Remembering Terry

Theresa Maria Schindler should be in her 56th year of life. Instead, her cremated remains are buried at Sylvan Abby Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida. A granite stone marks the spot.

The epitaph reads, “Schiavo / Theresa Marie / Beloved wife / born December 3, 1963 / Departed this earth / February 25, 1990 / At peace March 31, 2005 / I kept my promise.” These are not the words of her parents. The stone was engraved by her one-time, two-timing husband, Michael Schiavo.

They say that history is written by the victors. Michael Schiavo was, certainly, the legal victor in this case. Theresa was the victim, but not the only one. She was robbed of her life, but her family was also robbed of her life. In fact, we all were.

The epitaph tells Michael Schiavo’s version of history. His claim that she “Departed this earth” on February 25, 1990 refers to the morning that Schiavo found his wife found face-down in the hallway of their home in St. Petersburg, Florida. When the paramedics arrived, she was still face-down with neither detectable pulse nor respiration.

Immediately, the medical professionals restarted her heart and breathing. Initially, her breathing was assisted by intubation and a breathing machine. Before long, these were removed, and she could again breathe on her own. She was diagnosed with hypokalemia (low potassium levels) presumably cause by her excessive dieting.

Terri Schindler  

During the time that she was intubated and unable to eat, she was also given a nasogastric feeding tube to provide the proper nutrition to treat her hypokalemic condition. After the breathing tube was removed, the nasogastric tube was replaced with a percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy (PEG) tube.

Approximately 100,000-125,000 people per year receive this medical treatment. While some of these patients cannot swallow food at all, most have some ability to swallow, but not enough to receive all the nutrients they need. Many live perfectly normal lives with the PEG tube hidden beneath their clothing. You might even know such people without realizing it.

Terri awoke from her coma with significant brain damage. She was able to breathe on her own. Swallowing was difficult, but not impossible. She slept and woke up. She had basic reflexes and was able to open and move her eyes. She could also make noises with her voice and smile. Despite all this, her tombstone claims that she “Departed this earth.”

Strangely, nobody began making this claim until several years had passed. At first, her husband took Terri to the University of California in San Francisco for experimental rehabilitation. After some months the treatment was deemed unsuccessful. Her husband also filed two medical malpractice suits against her doctors. These worked their way through the courts until the fall of 1992.

Terri after the heart attack

Two and a half years after she “Departed this earth,” Michael Schiavo received $300,000 plus a $750,000 trust fund set up for Terri’s ongoing care. At about this same time, he began dating Jodi Centonze. From here on out, the relationship between Michael and Terri’s family turned from cooperative to adversarial.

The world should know these two simple facts. First, for more than two years everybody involved in Terri’s care treated her as a living human being who fully occupied planet earth. Second, there was no change in Terri’s status that prompted a change in her treatment. The only discernable changes happened to her husband.

At the same time Michael’s relationship to Terri’s family turned adversarial, his directives toward Terri’s care became deadly. First, he declined to follow the course of treatment that he promised the jury in the medical malpractice suit. Then, when Terri developed a common urinary tract infection, he directed her nursing care to withhold treatment. By 1997 he began legal maneuvers to remove food and water.

He was emboldened in his quest by doctors who said that Terri was in a “persistent vegetative state” (PVS). Nobody has ever seen a vegetable in a state of wakefulness. Potatoes do not blink and move their eyes. Peas and carrots are not widely known to make vocal sounds.

It is not obvious why “vegetative” is more medically sound than “subconscious,” or some other way of describing a person who is awake but does not express herself in discernable ways. One thing is certain, though. Vegetables are not human, and vegetative is a deeply dehumanizing term.

During Michael’s decade-long fight to kill his wife, he lived with his fiancée, Jodi Centonze and fathered two children. Terri’s family understandably saw this as an obvious breach of the marriage vow, “to forsake all others and remain united to her alone as long as we both shall live.” Therefore, they filed for divorce on behalf of their daughter and fought to gain legal guardianship of her life.

