Citizen Phil

They say change is good...

Perhaps "they" are correct, but then change in and of itself does not pay the bills. If you are looking for a writer, a software developer, or someone who can wear just about any hat you need him to wear, then please visit this website: www.CyberMugs.net/pah/about

Copyright ©2008 by Phil Harris

Dear God... Will you please give to us a child.

God blessed Lee and Rachel and gave to them the child they had longed for, and for good measure God gave to them three more, for a total of four (Quadruplets). Praise God from whom all blessings flow indeed... for sometimes, the blessings seem extra abundant.

The experience of having children is a joyous one, and naturally it is also a time when we are filled with trepidation. I recall wondering what on Earth I had done, and if I was capable of being a father. When the little one came home it was exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

This fine young couple, Lee and Rachel, must have all of the normal emotions that new parents experience. Yet, I cannot imagine the extra dynamic that four babies all at once must bring to the show.

On top of the the daunting reality of having quadruplets, is the added fact that these babies were born at an extremely premature age. They said the babies were only 23 weeks and 5 days along. Thus, all of them have been listed in Critical Condition at the Newborn ICU at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where they will remain for some time.

We have one of those special circumstances in front of us, when we are blessed to witness a remarkable expression of life and hope, mingled with a good dose of hardship, worry, and challenges. I am going to ask that you consider helping this instantly large family with your financial blessings, and to that end I have set up a means for you to do so. 

Click here to see how you can help.  This is also available from my list of Pages at the top of the second column. See: "A Flood of Babies".

Listen... I am simply an awestruck Uncle, who is watching from the sidelines. In that light, I want to record a special message intended for the little ones to consider... after they have grown a bit, of course.

DO NOT believe a word your mom and dad tell you about Uncle Phil. I am not nearly as odd as they would have you believe.

Now here... Pull My Finger.

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Delusional Democrats: Warm Fuzzies of Infanticide

To vomit,; or not to vomit: That is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to dispose of one’s supper, or to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous equivocation, and take arms against a sea of fellows and colleagues, and by writing in opposition, reveal thoughts conceived in fraudulence.

Perhaps that sounds like so much gobbledygook to you, and no doubt, Shakespeare is flopping about in his coffin like a grounded catfish. Therefore, you may have some sense of my pent-up irritation, having endured as a witness to the systematic programming of my fellow citizens.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama disagree about who is liberal enough. Both support unencumbered abortion on demand. Barack Obama is on record, bemoaning the loss of partial birth abortion rights for women. Hillary says Obama's record threatens abortion rights. They are two sides of the same coin.

Conscientious, moral people have been played like a gypsy’s violin. You have been trained by repetitious exercise, like so many carpet-wetting puppies that now, without hesitation, spew the script that was written for you by power-lusting, left-wing democrats. I have watched this unfold from the beginning, unwilling to acknowledge a likelihood that these political whores could actually seduce the common-sense out of people I love and respect.

Yet here we are, in the midst of caucus mania. I now wear my naiveté like a loin cloth, embarrassed by my blind faith and horrified to contemplate the consequences this nation may endure. God help me, for my will to crawl under a rock and hide grows stronger each day. 

Yes, common sense and reasoned thinking has been replaced by a simple mantra, practiced on the internet by multitudes of liberal, if not outright anarchistic malcontents; each given to an orgasmic desire to use the “F” word often and with malice.

Whether you say it precisely this way or not, the following is what you have purchased, in essence, as the wisdom of enlightened thinking:  “F…” Bush, the “moron who lied” and now the “soldiers have died”, and “he did it for the oil to make his rich oil buddies even richer” and “he did it because Saddam tried to kill his father.”

So, despite the unified resolve we all felt and thought on that infamous September day, just seven years ago, the truth of the matter reveals that a large number of America’s people haven’t the intestinal fortitude to stand for anything. The fatigue of having our sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, mothers, fathers, co-workers, friends, and neighbors engaged in a very real war has a great many hollering uncle.  (more follows)

Dust in the Wind and the Fullness of Time

( Published at TownHall.com on 12/30/2007 )

It is a relentless quest, under no man's control. Every tick of the clock marks a step forward on the roadway that mankind knows as time. In the grand scheme of eternity, this human experience is but a piece of thread, floating in the vastness of everything that there is or ever was.

