty of attempting to murder her, he will pursue this until she is dead. If he is innocent of such a charge, he will back off, divorce Terri, and get on with his life.

Here's Your Chance To Do Something About Your Tax Problems

The President's Advisory Panel on Tax Reform met for the first time yesterday (Feb. 16) and as a result of the meeting they issued a request for comments from the general public. That's us, folks.

Request for Comments
The President has clearly outlined the mission of this Advisory Panel in Executive Order No. 13369. During this process of examination, the Advisory Panel is committed to ensuring that all interested parties have an opportunity to share views and concerns. Throughout the course of the Panel's work, comments will be solicited on specific matters. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit comments within the scope of these questions.

Request for Comments #1 (Posted February 16, 2005)
At this time, the Panel is soliciting comments on the following questions:

Headaches that taxpayers -- both individuals and businesses -- face because of the existing system. By headaches, we mean unnecessary complexity and burdens.

Aspects of the tax system that you believe are unfair.

Specific examples of how the tax code distorts important business or personal decisions.

Goals that the Panel should try to achieve as we evaluate the existing tax system and recommend options for reform. At this point, we are not looking for specific proposals.

Comments outside the scope of these specific matters will be considered separately, however, the Advisory Panel requests that the comments to these specific questions follow the format and guidelines described below.

To facilitate the Advisory Panel's consideration and review, we have established two methods by which statements can be submitted. Please use only one of the methods when submitting comments.

Transmission by Email as a MS Word attachment to comments@taxreformpanel.gov.

Typewritten statements may be mailed to the panel at:
The President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform
1440 New York Avenue NW
Suite 2100
Washington, DC 20220

Page Limit - The Advisory Panel strongly encourages parties to limit their statements to a maximum length of 5 pages of double-spaced written text in 12 point font. Any statement exceeding 5 pages in length should be accompanied by a one-page "executive summary."

Identification and Cover Sheet - Each page of the submission should be clearly marked with the submitter's name or organization name. Each submission should also include a cover page with the submitter's name (and organization if applicable), date of submission, and contact information (if the submitter chooses to provide it). Each submission should be clearly marked as originating from one of the following categories of submitters: Individuals, Business, Government, or Organizations and Associations.

Statements submitted in connection with the panel's first request for comments must be received by the Advisory Panel no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 18, 2005. Please be aware that all comments will be made available to the public.

Let's Get This Judge Off The Bench Before He Murders Terri

Subject: Please sign petition HERE to impeach judge in terri shiavo case

Here are twelve of the 38 points of the argument for the petition:

To: Florida House of Representatives

Whereas the Florida Constitution Article III Section 17 provides for the impeachment of judges for misdemeanor in office, misdemeanor being defined as a misdeed or offense less than a felony.

Whereas Judge George W. Greer is a judge in the 6th Circuit Court of Florida and bound to rule in agreement with Florida Statutes and the Judicial Code of Ethics,

The undersigned are petitioning Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd and the Florida House of Representatives to impeach Judge George W. Greer pursuant to the provisions in the Florida Constitution for the following violations of Statutes and Judicial Canons, which prove justification for impeachment.

Judge George W. Greer has caused public confidence in the judiciary to deteriorate due to his rulings regarding Terri Schiavo and thus violated Judicial Canon 1.

Judge George W. Greer has made rulings, which advance the private interests of Michael Schiavo, George Felos, and Senate President Jim King by allowing the
statutes, which apply to persons with terminal illness, to order the death of Terri Schiavo by dehydration and starvation at the request of Michael Schiavo and thus is in violation of Judicial Canon 2B.

Judge George W. Greer has not ruled according to law in the case of whether to remove Terri Schiavo's tube by which she receives nutrition and hydration. The
rulings, which are inconsistent with Florida Statutes and Constitution, are:

1. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(2) for failure to discharge his duties as guardian. The statute requires that the guardian
protect the rights of the ward, provide for her health and safety, properly manage her financial resources and help her regain her abilities to the maximum extent possible.

2. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(3) for abuse of his powers as evidenced by his denying her any significant sensory stimulation and his efforts to have her life ended.

3. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(7) for wasting, embezzling, and/or other mismanagement of the ward's property; one example is Michael's statement on national television that he had Terri's wedding rings melted down and made into jewelry for himself.

4. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(11) because of a conflict of interest between the ward and the guardian due to Michael Schiavo living with and fathering children with another woman.

5. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(13) for failure to comply with the guardianship report.

6. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(14) for failure to file annual guardianship reports in a timely manner.

7. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(16) for improperly managing the ward's assets by using Terri's money which was awarded by a court to be used for her rehabilitation but at the authorization of Judge Greer is being used to pay legal fees in an effort to end Terri's life.

8. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri’s guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(17) because there has been a significant change in Terri's assets due to the actions of her guardian. Terri's assets have likely increased since her accident and Michael Schiavo is denying Terri the benefit of any assets accrued after the malpractice
award which would be equally hers as Michael's legal spouse.

9. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri’s guardian even though he should be removed as Terri's guardian pursuant to Florida Statute 744.474(18) because Michael's adulterous relationship (which is a misdemeanor under Florida law) with another woman ought to disqualify Michael as a suitable guardian for Terri as the interest which Michael said (in malpractice trial court proceedings) he had toward Terri is directed to another woman who is not his wife and has two children by said other woman of whom he is the father.

10. Judge Greer has allowed Michael Schiavo to remain as Terri's guardian and has aided Michael in abusing, neglecting, and exploiting Terri, a vulnerable adult,
by appropriating funds that were awarded for her rehabilitation to pay legal fees, and has aided in exploiting Terri by denying the money to be used for her benefit. Both these infractions were committed with the knowledge that Terri lacked the capacity to consent and explained in detail in Florida Statute 415.102.

11. Judge Greer's rulings to date have deprived Terri Schiavo of her constitutional right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, to pursue happiness, to be rewarded for industry, and to acquire, possess and protect property which are detailed in Section 2 of the Florida Constitution by ordering her life to be ended by denying her hydration and nutrition.

12. Judge Greer has deprived Terri of her constitutional religious rights by allowing Michael Schiavo to prevent Monsignor Malonowski from visiting Terri, by allowing Michael to prevent Monsignor Malinowski from administering last rites when her feeding tube was removed in October 2003, and by allowing Michael to prevent Terri's blood relatives from placing pictures of religious figures in her
room.

Step up and sign this petition to get rid of the murdering judge.

Taking A Good, Hard Look at Michael Schiavo

You may or may not remember that Michael Schiavo is Terri's husband.

Terri Schiavo is the young woman who was discovered near death under mysterious circumstances in her home in 1990. She has been in a near-coma ever since but is now able to communicate by blinking an eye once or twice in answer to questions. She recognizes friends and relatives when they come into her room and responds appropriately (but within her serious limitations)to stimuli. She reacts lovingly to her parents but in sheer terror to her husband.

Michael Schiavo is trying to legally murder her. He has gotten a court order to have her feeding tube (which keeps her alive since she can't swallow) removed on February 22. Terri's parents are fighting for her life. Their latest move, and possibly last hope, is a petition to the US Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, back at Michael: ever since he won a couple of lawsuits (nearly $2 million worth), he has done everything he could to get rid of Terri. First he refused to allow her to have therapy recommended by her doctors -- and he has refused consistently for the past 15 years. When she got sick, he posted a notice on her door saying "Do Not Resuscitate." Once he asked a nurse, "Isn't the bitch dead yet?"

"The funds that were ordered to be used for her rehabilitation are instead being used to facilitate her death. Although the money was supposed to be for rehab for Terri, it has also been used for Michael's own interests, including his mistress and the two children he has had with her over the years."