Even though her court-appointed guardian testified that Michael had a conflict of interest since he stood to inherit the settlement money upon Terri’s death, the court ruled that Terri’s family also had a conflict of interest. That they wanted her to live while he wanted her to die was irrelevant. That they would control the settlement money in the case of a divorce was a good enough reason to deny their petition.

During all this time, Terri was receiving the least-possible care. Yet, her condition was not getting any worse. This is key. Michael’s desire to kill her was not because her health was declining. It was because she was not improving. Even though she was vastly improved from the day he found her, she was not improved enough to merit further life.

This outrageous claim was made more outrageous still when the legal system agreed with it. Appeals were made from the Florida circuit court to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both the Florida state legislature and the U.S. congress passed laws to give Terri a chance. All of these were thrown out.

In the end, all that mattered was the opinion of Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit Court Judge, George Greer. He ruled that if Terri could talk for herself, she would want to be starved to death by removal of her feeding tube. On March 18, 2005 he gave the final directive.

Fifteen years ago today Theresa Maria Schindler succumbed after two weeks of dehydration and starvation. Today is a day of solemn remembrance. It was a sobering moment in American life.

To this day, the culture of death characterizes the battle between Michael Schiavo and the Schindler family as being about “the right to die.” They believe that Michael’s epitaph is true history.

Terri interacts with her family

Is it really? Did Terri actually leave this earth on February 25, 1990? Or did she, rather, have a heart attack that caused a severe handicap? Did she really live a tortured life for fifteen years while longing to die? Or was her torture only inflicted when the people responsible for her life withdrew all means of support?

Fifteen years ago today the whole world knew that Terri was most definitely on this earth. The story of her unwilling starvation was played out on national news throughout Holy Week and Easter of 2005. She impacted the lives of millions—even if she was not conscious of that fact. Today she still stands as an example of how every human life has value not only for itself, but for the whole world.

WTE: Uplifting observations from the COVID-19 crisis

Three months ago, when most were still in the Christmas spirit, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was scrambling to understand a mysterious new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China. Fast forward three months and the world has gone on lockdown.

Some believe the reaction is over the top. Others believe it is not yet enough. But all are filled with fear. The only difference is whether one fears the virus itself, or drastic reactions to the virus. This column will not enter that debate.

Rather, the COVID-19 crisis is uncovering some truths worth pondering. By taking these to heart, we can be encouraged in the moment and focused on a better future.

As a pastor, churches are my first thought. They are places where people gather, touch and eat together. As recommendations against gatherings of any kind mounted, temptations grew to shutter churches by government fiat. Thankfully, Wyoming has resisted this impulse.

Even directives closing movie houses, coffee shops and a host of communal gathering places left churches off the list. Governor Gordon should be commended for protecting the free exercise of religion and allowing church leaders to rise to the challenge of finding responsible and faithful ways to meet human needs.

That brings up a second observation. Not only churches, but schools, clubs and sports teams have agonized over the cancelation of gatherings. These discussions have forced everyone into a deeper reflection on the human need to gather in person.

Tech trends continually replace meaningful human contact with disembodied digital communication. Increasing addiction to screen time has not deepened human connection but drained it. Loneliness has become a self-chosen epidemic. Now, suddenly, our forced separation provides an opportunity to relearn why togetherness is important at all.

As schools, churches and board rooms replace the warmth of personal contact with flattened and touch-less images, we are filled with a longing for real humanity. When all this is over, let us not forget these lessons. Rather, let us force the virtual world back into its servant role. Technology meant to assist humanity should not be allowed to dominate and replace it.

Personal connectedness is bodily connectedness. Human beings are not disembodied minds. This is the third lesson. Stop to think about the measures used to stop COVID-19 infection. All of them are about specific bodily actions and not mere thoughts.