RE: Dust in the Wind, the Fullness of Time

Dust in the Wind and the Fullness of Time
by Phil Harris

Published on 12/30/2007

Edit:  Some of you have been asking... The ignored candidate, referenced in the article is Alan Keyes.

What did you get from the 60's and 70's?

You know, the 60's and 70's are notorious for screwing up the lives of a lot of people. Many young men and women were in search of the "answer". This is a great look at some of them, who found their Answer. What they found is as true today as it was then.

Note:  I don't know who the woman is, but this appears to be from some kind of a program. If you have insight into this event, or the woman, it would be interesting to know. In any case, please focus on the young men and their music, and the words of young Mr. Girard.

This and a couple of other videos are available by clicking here.

Kindle Edition - Cry for the Shadows

My short novel Cry for the Shadows is now available for Amazon's new Kindle, the e-book reader. It was a little bit tricky formatting it for the device, but it turned out pretty good in the end. This device is cool; although, it is also a bit pricey at $400. You buy books right from the device, wirelessly... sort of like a cell phone, and you pay nothing for the wireless service.

Check out the PC Magazine Review of Amazon's Kindle e-Book Reader.

Here is the Kindle link for Cry for the Shadows.

Download my Free Short Story collection, Vol. 1 - PDF format. Right click and choose Save as... or click it and save it from the Adobe Reader.

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Abortion and the U.S. Constitution

Published at TownHall.com on Nov. 22, 2007

I am thankful for my constitutional scholar hat, which I am wearing at this very moment. It is a magic hat, of course, because I am not a constitutional scholar. To make it work, I sprinkle a bit of common sense powder and a dash of logical thinking on the inside of it. Then when I put it on, …BAM!!!

For all of you front-end baby boomers, the answer is no. Common sense powder is not a hallucinogen, and no, I do not buy my logical thinking in a bottle imported from Mexico. I realize that many of today's social realities were conceived in that manner, and that our liberal politicians lost far too many brain cells during their period of enlightenment, otherwise known as attending college in the '60s.

Unfortunately, those were the brain cells that contained wisdom, passed down from parents, grandparents, and educators; not yet infected by the viral scourge of hedonism. Even in the poorest of communities, a fierce pride was maintained in the fight to provide for the family. Values and character were instilled in children by parents with as much urgency as the struggle to provide food for their bellies.

My last column was addressed to Fed Thompson, a candidate for the Republican nomination to run for President in 2008. I suggested that his desire to place the question of abortion in the hands of individual states was unwise, and that the result would be the perpetuation of abortion in a handful of liberal states.

Memo to Fred - Infanticide is Not a State's Right

Published on TownHall.com on Nov. 19, 2007

For some, it is a feeling in the gut, while others call it common sense. Give it whatever name you wish, but it is that God given inner voice that whispers advice whether we want it or not. The louder the little voice gets, the more likely it is correct. So often, we ignore the little voice, and then stand in amazement as misfortune runs over us like a runaway freight train.

Now I am going to address someone directly, which is a bit unusual. Normally, when I have something to say about a political figure, my ulterior motive is to speak to my fellow underlings ( a.k.a. citizens like me who vote). In this case; however, Fred Thompson is a candidate in whom I find a lot of comfort.

The Culling of Humanity is Necessary?

(Previously Published on TownHall as: "The Liberal Conscience" on Nov 8, 2007)

What exactly is a Liberal anyway? He is the bleeding heart; the champion for the underdog, who is ever concerned about “the man” having too much authority over individuals. That definition must then contrast with the fat cat, money grubbing, and (nose always in my business) definition for the Conservative… right?

Nature has been the unwitting recipient of liberal, smothering-mother instincts. Global warming may be the equivalent of a child who is running a fever of 98.9 degrees. Doctor Gore’s advice to all of the fretting mother hens is that an ambulance must be called immediately.

Cry for the Shadows - If Properly Funded

Some have wondered what exactly I would do if funding for the Cry for the Shadows project were adequately received. With that in mind, I have prepared a page to discuss this question: Please click on the link that says: With Funding I Would... that is under the Pages heading in the next column over. Please read it and consider the possibilities.

Thanks.

Pro-Life, but Parsimonious... Is this you?

( IF I HAD FUNDING... ? )

With reluctance, I am beginning to believe that many who profess to be pro-life and anti-abortion are also just plain stingy. I just cannot put my finger on it, but the anecdotal evidence is heaping up in that direction. If you have not yet looked it up, parsimonious is an adjective that means: "Excessively unwilling to spend; (parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses)."