Now, in his latest move, Michael Schiavo is suing Terri's parents (the Robert Schindlers) who are fighting to keep her alive)to keep them from showing video streams on the Internet that show Terri interacting with nurses and family. He is also directing a lawsuit against moneys contributed to Terri's cause via the Internet, charging that the Schindler's have not provided an accounting as directed by Florida law..

Euthanasiaadvocate George Felos of Dunedin, Fla. has been representing Michael Schiavo in a decade-long legal battle in which Schiavo seeks to cause the death of his wife, Theresa Marie Schindler-Schiavo, by a court order which would result in her death by starvation and dehydration. Schiavo is the legal guardian despite having allegedly violated numerous provisions of the guardianship law including the filing of an annual guardianship report and plan.

Informed sources say that the DACA investigation (of the Schindlers) was prompted by attorneys representing Michael Schiavo, attorneys which apparently are practicing a double standard by demanding the filing of an annual report by the Schindlers although their client has failed to file the annual reports required of him as guardian. Such would appear to suggest that Felos and Bushnell may be more interested in Terri’s financial support than they are in her life support and health care.

While the Schindlers and others involved in the Schiavo case have long requested a criminal investigation into the actions of Michael Schiavo and others in the case, they have been stonewalled at every turn. However, it appears that the husband’s attorneys had no problem in pulling strings to get state officials to take action against the Schindlers for a paperwork snafu.

Everything seems to go against Terri -- because Michael Schiavo uses the money intended to save her to move the system toward killing her. And it certainly does not speak well for the State of Florida, even though to be fair, we must admit that Gov. Bush has done his best to help save Terri.

Michael Schiavo has reached a new low in villaindom. His name may forever be associated with coldhearted, slow and painful murder. How horrible to die by Schiavo.






Sources:
© The Empire Journal By June Maxam and Ginger Berlin
Valentine's Day Saving Terri Rally
MICHAEL SCHIAVO’S ATTORNEY STATEMENT GIVES FURTHER CAUSE FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Congress: Don't Play Politics With Our Money

Americans for Fair Taxation recently called for a debate on tax issues. The goal was to discuss new ways to improve the country's tax structure to make it fairer and more equitable for citizens and businesses, yet revenue neutral so that the taxes collected continue to fund current programs already in place. A plan was presented to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and AFT anticipated a dynamic nonpartisan discussion, with no rancor or negative politics.

However, the Democratic staff of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, using taxpayer dollars, issued a partisan criticism of their political opponents along with a defense of the current income tax system. They had been charged with the responsibility of a dispassionate discussion of tax issues, a charge they obviously ignored in favor of a report full of errors and misrepresentations of the proposals involved as well as a defense of the current income tax system. It seems as though the Democrats if the committee have decided the current 60,000 page tax code is the best the American people can do. That's not surprising -- Democrats are forever calling the rest of the country "dumb" and "stupid."

So let's look at the issues they addressed along with actual facts.

First, the goal of the Fair Tax is to replace current income taxes and payroll taxes. It isn't helpful to reject that out of hand without discussion in favor of the status quo as suggested by the Democratic staff. Fixing the broken tax structure can only lead to more confusion in an already hopelessly confused situation.

Part of the reason members of Congress (especially those who have been there for some time) are not interested in changing the system has to do with their vested interest in the current system. “There are so many vested beneficiaries for each sentence in each Code that the Code itself represents an employment security act for many members of Congress who represent those special interests (of lobbyists) and for legions of accountants, tax collectors, and others necessary to prop up the unstable system."

Thank goodness there are people in Congress who put the people and the nation before their own personal interests. Most of them you'll find on the co-sponsor list of the two bills, HR 25 and S 25. However, it's time we citizens took over the control of our government and insisted on responsible debate on changing the income tax system. The nation was intended to be "by the people and for the people." Not by Congress and for Congress.

The income tax got into the mess it is with the help of both parties, so one can't put the blame entirely on the other. And we, the people, let it happen. So let's get on with changing it.