Specific, objective behaviors slow virus spread. Other behaviors increase a person’s risk of infection. Ignoring the science has implications not only for your personal safety, but for the whole community. One careless action can infect an entire family, church and neighborhood.

Sins against the CDC recommendations cannot remain secret. Infection with the virus is a matter of public interest. Thus, the COVID-19 outbreak has caused an outbreak of common sense. With one voice, we are encouraging one another to take every healthful precaution. All recognize that attention to good practices benefits both the individual and society as a whole.

This is precisely what our society used to understand about all careless and unhealthy behaviors. We called them sins and encouraged one another to avoid them. This was not some mean-spirited criticism. We understood it as love for the person sinning, as well as care for the community as a whole.

The current pandemic offers us a real opportunity to relearn some fundamental lessons of human community. Not only can these lessons help us resist the COVID-19 virus, but they can serve to resist other viral thoughts that have infected our life together.

It is vital, however, to remember the greatest lesson of all: Infection with a virus should not make anyone less valuable to society—or less loved. When a person becomes infected—whether by COVID-19 or by something else—our focus is not on blame and condemnation. Rather, we focus on care and healing.

In a world where infection is in the air, the accusing finger of blame has no place. Anyone can succumb. Anyone can be infected. We must take precautions, to be sure. But we recognize that we are all in this together. That keeps us humble and attentive to the neighbor in need—especially those who are ill.

Three months ago, hardly any of us suspected that our world would be turned upside down. But, take comfort. God knew it. He knew not only of the ills, but also of the positive lessons that could come from the pandemic.

Let’s make the most of this opportunity. Take to heart the lessons of today. Trust that God will supply the needs of tomorrow. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).  

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on March 27, 2020.

Positive lessons from the Wuhan virus

Wuhan, China

Think about what you were doing three months ago (Christmas, 2019). Most were preparing to gather with friends and relatives to eat Christmas dinners and exchange gifts. Did you know then that the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was collecting samples of a new virus that had inflicted “pneumonia of an unknown cause” on a cluster of patients in Wuhan, China?

Fast forward three months and the world has gone on lockdown. Some believe the reaction is over the top. Others believe it is not yet enough. Some crave moment-by-moment updates. Others crave a moment of quiet and the chance to think about something other than the wall-to-wall virus coverage.

Everybody is filled with fear. While some are worried about contracting the virus, others are worried about our government’s and our society’s reaction to the virus. What will be the long-term effects on Wall Street and Main Street? How might bad players exploit today’s emergency measures in tomorrow’s world? These concerns, and a thousand more, clutter our minds.

Try as I might, I cannot escape the pandemic either. Whether I speak of it directly, or not at all, my words will be read through the prism of our present situation. So, let’s talk about it, but not by dealing with the myriad concerns. Let this column identify and encourage some of the blessings that are emerging from the crisis.

As a churchman, I cannot help but notice the extraordinary care that both state and federal authorities have shown in protecting the free exercise clause of the first amendment. By their very nature, churches are places where people gather, touch and eat together.

From the very start, epidemiological experts have seen the dangers inherent in church life. Immediately, church leaders were on their guard. Recommendations against gatherings greater than 250 persons were seen by some as secular powers shutting down churches. As that number dropped to 100, 50 and 10 alarmists sounded their alarms.

But those fears have yet to be realized in Wyoming. Even when Governor Gordon issued the most sweeping directive to date—closing movie houses, coffee shops and a host of communal gathering places—churches were conspicuously absent from the list. This is remarkable. And Governor Gordon should be commended for his restraint.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon (right), 

Dr. Alexia Harrist, State Health Officer (center)

Lynn Budd, Director of Wyo. Homeland Security (left)

Churches, for their part, are not treating this as a license for irresponsibility. Many have voluntarily closed their doors. Those that have not are nevertheless taking proactive steps to follow the recommendations of the CDC and Wyoming’s Department of Health. This is exactly as it should be. We are seeing that free citizens are quite capable of exercising self-restraint for the good of all without need of government coercion.

