ANDREA CLARK'S SISTER MELANIE POSTS AT
DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND

My sister and I would like to continue to help on this
issue. Democrats and Republicans are united on this
one--on this issue, we are all "just Americans."
Wonderful, rich in heart and spirit, Americans. Let's
do battle for our brothers and sisters, together, on
this one, shall we?

Below is a post I made on Democratic Underground. It
is a place to continue this fight for life, I think.
One life at a time....

Dear Fellow DUers:

Some of you might remember me from my posts about my
sister, Andrea Clark. For those of you who don't, my
sister had heart disease and, under the Texas Futile
Care Law, the hospital she was in was trying to "pull
her plug." The hospital, St. Luke's Episcopal, in
Houston, Texas, finally backed down, by helping to get
another doctor on staff there, to consent to treat
Andrea. About a week later, my sister died. She died
with her family around her, and at her own natural
pace. My family had a fight on it's hands in order to
stop St. Luke's from killing Andrea, but both the
Democrats and the Republicans got together and helped
us.

Now that you've been brought up to speed, I have a few
other things to tell you about this subject: My
sister is not the only patient that a Texas hospital
is trying to kill. This happens all the time, but
most of the time it is not publicized. Most of the
time, a family, with their hands full just trying to
care for their loved one, is met by doctors who have
forgotten their oath to do no harm, and who pressure
the family to agree to withdraw treatment from the
patient. I am sure that most of these doctors truly
believe that what they are doing is "compassionate,"
but I believe, as many others do, that no one who does
not have a personal relationship with the patient
should step into the very personal position of making
these kinds of decisions for the patient, or for the
family. The right to die has been subverted, because
of this law, and because of the insurance companies'
and hospital corporations' love of money, to a DUTY to
die.

I submit to you, as well, that the people of this
country will not be able to take their country back
unless and until they come together, united in
purpose. There are many purposes that do not unite
us, but instead divide us. This is not one of those
wedge issues. This is an issue that can bring
Republicans and Democrats together. The more issues
of this kind that you find and that you unite to work
on, the louder all of our voices become; it is in this
uniting that we, the people of this country, will find
our strength.