So let's look at the Fair tax as an alternative to the present income tax structure. The first step would be to repeal the income tax, the payroll tax and the capital gains tax. There!

In spite of what the Democrats would have you believe, the Fair Tax would revitalize American manufacturing for several reasons, among them the fact that it's the only plan that places the same tax on imports as on domestic production. The current tax structure gives the advantage to imports.

The Democrats' report claimed that the Fair Tax would hurt farmers and ranchers, overlooking the fact that the Fair Tax plan is already listed in the American Farm Bureau Federations policy book -- the book that presents that organization's legislative intentions and preferences.

Now, online HERE is an Acrobat file you can download. It compares middle class taxes under the current law with the fair tax law for families with incomes of $65,000 a year and $130,000 a year. It's certainly worth examining. The bottom line: Both wage earners have a lower tax burden under Fair tTax than they do with the current income tax structure.

With your help we can get the Fair Tax passed. Support grows daily and we need YOU. Learn more at www.fairtax.org.

The Day of the Useless Treaty

Today is the day the Kyoto Treaty goes into effect.

Or, to be totally accurate -- this is the day the rest of the world goes under the knife of political hackism and pseudo-science. Now don't misunderstand, there is such a thing as global warming. It's been happening (although not consistently) since the end of the last ice age. If the premise of the Kyoto Treaty is correct, dinosaurs must have run on heavy-emission fuels.

And the earth needs a good house cleaning, too. Rivers polluted by industry, air quality in all our major cities and most of our minor ones destroyed by our narcissistic need for poison-emitting vehicles, roadsides, parks and seashores strewn with trash. We are a nasty species; we need to learn to clean up after ourselves.

But not because of hysterical politicians and poor science. Truth would do just fine, thank you.

The Kyoto Treaty is more of the somewhat questionable
work of the United Nations.

The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty on global warming. It also reaffirms sections of the UNFCCC. Countries which ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases, which have been linked to global warming.
If the Kyoto Protocol is fully implemented and successful, it is predicted to reduce the average global temperature by, given the widest range of estimates, between 0.02 degrees C and 0.28 degrees C by the year 2050.

That's all very well and good, except that the science referred to there is politically biased and irresponsible.

An example of the futility of this approach can be seen in the mathematics of the 1990s IPCC-recommended lowering of the US "contributed share"' of atmospheric CO2 by reducing its emissions to 30% below the 1990 levels. Given that the global atmosphere contains about 5% CO2, and the US is considered as having contributed about 20% of that amount, a 30% reduction would amount to a grand total of three tenths of one percent, a miniscule, totally meaningless reduction that would be accompanied by extreme dislocation of our domestic economy. And all the while Mount Erebus in the Antaractic would continue spouting tons of CO2, along with China, India and other large populations exempt from the Kyoto requirements.

The scientists of the Science & Environmental Policy Project -- and others -- don't agree. Dr. Fred Singer of SEPP has testified before The Senate Committee on Commerce, Transportation and Science, saying:

The post-1980 global warming trend from surface thermometers is not credible. The absence of such warming would do away with the widely touted "hockey stick" graph (with its "unusual" temperature rise in the past 100 years) [see figure]; it was shown here on May 17 as purported proof that the 20th century is the warmest in 1000 years...regional forecasts from climate models are beyond the state of the art and are even less reliable than those for the global average. Since the NACC scenarios are based on such forecasts, the NACC projections are not credible.
. . . Currently available scientific evidence does not support any of the results of the NACC, which should therefore be viewed merely as a "what if" exercise, similar to the one conducted by the Office of Technology Assessment in 1993 [5]. Such exercises deserve only a modest amount of effort and money; one should not shortchange the serious research required for atmospheric and ocean observations, and for developing better climate models.

The NACC should definitely NOT be used to justify irrational and unscientific energy and environmental policies, including the economically damaging Kyoto Protocol. These policy recommendations are especially appropriate during the coming presidential campaigns and debates.