That brings us to the second positive lesson of our current crisis. Not only churches, but schools, clubs and sports teams have needed to wrestle over the question of when to cease gathering. The very fact that this is a question at all has forced us into a deeper reflection on our communal existence as bodily creatures.

We live in a world that has, for decades, been rushing headlong into a virtual world that replaces all meaningful human contact with disembodied communication. We have all watched with sadness as people, addicted to screen time, willingly neglect the people sitting across the table in favor of some avatar on their smart phone. Now, suddenly, our forced bodily separation gives us a golden opportunity to relearn why togetherness is important at all.

As schools, churches and board rooms replace the warmth of human contact with two dimensional screens and electronic voices, we are filled with a longing for what we took for granted and tossed aside. When all this is over, let us not forget these lessons. Rather, let us force the virtual world back into its servant role. Technology meant to assist humanity should not be allowed to dominate and replace it.

Human reality is bodily, that is physical, at its core, and it is connected at its core. This is the third positive lesson from the COVID-19 crisis. Stop to think about the drastic measures that governments around the world are putting in place. All of them are aimed at controlling human behavior in order to lessen harm to the human race. No government agencies care what you think. They only care what you do.

The Corona virus itself infects indiscriminately. Rather than behaving according to the identity politics that divide us into a thousand warring factions, it behaves as though we all share one common humanity. There are clear, objective behaviors that can slow its spread. Ignoring the science will increase a person’s risk of contracting the virus.

More than that, your response to the pandemic has implications not only for your personal safety, but for your entire household, church, neighborhood, state and nation. When I leave the house, I am acutely aware that my carelessness could be the cause that introduces the virus to my entire family.

Sins against the CDC recommendations are neither private nor can they remain secret. Infection with the virus is a matter of public interest. Investigating from whom it was contracted is neither a shaming tactic nor idle curiosity. It is a matter of the physical safety of all humankind.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a parallel outbreak of common sense. With one voice, we are encouraging one another to take every healthful precaution. All recognize that attention to good practices benefits both the individual and society as a whole.

This is precisely what our society used to understand about all careless and unhealthy behaviors. We called them sins and encouraged one another to avoid them. This was not some mean-spirited criticism. We understood this as love for the person sinning, as well as care for the community as a whole.

The current pandemic offers us a real opportunity to relearn some fundamental lessons of human community. Not only can these lessons resist the COVID-19 virus, but they can serve to resist other viral thoughts that have infected our life together.

It is vital, however, to remember that infection with a virus should not make anyone less valuable to society—or less loved. When a person becomes infected—whether by COVID-19 or by something else—our focus is not on blame and condemnation. Rather, we focus on care and healing.

This is the last great blessing that the global pandemic is giving to our world. In a world where infection is in the air, the accusing finger of blame has no place. Anyone can succumb. Anyone can be infected. We must take precautions, to be sure. But we recognize that we are all in this together. That keeps us humble and attentive to the neighbor in need—especially those who are ill.

Three months ago, hardly any of us suspected that our world would be turned upside down. But, take comfort. God knew it. He knew not only of the ills, but also of the positive benefits that could come from the lessons of the pandemic.

Let’s make the most of our time. Internalize the lessons of today while trusting God with the blessings of tomorrow. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV). 

WTE: Thanks to the Laramie County Library for hosting Shroud scholar

The Laramie County Public Library recently hosted Dr. Cheryl White of Louisiana State University. More than 130 came out on a Saturday morning for her scholarly presentation on the Shroud of Turin.

This linen cloth made its first modern appearance in Lirey, France, in 1354. Some believe it is the cloth referred to by the apostles, Matthew (27:59) and John (20:5-7), in their account of Jesus’ resurrection. Others believe that the Shroud, kept in Turin, Italy since 1584, is the masterpiece of a medieval artist.