Here are two current example of why this is becoming evident. Please contrast this with the fact that the two wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, have contributed a sizable portion of their vast wealth to support Planned Parenthood here in the United States, and to support "Family Planning" a.k.a. abortion services in the third world.

((( continue reading please )))

Robot Meat and Abortion ?!@+#

Okay... my column today on TownHall titled: Abortion and Robot Meat, may leave some folks scratching their heads. Nevertheless, people have become desensitized to many things in life, and certainly there is no urgency in the minds of many regarding the practice of abortion.

No one wants to talk about abortion... or see the remnants of an abortion... or read about abortion... or tell anyone not to have an abortion, because if it is not on your plate, then you don't want to put it there. Abortion for many is now just an abstract political ideology; no longer viewed as the act of brutality that it really is. Kind of an "out of sight, out of mind" concept in action.

If you have never purchased my book, Cry for the shadows, it is now available as an eBook for Microsoft Reader or Mobipocket Reader. Both are only $4.99 and may be purchased here.

Think about "it".

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Vote Wrong - Babies Die

I don't have much time these days... but this article needs to be widely viewed. The consequences of what it says should be taken to heart, where it can disturb your dreams and put you on your knees in prayer.

From the Chicago Tribune....

Democrats pledge support for wide access to abortion

By Mike Dorning
Washington Bureau
Published July 18, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Elizabeth Edwards said Tuesday that her husband's health-care plan would provide insurance coverage of abortion.

Speaking on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards before the family planning and abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Edwards lauded her husband's health-care proposal as "a true universal health-care plan" that would cover "all reproductive health services, including pregnancy termination," referring to abortion.

.... more ....

Obama, who earlier gained the endorsement of Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty, offered the group a vision of equal opportunity for women, tying a call for improved access to contraceptives for low-income women with a call for an "updated social contract" that includes paid maternity leave and expanded school hours.

Asked about his proposal for expanded access to health insurance, Obama said it would cover "reproductive-health services." Contacted afterward, an Obama spokesman said that included abortions.

.... more ....

Read the whole article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-dems18jul18,1,639458.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Do not believe it when you hear that there is no difference between the two major Parties. I don't care what your pet peeve is with the President or the Republicans in Congress. Things will be a whole lot worse under the control of "the other guys."

There is no doubt in my mind... it is as simple as that.

Vote wrong and Babies Will Die.

©2007 by Phil Harris

A Wise Woman and her Blob

As a follow-up to my “Letters from Blob” article, please read the following letter from a very wise woman. She has a great first-hand perspective to share about her own blob, and the road she traveled to arrive at the truth she knows today.

If we allow scientific thinking as a given, since we live in an enlightened age, surely the mere fact of oxygen entering the bloodstream through the nasal passages rather than the umbilical cord cannot be the key to viable life. That sounds more like magical thinking, doesn’t it.? The magical whiff of oxygen, and poof! …the fetus is a real baby!

When I was in college, back in the 60's, I didn't really know any babies. There was a sexual revolution going on, we had the "pill" and if that failed, abortion seemed like an equally available alternative. I wasn't "religious", and neither were my friends. We were "liberated" women. I thought I had it all figured out.

A few years later, I was married and pregnant, and I felt the movement of a "blob" inside of me. Before I even began to comprehend what was going to happen to me at 9 months, it happened at 7 months. That blob made his entrance into the world early, and his lungs were not ready. He was very small, and in intensive care, and I was stunned to find myself looking at that blob with a heartbeat, somehow shaped exactly like a human, just lying there with tubes and monitors.

The doctors told me he might not make it, and that they might have to do some surgery, which they said more than likely would fail. There is a lot more to this story, but my blob survived and when I looked into the level gaze of his big blue eyes I saw him looking back at me and I recognized him. He only weighed around 4 pounds, but he was that same person that I see today, more than 30 years later. Of course, I don’t think of him as a blob, and he is now definitely a strong, kind, loving son, with a wife and son of his own. I have believed in God more because of that blob.

I didn't see my blob as a human because of magical thinking. He was real, and if for some reason he had been killed before he breathed the sacred air of the outside world, he would not have been less real. I know that with no shadow of doubt. It makes no more sense to kill a child before he breathes the air of our atmosphere, than it would to kill an adult because we find him annoying, like a retroactive abortion. We wouldn’t do that, would we?