Fortunately for American workers, President Bush has been listening to real science rather than the politically correct pseudo-science. He is also conscious of the pollution problems of the nation and is willing to work toward control.

"We'll be working with our allies to reduce greenhouse gases," (President)Bush told reporters ahead of (a recent) meeting with German Chancellor Hermann Schroeder. "But I will not accept a plan that will harm our economy and hurt American workers."

The gobal-warming-by-emissions myth was perpetuated by the Clinton administration, who didn't bother to send scientists to Kyoto, but sent Al Gore (who made huge political hay out by promoting environmental hysteria) instead. Meanwhile, back in the halls of science, caution was being urged.

However, at the same time, serious cientists were talking about the benefits of global warming. In National Policy Analysis #165 "Cure to Global Warming Could Be Worse Than the Disease," David Ridenour writes,

While the scientific community is divided over many aspects of the global warming theory, the effect of global warming on precipitation levels is not one of them: Global warming would mean more condensation and more evaporation, producing more and/or heavier rains. Global warming, therefore, could offer the answer to the water scarcity problem that the Worldwatch Institute has been seeking.

If history is any indication, greater precipitation may be only one of many benefits of global warming. For example, between the 10th and 12th Centuries, when the temperature of the planet was roughly 0.5 degrees Celsius warmer than it is today, agriculture in North America and Europe flourished and the southern regions of Greenland were free of ice, allowing cultivation by Norse settlers. Evidence of this was found in 1993 when scientists from the National Science Foundation-sponsored Greenland Ice Sheet Project II extracted an ice core from Greenland's ice sheet that spanned more than 100,000 years of climate history. Samplings from the core suggest that a Little Ice Age began between 1400 and 1420, blanketing the Vikings' farms in ice and forcing them to abandon their farms in search of more hospitable climates. Prior to the onset of this Little Ice Age, temperatures were comparable to the temperatures general circulation models used by the U.N.-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ((IPCC) have projected for 2030-2050. Yet, the world's leaders stand poised to take dramatic steps to curb the risks of this kind of climate change.

Global warming could also mean greater agricultural productivity and greater water conservation. CO2 acts as a fertilizer on plant life while reducing plant transpiration (the passage of water from the roots through the plant's vascular system to the atmosphere). Thus, with global warming, agricultural output could be expected to increase while making less demands on the water supply.

And there's more...much, much more.

Stay tuned for more posts on the subject.

The Homicidal Judge

Well, folks -- my blood pressure is rising and I am heading for one furious rage. We HAVE to do something about the judges in this country!

Look at this from THE CHRISTIAN POST:

Despite the miraculous recovery story of Sarah Scantlin a 38-year-old woman who awoke from a near-comatose state after 20 years of silence, a Pinellas County judge turned down Friday a request to set aside his order allowing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube to be removed. Circuit Court Judge George Greer's refusal to reconsider his controversial ruling could potentially make the painfully slow death-by-starvation of Schiavo begin as early as February 22.

Dr. James Dobson, the evangelical founder of Focus on the Family, said Scantlin's return should prompt a renewed hope for Terri's future as well.

"Terri Schiavo deserves the same chance at life that Sarah Scantlin was given. Both cases have involved women who suffered debilitating injuries and continued to live in a disabled state. Today we celebrate the news that Ms. Scantlin has regained her memory and ability to speak, and is apparently on the road to recovery," said Dobson, who reiterated his push for the preservation of Shiavo's life.

"Mental disabilities do not damage a person's worth -- the preciousness of life is not defined by one's abilities. Those who suffer a disabling injury are entitled to the same right to life as we all are. Those seeking to take away Mrs. Schiavo's right to life should have second thoughts after hearing Sarah Scantlin's story."

The Schindlers, Terri's parents who have been fighting against husband Michael Schiavo over the custody of their daughter since he tried to legally starve Terry to death for nearly a decade, agreed that Scantlin's story was a hopeful sign for their daughter's fight.