Two features of the Shroud can be seen by the naked eye. The full-scale image of a man with arms crossed over his waist is superimposed over numerous stains that have the appearance of blood. For centuries, this was all that could be known.

Then, in 1898, Secondo Pia made a startling discovery. While developing the first photographs taken of the shroud, he saw that the film’s negative image was an anatomically perfect, positive image of the man. This discovery was the first of many that saw compelling details previously hidden in the Shroud.

The Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) is the most ambitious scientific examination to date. Led by Dr. John P. Jackson, two dozen researchers examined the Shroud around the clock between October 8th and 13th, 1978. That data continues to be accessed and analyzed to this day.

The 1981 final report of STURP concluded, “the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image is an ongoing mystery and until further chemical studies are made, perhaps by this group of scientists, or perhaps by some scientists in the future, the problem remains unsolved.”

At the time, Cheryl White was a student. STURP captured her attention and set her feet on a life-long journey of “sindonology” (study of the Shroud). Then, an October 13, 1988 press conference announced that Carbon 14 analysis dated the cloth between 1260 and 1390 A.D. This strongly suggested that the Shroud was the work of a medieval artist.

While people everywhere lost interest in the Shroud, White simply shifted her focus. How did an unknown medieval artist produce the amazing detail both of blood stains and a photographic negative imprinted on a non-photosensitive medium (linen)?

Meanwhile, those who were closest to the STURP project questioned the C-14 results. The dates simply could not be reconciled with The Hungarian Pray Manuscript dated between 1192 and 1195. Decades before the earliest C-14 date, an artist depicted unmistakable details of the Shroud.

Then, last year a paper was published in the journal “Archeometry” that examined newly acquired raw data from the 1988 study. This study sent shockwaves through the scientific community. White commented, “I think there is just a very high interest in the Shroud right now, probably more than there has been in the last 40 years, because of the invalidation of the Carbon-14 dating.”

With the C-14 evidence in question, pollen studies, soil analysis, hematology, historical references and dozens of other scientific disciplines are now being given greater weight. Barrie M. Schwortz, from the STURP team, has gathered most of this data at shroud.com.

As scientific techniques become ever more exacting, Shroud studies will, doubtless, yield more startling facts still to be discovered. Science has already determined the type of blood (AB) that permeates the fabric. Close examination reveals a very distinctive weave, while microscopes can identify the type of thread. How long before science can identify the species of flax plant of which the linen was made?

The environment also deposited microscopic evidence on the cloth. Pollen analysis has identified spores from plants found only in specific parts of the ancient world. Soil from the foot region of the Shroud matches an identifiable formation of limestone.

Forensic evidence has determined that the body wrapped in the linen was a male five feet, 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 lbs. He has a measurable pattern of wounds—both pre- and post-mortem. Whether that man was the Man Christians worship, or a detailed copy, the Shroud remains the perfect confluence of science and faith.

Whatever you believe about the Shroud, it is no wonder that it has become the most studied object in the world. If authentic, it is material evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. If not, it was created by a technology that not even the most learned scientists can fathom. This alone, commends it for further study.

I am grateful to the Laramie County Public Library for bringing Dr. White’s informative presentation to Cheyenne. If you want to learn more, she has published a 36-part podcast at: https://manoftheshroud.wordpress.com/.

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on March 20, 2020.

Scholar presents tantalizing evidence of the Shroud of Turin

Shroud of Turin, full length

Dr. Cheryl White drew a crowd of 134 people to the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. Young and old filled the Cottonwood Room to hear a presentation on the Shroud of Turin from one of the world’s top Shroud historians.

The Shroud of Turin is a strip of linen fourteen and a half feet long that has been housed at San Giovanni Battista Cathedral in Turin, Italy since 1578. Prior to that, it made its first modern appearance in the hands of a French knight, Geoffroi de Charnay, in 1354. It has the distinction of being the single most studied object in the world.