I can’t stand to think about what could have happened to the contents of my uterus if I had become pregnant before it was convenient or “right” for me. I could have easily permitted it to happen without even knowing who I had allowed to be killed because he had not yet breathed oxygen.

Very well put!

Copyright ©2007 - Phil Harris

Letters from Blob

Here's something special, just for all of you TotalFarkers. If you are getting such a hoot out of the Blob Letters, perhaps you will like this one even better. Aborted Fetus Sings

Dear Mom,

Well, it’s been almost four weeks. Crazy how time flies, isn’t it? You still don’t know I’m in here yet. The angel told me you’d find out pretty soon, because you’ll be missing something. She said that while you are looking for it, you are going to start thinking about me. I am so excited, and wow, I just can’t wait!

Love,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

I can tell you know about me now, or at least you think you know. The angel said that you have been wondering if I might be in here, but you still aren’t sure. Sometimes, I get a funny feeling, and I wonder if it’s when you are thinking about me. I don’t know what it is, but it seems like things get all tense. Are you okay Mom? Hope you feel better soon.

Love you,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

Why have you been crying? The angel told me that you and Daddy have been yelling at each other. Are the two of you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? I hope not, but I am sorry if I did. Please don’t be mad at me.

I love you so much,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

I have some really really great news! You know that I’ve been busy in here for twelve weeks now, and guess what. I’m going to be a girl! Yes ma'am, I am going to be the most beautiful little girl any Mommy has ever had. I am getting so big that you just wouldn’t believe it.

Your loving daughter,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

The sweet sixteen is here. Yep, I am sixteen weeks old and I am getting pretty good at stuff in here. My arms and legs are working great. Did you feel it when I poked you with my foot this morning? I hope it didn’t hurt you. It feels good to move my arms and legs.

Love,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

What were you and Grandpa arguing about, and why have you been crying again? I hope Grandpa isn’t mad at me. Did I do something to make Grandpa unhappy? I hate it when you are sad Mom. It makes me feel all icky when you are sad. I haven’t heard Daddy for a long time. Is Daddy okay?

Love,
Blob
________________________________________

Dear Mom,

You’ve been crying for a long time today. Please don’t be so sad. I know there are lots of people who love you just as much as me, and I’ve only been around for seventeen and a half weeks. Guess what Mom. I weigh almost a whole pound, and I am starting to get my hair, and my fingernails, and…

What’s that scary sound? Are you using the vacuum cleaner? I thought you told Grandpa we were going to the doctor. Hey… something is poking me in here. OH NO! Mommy, my water disappeared, and... Hey, that’s cold. Get that thing away from me. Mom… something is… OUCH! Mom… that cold thing is biting me on the leg, and it… OH, AAAHHH! Mommy… Mommy… Help ME! That cold thing… it tore off my leg! It’s coming back in again! Mommy… it’s biting my head. Stop hurting me… please, my new hair… you’re going to ruin my new hair. Mommy it hurts… it hur….
________________________________________

Carhart and his Demons Lose in the SCOTUS

I simply do not have time to write a proper article, celebrating the victory today in the Supreme Court of the United States. The court has upheld the federal ban on the Partial Birth Abortion procedure. This is, of course, only a partial victory in the greater war against infanticide in America, but it is a victory, nevertheless.

Here is a snippet from an email broadcast, sent out by Jay Sekulow. His group, the ACLJ, has been an effective advocate in this and other legal battles.

Today we applaud the Supreme Court of the United States for its decision to uphold the national ban on partial-birth abortion and outlaw the gruesome procedure. The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in both cases before the Supreme Court - including one on behalf of some 80 members of Congress and more than 320,000 Americans.

This is a monumental victory for the preservation of human life. By rejecting the lawsuits challenging the national ban, the high court demonstrated that this horrible practice has no place in the medical community. We're delighted and encouraged that a majority of the Justices of the high court determined that it was time to bring an end to what only can be described as infanticide. This decision represents an important shift in the ongoing battle to protect human life and represents a very significant pro-life victory in the abortion debate.

Praise God Almighty for this great news, and in a week otherwise tragically stained with the blood of those murdered at Virginia Tech. Take that, "doctor" Carhart. Too bad, you will no longer get to see and feel the little babies squirm, as you stab them in their little heads and suction their brains out. You will now have to get your monstrous jollies in some other way.

