It has been quite a week here at Casa Nall. My MeMaw is still very ill. I went down last Thursday and then again on Sunday. I will be going back tomorrow to spend part of the day with her. She isn't suffering which is great but she just seems to be lingering. She knows her condition and has a living will stating that she does not want heart surgery or to be kept alive via machine. My PePaw was a very sick man for many of the years that I knew him and I guess she saw enough needless suffering and decided she wanted no part of it.
I am actually very happy about that for a number of reasons. I don't want to see her suffer just because her family members are not ready to give her up yet. That seems to be the real reason behind why most old people are vegging out in nursing homes, being fed through a stomach tube and breathing via a ventilator. Performing open heart surgery, dialisys and a number of other procedures that have been recommended, might only keep her alive for a year or two. The quality of her life would be terrible and she would suffer tremendously.
I am also glad because I think that performing those procedures on anyone over the age of 70 is a complete waste of money (in most cases this is taxpayer money through Medicare) and it is cruel. Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on medical procedures for an elderly person if they only have a few years left no matter what medical procedure is done? It seems very fiscally irresponsible.
Not that elderly people should suffer....certainly not. Through prescription drugs their suffering can be mostly alleviated and they can die with dignity and at ease...hopefully in their home surrounded by the people they love. That is how MeMaw is going out, and for that, I am extraordinarily grateful.
Other exciting happenings this week included a court appearance where two government employees, who are on the side of the prosecution, DID NOT SHOW UP in court. They were sent subpoenas, just like I was. Mine was hand delivered by a sheriff's deputy around 8 pm last Saturday night. So, we know the police made sure I got mine. I wanted Failure to Appear warrants sworn out for them, but that has not happened as of yet. This is a classic case of 'aristocracy syndrome' whereby, the government and its employees follow a different set of rules than those by which they govern us peasants. If I had missed court on any date over the last five years then an FTA warrant would have been issued so fast my head would have spun. These double standards really piss me off....but, this is just one more nail in their coffin.
There was mention made to me by a prosecutor in court about pre-trial diversion and drug courts being started in Tallapoosa Co. I am almost certain I was being invited to come to the DA's table, once these charges are cleared up, and be given the opportunity to have some input in a drug court, pre-trial diversion and community corrections programs. I have had a number of emails and comments from my supporters on this issue and I want to address some of their concerns about my possible involvement in any of those programs.
First, this may never happen. But, if I were offered the opportunity to have input at that particular table I would take it.
I don't like drug courts or pre-trial diversion for non-violent drug offenders. My views on drugs and drug use are very widely known. Marijuana should be legal and not one person should ever be forced by the state to enter 'treatment' for consuming cannabis. It is a waste of money and takes up bed space for people suffering from real addiction to hard drugs like meth and Oxycontin. I think the government and law enforcement have NO PLACE addressing a medical and social issue. I think if people want to do drugs then let them. If they cause physical harm or injury to another person or to property then hold them accountable for the harm, but the use of drugs in and of itself should not be against the law.
Having said that, I acknowledge that some drugs are against the law and that right now most counties in Alabama have no choice but to send people to jail or prison for non-violent drug offenses. Drug court, pre-trial diversion and community corrections will help end the practice of sending people to Alabama's notoriously dangerous and overcrowded prison system. These programs allow people unfortunate enough to get caught up in the criminal justice system the opportunity to continue working if they have jobs and to be able to stay with their families as opposed to becoming a huge burden on the taxpayers. Incarcerating them at $13,000 a year, processing them through the court system at untold thousands of dollars, feeding their kids via welfare if they have left any children behind and putting people who are not criminals in a cage with people who are criminals is very bad policy. We are creating criminals and making certain that non-violent drug users will always be a burden on society. That has to stop.
Having someone like me on the inside of these programs would really be a very good thing. There needs to be someone in that position stating the things I just stated above. That is how things begin to change. Better me in that position than say a former narcotics task force officer or a dick head probation officer, right?
And again, none of this is reality at this time, but more an invitation to get the discussion started and that is important.
On to other things....
Saul has had a pretty good week. He got to travel with me some and seems to have gotten over being car sick. He still has to ride in his kennel because he has yet to overcome extreme excitement and won't sit still in the back seat. The intruding step-shitter dog has not been back this week that I have seen. I guess he got his jab in and decided to leave well enough alone.
He loves to go outside and play in his fence for hours. We discovered earlier this week that he loves water. He thinks the hose spraying him is just divine. He barks at it and growls, snaps it up, gargles, yelps and tries to scratch all of the water out of his mini-pool as I am filling it up. He also likes to put his ball in the water and chase it around with his feet and nose/mouth. He is about silly....just incredibly silly. To watch a big ol' man eater like him playing with his ball in the water or romping around the house with his favorite squeaky toy just cracks me up. My daughter found a tough piece of cloth she uses to play tug with Saul. I think tug is his favorite game now. He is hilarious. He will scoonch up like he is about to take a crunch on the carpet and jump backwards trying to wrest the cloth from her. He is really strong too and usually gets it away from her after a few backwards hops. It makes him very tired, so I encourage her to play with him a lot so he doesn't wear me out as he is a very energetic dog who likes to be busy. She will be back in school next week and I am sure Saul will miss her....I know I will.
Another thing happening this week(end) is the weekly Compassionate Care meeting. Please clilck the link and join us in Prattville, AL this Saturday from 3-5 pm.
That's all for now and I hope to see you on Saturday.
1 comment:
Ha Loretta
Same shit different day aint it?
I told ya before. Ya got rules for the washed and you got rules for the unwashed. Give ya three guesses which we are.
We wake up each day to find ourselves peons in a country where our parents high school class was decimated on the D-day landing. Prosecuted by men and women that can't find France on map.
Hang in there Loretta. We will win not because of any grand right or wrong but because they have become con-artist fascists. The whole world knows it too.
tha Glennard
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