"In light of the miraculous awakening of Miss Sarah Scantlin in Kansas and the success of the new brainwave test reported in the New York Times this week, my daughter deserves to have this test before she is starved to death by judicial decree," said Bob Schindler, father of Terri Schindler Schiavo.

The Schindlers will be traveling to Hutchinson, Kansas to meet with Sara and her family.

Now I'm getting serious about this. Isn't there ANYONE among our readers who can get to President Bush? Surely the President, who has Presidential Pardons at his disposal and some of the best attorneys in the country, could come up with some legal way to save Terri from homicide.

Meanwhile, where's the justice for a murdering judge?

We Should Be Ashamed

"Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it... It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger." Theodore Roosevelt, 1894

So who is this who shames our nation by second-guessing the actions taken by our troops in war? It is the media -- like Kevin Sites, who photographed a soldier shooting a wounded insurgent. Never mind that the soldier had seen a similar situation shortly before where the insurgent had killed a buddy. Sites didn't bother to find out about that part -- reporters (and especially photographers) don't have time to find out "why." It is the war protestor. It is Senator Boxer, Senator Kennedy and their ilk.

It is the leftists who want us out of the war at any price who prompt "investigations" into every little detail of killing on the battlefield and try to find incidents to blame our troops.

It is those in the military who won't stand up against accusers who attempt to demoralize our troops by accusing them of murder -- even on the battlefield.

The situation has gotten so bad that now the parents of soldiers and other interested parties have had to band together to defend the defenders.

Another example: 2nd Lt. Ilario G. Pantano, a young and loyal Marine, is charged with the murder of two Iraqis

"during the peak of insurgent violence in mid-April of 2004, with hundreds of fellow Marines and soldiers being killed and wounded throughout the "Sunni Triangle." Terrorists, captured while trying to recover a vehicle used in an earlier attack on the Marines, had given detailed information about a supply of weapons and terrorist hideout that (Pantano) and his platoon were hastily dispatched to search. Their search revealed weapons, ammunition, mortar equipment, bomb-making material and two fleeing terrorists. In an ensuing search of the terrorists' vehicle, (Pantano), concerned for his safety and the safety of his men shot them both in self-defense and then disabled their vehicle so it could not be used in further attacks. He and his men went on to fight with distinction and honor in Falluja and the surrounding areas and, when possible, aided in the reconstruction effort. Months later, the government began an investigation that only now, 10 months after the fact, alleges an evil intent. . . ."

That account is on the Defend the Defender's website, which you can access by clicking on the title of this blog. In another section of the site, an article published in The Wilmington Post, titled "Marine's hearing may give hint at future of U.S. military," says,

"Murder accusations against a Wilmington Marine, arising from a 2004 shooting of two Iraqi men during combat in Iraq, foretell a trend military defense lawyers say could endanger service members still operating overseas.

Marine officials acknowledge that 2nd Lt. Ilario G. Pantano will face a military hearing to address the fatal April 15 shootings, but his attorney says trying a Marine for killing the enemy is wrong.

I suspect (although it's never stated anywhere in the articles and pieces on the website) that Lt. Pantano shot the insurgents as they were running away. So what? Was it wise for him to allow them to leave, only to fight again another day? That would be utterly and overwhelmingly stupid. In war you get rid of the enemy.

Those two incidents, the soldier who shot a wounded insurgent when he moved and the Marine who shot an enemy guilty of manning and insurgent's vehicle in a war zone, are indicative of something terribly wrong with our society.

We need these young men, fighting in a war, to be held UNaccountable for their actions in a war zone. If they had been in a bar, drinking and partying, that would have been different, but an Iraqi battlefield is a killing place. If a soldier kills the enemy, that's his job.

My husband and I will be donating to the "Defend The Defenders" fund. I don't hesitate to ask you to do the same. The money is to provide civilian attorneys to aid and support the defense of these soldiers.