If you are wondering why this was such an important victory, and why I and others hold "doctor" Carhart in such disdain, please read the testimony before Congress of Brenda Pratt Shafer, R.N., included in this earlier article.

Copyright ©2007 by Phil Harris

Abortion: A case of missing perceptions

(This is a prior article, edited and republished for Townhall.com)

Looking across the political landscape, I see a battlefield cratered and split by deep canyons. Past generations may recall times that were as contentious as our own, but the lingering effects could never have been so damaging. Today we are bombarded twenty-four hours a day by the media, stirring passions to a sizzle, leaving many of us in the end with feelings of hope and satisfaction or a sense of dread and disappointment.

What is it that has happened over these past few election cycles, I ask myself? It is perplexing to say the least, but I suspect that one or two central issues are at the heart of the divide. Perhaps the largest and most passionate disagreement is the life versus choice debate. This has become so irreconcilable, that both sides try to avoid the subject altogether. I am reminded of the movie, “The Village”, in which there are horrible creatures. The villagers refer to them as, “Those of whom we do not speak”.

Aborted Fetus Sings

One of the most effective ways to demonstrate the absurd horrors of abortion is to put a face on the issue. No one wants to look at photographs of aborted babies, but abortion advocates would lay an ostrich egg before they would even stand in the same room with one.

Read this snip out of a Rocky Mountain News article about the final day of the Colorado House of Representatives session. Following the article snippet, read the letter from Rep. Ted Harvey, as he explains the entire episode in detail. It is kind of long, but worth it. You can draw your own conclusions, but from where I sit... way to go Ted!

---

From Rocky Mountain News: They laughed, cried and kept on bickering

The House began its final floor session on a contentious note Monday when Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, introduced guest Gianna Jensen. At his request, she had been granted permission to sing the national anthem.

He told how the Nashville woman had been born two months prematurely and had cerebral palsy. Lawmakers were touched when he said that Jensen, 29, who wasn't expected to crawl, now can run marathons.

But then Harvey said that the reason Jensen was disabled was that her 17-year-old mother tried to have a late-term abortion. He said he wanted lawmakers to know that fact, because later in the day they were planning to vote on a resolution honoring Planned Parenthood.

Some lawmakers were livid.

"I came this close to standing up and saying something," said Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez. He and others said Harvey violated House rules and protocol.

"It was despicable," said House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder. "Ted Harvey doesn't care about proper decorum or the rules. He just wants to push his narrow agenda."

Said Harvey: "That was not my intention."

---

Here is the letter from Representative Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch of the Colorado House of Representatives. This tells the entire story. I am not sure who he sent this to originally, but it is bouncing around by email, far and wide. It came to me from my father, with the Subject line... FW: A Pro-Life Hero

---

I want to share with you an awesome experience I recently had in the Colorado House of Representatives. It is a humbling experience to look back and realize that God used me to play a role in His divine orchestration.

As I was leaving the House chambers for the weekend when our Democrat Speaker of the House mentioned that the coming Monday would be the final day of this year's General Assembly. He went on to state that there were still numerous resolutions on the calendar which we would need to be addressed prior to the summer adjournment. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned that one of the resolutions we would be hearing was being carried by the House Majority Leader Alice Madden, honoring the 90th anniversary of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

As a strong pro-life legislator I was disgusted by the idea that we would pass a resolution honoring this 90 year legacy of genocide. I drove home that night wondering what I could say that might pierce the darkness during the debate on this heinous resolution.

On Saturday morning I took my eight-year-old son up to the mountains to go white water rafting. The trip lasted all day. As we were driving home, exhausted and hungry, I remembered that I had accepted an invitation to attend a fundraising dinner that night for a local pro-life organization. One of my most respected mentors had personally called me several weeks earlier and asked me to attend, so I knew I'd have to clean up and head over.

After our meal, the executive director of the organization introduced the keynote speaker. I looked up and saw walking to the stage a handicapped young lady being assisted to the microphone by a young man holding a guitar.

Her name was Gianna Jessen.

Gianna said "Hello," welcomed everyone, and then sang three of the most beautiful Christian songs that I have ever heard.

...continued...

7,102 Miles of Dead Babies

Dark facts to ponder on Mother's Day.

Since Roe V. Wade...

If you laid all of the Aborted Children End-to-End, they would Stretch Non-Stop from...

Denver to Baghdad Iraq.

New York to London and Back to New York.

San Francisco to New York and Back to San Francisco and Then Back to Chicago.

