http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/03/con05108.html
A Buzzflash Reader Contribution
March 24, 2005
by Mary MacElveen
Having seen the flurry of vigils in the past couple of days to save the life of Terri Schiavo, it makes me want to ask these pro-life people "Where were your vigils as we systematically murdered thousands upon thousands of innocent Iraqi people? Why no open show of force as your government launched a preemptive strike based upon a series of lies? Will you start to hold vigils as the killings in Iraq keep happening?
Where were your vigils for the 1,500 servicemen and women who were killed in Iraq? They died for your right to hold these vigils out in the open for Terri. Didn’t they?
As some were arrested for trying to bring Terri Schiavo some water to drink -- why didn’t you get on an airplane and fly to Iraq before we launched our attack and act as human shields? Many who side with this administration openly mocked those that did.
Millions just like me held our own vigil on February 15, 2003, where we were labeled unpatriotic and called crack pots. But, what you fail to understands is this: we, too, were trying to save lives. Not just one life, but thousands of lives.
The news stations have been airing tapes of Terri Schiavo non-stop and I would like to ask them why not air images of the lives taken in Iraq? How many of our servicemen and women, including Iraqi citizens, are maimed and are now on similar life support systems due to our actions? Why not show pictures of them as well? Will any of you give a damn if they have their feeding tubes taken away? No, you will not, because you will not see or hear about them. They are abstracts to you. But, for those of us who are anti-war, they are just as real and precious as Terri is to you.
Some of you are angry at her husband Michael Schiavo and have demonized him for things he has allegedly said (according to Carla Iyer, who was Terri’s nurse for one year; and as far as I am concerned that is hearsay). If she reported these incidents to the police, why wasn’t he arrested? I find it hard to believe that one man can hold so much power over the staff at her hospice.
But, here is my point: here you have the leader of our country openly lying to all of you about why the United States needed to invade a sovereign nation, and yet the same intensity of anger is not launched at him. You in the pro-life movement are not choosing to demonize a liar, yet you think you have the right to do this to Michael Schiavo?
I heard today that Terri’s mom, Mary Schindler, said this: "Please, someone out there, stop this cruelty. Stop the insanity." It does break my heart to hear her plea like this, since I know somewhat of how she feels having had a son on life support. But, many of us who tried to stop this government from going on a killing spree in Iraq were also saying, "Please, someone out there, stop this cruelty. Stop the insanity." Yet, this alleged pro-life president failed to hear our pleas.
What I want to hear from these vigil-holding pro-life advocates is if, because of their belief in the "sanctity of human life," they will start to hold vigils about the killing going on in Iraq. This is why many like me see such hypocrisy coming from those individuals who claim to want to save Schiavo's life.
So, I ask again, "Where are the vigils for our service men and women, as well as the innocent Iraqi citizens who will keep on dying, as long as President George W. Bush has his say about Iraq?"
My prayers go out to those killed in Iraq, as do my prayers go out to Terri and her family. All have been used by this administration for their own selfish agendas. In my opinion, that is unconscionable.
Collateral damage. - TM
No comments:
Post a Comment