Barrie Schwortz photos from 1978

Since it’s appearance in France, it has been an object of veneration and controversy. Those who venerate it, believe it is the strip of linen referred to by the apostles, Matthew (27:59) and John (20:5-7), in their report of Jesus’ resurrection. Others believe it to be either a masterpiece from an unknown artist, or a cynical medieval hoax.

Two features of the Shroud are immediately visible to the naked eye. First, it has the faint, full-scale image of a man with arms crossed over his waist. Second, the cloth appears to contain numerous blood stains.

In 1898, Italian photographer, Secondo Pia, made a startling discovery. While developing the first photographs taken of the shroud, he saw that the film’s negative image was an anatomically perfect, positive image of the man.

Pia's 1898 photo

This discovery, enabled by the emerging technology of photography, led to the application of dozens more scientific experiments over the next century. The most extensive battery of experiments was conducted by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) in 1978.

STURP was led by physicist John P. Jackson with the permission of King Humberto II, then-owner of the Shroud. Two dozen researchers—atheists, Jews, agnostics and Christians—examined the Shroud around the clock between October 8th and 13th in the Cathedral of Turin.

Data collected by these scientists continues to be accessed and analyzed to this day. The project itself issued a final report in 1981 that ended, “We can conclude for now that the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image is an ongoing mystery and until further chemical studies are made, perhaps by this group of scientists, or perhaps by some scientists in the future, the problem remains unsolved.” 

The STURP project was happening while Cheryl White was in college. It captured her attention and set her feet on a life-long journey of “sindonology” (study of the Shroud). However, in 1988, that journey was redirected by a press conference held at the British Museum in London.

There, on October 13, scientists announced that Carbon 14 analysis dated the cloth between 1260 and 1390 A.D. This was supposed confirmation that the Shroud’s sudden appearance in 1354 France was the work of a medieval artist.

C-14 dating press conference, 1988

These results were trumpeted out in 500 newspapers around the world, causing most people to lose any further interest in the Shroud. White did not lose her fire, but she did shift her focus to the question of how an unknown medieval artist could produce the amazing detail both of blood stains and a photographic negative imprinted on a non-photosensitive medium (linen).

All the while, those who were closest to the STURP project questioned the C-14 results. Not only is there no historical record of any technique that could produce the type of image found on the Shroud, neither is there any known artist skilled enough to make that image anatomically perfect.

More than that, Shroud historians were aware of The Hungarian Pray Manuscript that has an undisputed date before 1195. In the pages of this manuscript, are several illustrations that clearly depict the Shroud. How could an object from the mid-14th century be illustrated in a late-12th century manuscript? Even the earliest date of the C-14 analysis could not solve this riddle.

Pray Codex, 1195
Note: the right hand crossed over the
left with only four fingers visible on
the hands--exactly as on the Shroud.

Beginning in 2003 the C-14 dating was increasingly challenged on scientific grounds. Then, last year a paper was published in the journal “Archeometry” that examined newly acquired raw data from the 1988 study. This data decisively undercut confidence in the medieval dating of the Shroud.

When asked why there was such a high turn-out for her Saturday-morning presentation in Cheyenne, White said, “I think there is just a very high interest in the Shroud right now, probably more than there has been in the last 40 years, because of the invalidation of the Carbon-14 dating.” Pressed on whether “invalidation” accurately describes the effect of the 2019 paper, she replied, “Oh, it absolutely does.”

Cheryl White, Ph. D.

With the “medieval artist theory” invalidated, evidence from pollen, soil analysis, hematology, historical references and dozens of other scientific disciplines are now being given greater weight. If your interest is piqued, Barrie M. Schwortz, one of the original members of the STURP team, maintains a site at shroud.com. Dr. White also has a 36-part podcast at manoftheshroud.wordpress.com.