We should be ashamed that our society has come to this point. And we all know where to look to place the blame. They march, with straggly hair, torn jeans and scruffy beards, in our streets with placards demanding that we leave any war zone. They rant on Capital Hill about looking for WMDs and not finding them. They do everything they can to make fun of and downgrade the world-wide fight against terrorism.

We mustn't let them demoralize our troops by hauling them into military courts when they think they can accuse one of killing. War is killing and when war is necessary like this one is, the military -- AND ALL OF US -- should stand firm against those who would demoralize the troops.

Woman Wakes After 20 Years in Coma

On the news tonight was a story about someone who suddenly came out of a multi-decade coma and began to speak. That reminded me of Terry Schiavo, so I went to google and began to search for the story. I found. . .well, look what I found.

A UK publication, The Salford Advertiser,reports the story of a Latvian man who has been in a coma since he was stabbed in the head repeatedly by gang members on December 3.

When Sergejs Pacejs, 38, first arrived at Hope Hospital for treatment doctors feared the worst and believed the injuries were so severe they could cause catastrophic brain damage.

Since the brutal attack on Friday, December 3, Sergejs spent weeks on a life support machine.But he has now come off the apparatus and is said to be making good progress.

Medical staff now hope to be able to move him to a regular ward in the near future and hope he will now make a good recovery. The investigation into the attack is continuing.

The Coma Recovery Association'swebsite has quite a bit of information about vegetative-state comas and people who have recovered after varying lengths of stays in that condition. (PVS means Permanent Vegetative State, by the way.

In a five year follow-up, 116 of 30 patients in PVS, five recovered from PVS between one and five years though only two recovered to a level where they could communicate.

One was a 61-year-old lady who was vegetative for three years following a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The other was a 26-year-old man who was vegetative for 8 months before beginning to respond. Both reached levels where they could read, watch television, write, calculate simple mathematical addition and subtraction, tell the time, feed themselves, were wheelchair independent and could speak well.

The report I was looking for originally concerns a Kansas woman. Sarah Scantlin, "was 18-years-old when a drunk driver hit her in 1984. She'd been in a coma ever since, that was, until a nurse showed her a children's book for the pictures and Sarah suddenly started to read it out loud."

I hope SO HARD that Terry Schiavo's parents, lawyers and judge see this and take heart. Read more of Ms. Scantlin's story at CKCTV 5 News Kansas City.

It's a great story and living proof (along with a whole bunch of others) that a "vegetative state" does NOT equal death.

Kansas City Star Letter to Editor Feb. 10, 2005

This letter to the editor in the KC Star today really warmed my heart so I thought I would share it with you. It's headlined "Sharing Iraqis' joy."

The piece begins: "I thought you would like a real firsthand account of the happiness of the Iraqis' on their first voting day. My daughter, Erin Boyle, a teacher at the US Army post in Bamberg, Germany, wrote this email to me:"

January 29, 2005
Dear Mom,
Today was a remarkable day. On the train from Bamberg to Munich, we met up with some Iraqis. We had heard them clapping and dancing around in the back of the train. They were quite entertaining, so I began to watch them. They had a flag, so we thought they were maybe a soccer team or something. At one point, I got (a friend's) recorder and taped them. They smiled and waved. . .They told us that they were celebrating their first voting experience with Saddam gone. They were so happy. There were about 20 of them, all men. We sang and danced and clapped with them. It was so amazing to be part of that. . . They said they loved Americans. To tell Mr. Bush "Thank You." It gave me a completely new perspective to see it first hand. . .They were voting right outside Olympic Park, which is where we were heading, too. "It's a new day," they said. How amazing to experience history first hand.
Love from your daugher,
Erin

The letter is signed "Kara Hawkins."
How great to share that moment -- in Germany, which didn't help take Iraq from Hussein -- with Americans, who did.

The invasion of Iraq was, without a doubt, the bravest step toward World Peace that has ever been taken.