Tallahassee Florida to Tokyo Japan.

So how does that grab you?

I have calculated this, based on approximately 45 million aborted children, with the average 20 week old fetus at 10 inches in length. There are approximately 6,336 aborted babies per mile. The distance between cities is calculated as the crow flies.

Copyright ©2006, Phil Harris

Out of sight, out of mind

People have an odd quirk. When we hear about bad things that happen somewhere, we make mental sticky notes and paste them in the back of our heads. When we stand close and watch bad things happen, we fill buckets with emotion and fear and pour them over our heads.

It just isn’t the same, to hear about a head-on car crash that killed two people, as it is to be standing at an intersection when it happens right in front of you. Seeing the violence and hearing the sickening impact first hand, makes our insides squirm.

Maybe people are wired that way, so we don’t become paralyzed with fear and apprehension. Perhaps that is evidenced by people who develop phobias; who become so paranoid about some thing, that they cannot bear to expose themselves to the world.

Unfortunately, I think this also explains why the horrific nature of abortion does not strike everyone with a sense of dread. A child in its mother’s womb cannot be seen or heard by people. To know that a woman is pregnant does not bring images of a tiny child to the minds of people, because they do not see or hear it. At best, people visualize the swelling tummy of the mother, with no mental connection to the human figure inside.

If a group of people were standing in a circle, and someone brought the tiniest of babies to the center of the circle and proceeded to snip it into pieces with a pair of pruning shears, every single person would vomit, scream, cry out, or just plain faint and fall to the floor. For that matter, the same reaction would occur if it were a puppy or a kitten, or a gerbil, or a guinea pig.

This phenomenon makes me wonder how physicians who perform abortions become so calloused to what they are doing. They know in their hearts, and in their educated minds, exactly what rests at the far end of the birth canal, yet they perform their gruesome job day after day, week after week, year after year.

Abortion will be removed as an acceptable option, when common people are brought to the circle, and shown the fatal car wreck that occurs many times each and every day. The horror will stop when every person on every street in every suburb in this country can see in their mind’s eye, that tiny children are being ripped into pieces, every time a woman exercises her right to choose an abortion.

Copyright ©2006 - Phil Harris, All Rights Reserved

Also published on: Phil's Life Journal

Help me open people's eyes: Cry for the Shadows

Shallow Thinking Syndrome

I have been hearing ads on the radio lately, which were produced and paid for by good, honest, and caring people. The ads are in support of public funding for embryonic stem cell research. They frame the issue using maladies and afflictions that sadly affect so many people, as if their plight might end if only narrow-minded religious busy bodies would just butt out.

Human embryos in this research come from two sources. Some are fertility clinic discards, which are no longer needed by their client mothers. Abortion procedures result in a steady supply of embryonic tissue. One argument used often by research supporters is; because these embryos are discarded anyway, it is a tragic waste not to use them to help find cures for sick people.

This is where we find a logical argument, but one which suffers from shallow thinking syndrome. Common sense appears to support the argument, until you peek beneath the veneer of compassion that has overlaid the issue. Hiding just beneath the surface, disguised as clear enlightened thinking, is Pandora’s Box.

Imagine that all the dreams come true. Imagine that people with Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s could be cured, and that quadriplegics with damaged spinal cords could be made whole, allowing them to walk again. If that magic potion were derived from processing human embryos, there would be no stopping it.

Like a runaway freight train, the gold rush would be on. Human life would be manufactured and destroyed at a blinding pace, using the most efficient pharmaceutical production technologies available.

Whether you think about that possibility in religious terms or not, just being a member of our unique species should give you pause at the thought. There are absolutely no free lunches in this universe. All resources consumed by humanity are finite, and can be severely disrupted if not managed properly. What calamity lies around the corner, if we savage the very spark, which is human life?

Here is a question for sufferers of shallow thinking syndrome. Have you considered the floodgates that would be unleashed, if embryonic research proved to be as successful as you hope? Are you prepared to support abortion clinics that are run as if they were Blood Banks, harvesting embryos from young women who intentionally get pregnant, so they can collect the donation fee?

I hope and pray that stem cell research can achieve medical miracles, but I also hope and pray that embryonic stem cell research fails completely. We could unleash a paradox in the universe, and it might consume our very souls. From my vantage point, at the very least, the most precious commodity entrusted to us by our Creator would be reduced to the status of a cash crop.

Copyright ©2006 - Phil Harris, All Rights Reserved

Don’t Push My Door Shut

The case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo has stirred up something in this country. Exactly what will settle from all of this stirring is yet to be determined. I write these words as Terri lays in a hospice bed, drying up and starving to death. According to her husband and the judicial system, this is ultimately for her own good.

Terri’s mother, father, brother, sister, the Florida Governor, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. President, Pope John Paul II, and millions of average Americans have begged to disagree. Judge Greer, of the county circuit court, has summarily ignored the collective wisdom of this group and has instead rushed to carry out his order.

Terri Schindler-Schiavo is now hours from death. Despite condescending platitudes from her husband’s attorney, George Felos, dying from dehydration cannot be a pleasant and euphoric experience. Medical experts who offer this assurance lack any evidence to back up the claim, because all first-hand witnesses are dead. Any shipwreck survivor, lost for days at sea could tell Mr. Felos what it feels like to approach death by way of dehydration. Never have I read a survivor’s account, describing it as pleasant or euphoric

Many prayers are in play for Terri the world over. If a miraculous healing were possible for reasons beyond the health of the afflicted person, this would be a perfect moment to see it happen. What fun it would be, for Terri to rise up out of bed, her atrophied brain healed and her dehydrated body restored. The opportunity to ask Terri about all of this and receive a direct answer, in one fell swoop would bring stunning clarity to the entire world. I think I will pray for that to happen. After all, you don’t get what you do not ask for. Perhaps God has been waiting for two or more of us to ask.

The length of life, measured from birth in the United States was 49 years in 1901. At the end of the 20th century, life expectancy was 77 years. We no longer consider the common cold to be a mortal risk, and birth complications are generally within the ability of surgeons to intervene. Unfortunately, we are fragile beings, living in a harsh world. At any moment, though we expect to live until a ripe old age, tragedy can strike. A slip and fall on the ice, or a tree branch falling from above can put anyone in Terri's shoes.

I have made comments to those around me that I would not want to live by virtue of machines. However, I have never considered these precise circumstances. Let me say this now, to be perfectly clear. If I have survived some tragic incident, and the only way for me to pass on is if someone starves me to death, please feed me. God will shut something else down when it is time to go, and by that process, my life will end.

If I cannot breathe but for a mechanical device, say your good-byes, whisper in my ear what you intend to do, and then turn off the switch. If my heart will not continue beating, there is no need to restart it endlessly. Life will have been good, and I will have experienced the blessings of a great and loving family. When we die, it is hardest on those we leave behind. However, they should remember the promise made by Jesus. That he goes to prepare a place for us in his Father’s house. Holding on to our faith in that promise, gives us courage to face the end of our time.

Perhaps to some, my position on life support is still a bit vague or even contradictory. In reality, the bottom line is very simple. If the body is trying to die, and it cannot do so because of an artificial device, let the body die. Think of it as a self-closing door. Life is a stiff wind, which blows against the door, and holds it open. When the wind fades, the door will begin to close. Life support is a doorstop, which can temporarily keep it open. Starving someone to death, is pushing on the door to make it close more quickly than it wants to.

Copyright ©2005, Phil Harris – All Rights Reserved

Terri - Starving for Simple Legislation

There seems to be a simple solution to the Terri Schiavo dilemma. I have tried very hard to pass this suggestion on to Florida Governor Bush, the Florida House of Representatives, and the Florida Senate. Unfortunately, there is such a flood of communication; I fear that the message may not get through. It is something that every state in the Union should consider, because this snarl of legal wrangling should not be permitted to fester any longer. If you read this, and you have the means to communicate with anyone who is in a position to make a difference, I would urge you to convey this message to them.

Just to recap why I am motivated by this case, I would like to remind you that Terri Schiavo is not in danger of dying from the injuries she suffered more than ten years ago. She is in danger of dying from the willful, deliberate, and methodical act of starving and dehydrating her until her vital organs fail.

If this happens, it will be at the request of the man who was her husband at the time of her injury. It will happen because the judicial system has backed his right to decide Terri’s fate. He was married to Terri, only six years, which is less than half the time that has passed since she was struck down.

The problem lies in the interpretation of the term; artificial life support. Infants, small children, mentally and physically handicapped, and frail elderly people require help in obtaining nutrition and hydration every single day. Tens of thousands require the administration of this support in a manner other than my mouth.

So to resolve this problem, the Florida legislative bodies need only define, or redefine what is recognized as artificial life support. All they need to do is add some common sense language, which leaves the definition unchanged, but simply excludes the administration of nutrition and hydration from the list of extraordinary measures required to sustain life. This will not change anything for those who do not want to continue life, only by virtue of a mechanical device. Excluding nutrition support will not change the role of artificial breathing apparatus, heart-lung bypass machines, or anything else that prevents immediate death.

Such a legislative change could not be simpler, and it will not cause constitutional problems, as did Governor Bush’s attempt to use his executive powers to interfere in the legal proceedings. The Florida legislators should be able to craft this, pass it, and have the Governors signature in a matter of days.

Once this is done, the entire issue will be ripped from the hands of the courts. Mr. Schiavo should then have no reason to maintain guardianship; thus releasing Terri’s to the care of her blood relatives who have her best interests at heart.

I am not an attorney, nor am I an elected official. I am nothing that would suggest expertise in the area of legislation in Florida or anywhere else. However, I do claim to have a reasonable helping of common sense. If there is an insurmountable problem with what I have proposed here, please do not hesitate to contact me.

My email address is: citizenphil@gmail.com

Copyright ©2005, Phil Harris - All Rights Reserved
This article may be used at will, provided the source is properly reported.

Terri Schiavo - Death by Good Intentions

Loose lips sink ships; they used to say during World War II. Perhaps something similar has happened to Terri Schiavo. She is the young woman in Florida who has been in a vegetative state for many years, after suffering a severe reaction to some kind of medication or medical procedure.

Terri is bed ridden, and is not the woman she was prior to her illness. Because she cannot swallow, nutrition is provided through a feeding tube, connected and disconnected as needed. She is not dependant on any other life support equipment. She does not need a ventilator to breathe, and her heart beats, as it should, without assistance.

We have seen video of her, taken by family members. At times, and by all appearances, she seems to react when her mother speaks to her. She does not look gravely ill, and even appears to have a permanent smile on her face. Experts have testified that she is not cognizant of these interactions, but rather, they are simple automatic nervous system responses to stimuli. These people, along with her husband claim that she will never improve, and that she is essentially brain dead.

The husband says she would not have wanted to live this way, so he wants to have the feeding stopped. This would slowly kill her, over the course of several days. Terri’s parents have been fighting to block this action although; the courts have sided consistently with the husband. Governor Jeb Bush tried to take the issue from the court's hands through legislation, but was finally shot down by higher courts. Ultimately, the Supreme Court refused to review the case.

Perhaps Terri did not have a written living will, in which she could have declared her desire to forego extreme measures to keep her alive. Her husband says that she told him of her wishes. I have made such comments to friends and family, generally after witnessing the plight of someone who has suffered great trauma, so it is not difficult to believe that Terri made such comments to her husband.

Putting aside any ulterior motives the husband may or may not have for wanting Terri’s ordeal to end, I want to focus squarely on the idea that he and the courts are motivated entirely by good intentions. I must compare this situation to one that I, or any of us, might one day find ourselves in, God forbid.

I really do not want to lay in bed, immobilized, a breathing tube down my throat, unable to communicate. My life would exist only because heroic people hooked me up to breathing machines in a nick of time. Now I am condemned to live endlessly and anonymously, alone in the space between my ears. In that case, I say please turn off the machine. I would have died anyway, and I probably should have.

However, in this case, there are no machines. If they stop feeding Terri, she will die in a gruesome manner. She will die, not due to the injuries she suffered, but directly at the hands of her caregivers. The inability to sustain one’s self is not a condition unique to Terri’s illness. After all, small children will die if you stop feeding them as well.

The good intentions of those who would starve Terri Schiavo to death are misplaced in this case. I believe that under the laws of common sense, reasonable people should recognize that allowing an illness to run its course is much different from what has been proposed here. If Terri is to die, she should die from her illness, not by intentional starvation.

Experts may disagree as to what determines a living existence, but it is clear to me that Terri still lives between her own two ears. If she is indeed as “gone” as her husband and his experts say she is, it would mean absolutely nothing to her to continue the way she is. If her condition deteriorates to a point that mechanical support is needed to sustain her, then I agree; it will be time to let her go. Until then, the parents should be granted their desire to care for her.

For information on how you can help Terri, go to this website: www.terrisfight.org

Copyright ©2005, Phil Harris - All Rights Reserved