Currently, there is no conclusive data that would rule out a 1st-century origin of the Shroud. At the end of the day, that is the only definitive word we will ever be able to say. As scientific techniques become ever more exacting, alternative theories may be positively excluded and the probability of authenticity grow ever higher. But, lacking a complete chain of evidence, no one will ever be able to prove positively that it is the actual burial cloth that wrapped Jesus’ body from His deposition to the empty tomb.

This is not to say, however, that the Shroud is an irrelevant distraction, either to believers in Christ or to unbelievers. It is a real object in the real world. Nobody can deny its existence. Nor can they deny the many known and unknown facts about it.

It holds a certain type of blood (AB), a specific number of pollen types from plants located in specific locales, along with soil from a certain kind of limestone. The fabric has a very distinctive weave of linen from a definite species of flax.

University of Padua's 3-D rendering of the Man of the Shroud

The body that was wrapped in the linen was a male five feet, 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 lbs. He has a detailed and measurable pattern of wounds—as well as a very specific body position (likely due to rigor mortis).

Whether that man is the Man Christians worship, or a detailed copy, the Shroud remains the perfect confluence of science and faith. Doubtless it holds still more evidence to be revealed in the future.

Whatever you believe about the Shroud, it is no wonder that it has become the most studied object in the world. If authentic, it is material evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. If not, it was created by a technology that not even the most learned scientists can fathom. This alone, commends it for further study.

I, for one, am grateful to the Laramie County Library for bringing this tantalizing information to Cheyenne. Perhaps the Uinta County Library would be interested in bringing Dr. White to Evanston as well.

WTE: Religion, federalism and a diverse press are the pillars of free society

Attorney general, Bill Barr, recently spoke to the convention of National Religious Broadcasters. This brief synopsis may prompt my readers to look up his full speech at DOJ.gov.

Barr began with the observation that politics is pervasive. It dominates, every aspect of our lives together. Not only the state house and city hall, but social media, sports and weather are politicized. This has resulted from what Barr calls, “totalitarian democracy,” that “seeks to submerge the individual in a collectivist agenda.”

“Under our system of liberal democracy,” by contrast, “the role of government is not to forcibly remake man and society.” Barr averred that it “has the far more modest purpose of preserving the proper balance of personal freedom and order necessary for a healthy civil society to develop and individual humans to flourish.”

Totalitarian democracy, “is based on the idea that man is naturally good, but has been corrupted by existing societal customs, conventions, and institutions.” It seeks to tear these down, and to remake both man and society. This project “requires an all-knowing elite,” that “relies on whipping up mass enthusiasm to preserve its power and achieve its goals.” This creates two ills that poison public life today.

First, where liberal democracy enjoys a wide variety of formal and informal communities: churches, families, neighborhoods, etc., “totalitarian democracy recognizes only one plane of existence, the political.” As the dictator Mussolini put it, “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.”

Second, every person’s virtue “is defined by whether they are aligned with the program.” As a result, opponents to the program are more than wrong, they are demonized as enemies of the human race.

Faced with such labels, ordinary citizens search in vain to escape the political realm. Unfavored speech, even unfavored thought is villainized and chased from public life. Totalitarian democracy has sown incivility from the classroom to the board room. There are, however, “three bulwarks” that Barr believes capable of defending our communities from this rising flood.

Religion is the first and most vital undergirding of liberal democracy. As John Adams put it: “We have no government armed with the power which is capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

“In the first place,” says Barr, “it allows us to limit the role of government by cultivating internal moral values.” There is no power on earth that is capable of restraining human evil. Even the most detailed legislation and the most powerful police force cannot prop up a society of cowards, thieves, adulterers and murderers.

In the second place, religion cultivates humility. Pride believes that all evil is “out there” in the “system” and in political opponents. Humility sees “that the right way to transform the world is for each of us to focus on morally transforming ourselves.”

Third, religion presses us to “Remember, Man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.” This prevents politics from becoming the be-all and end-all of human existence.

Decentralized power is the second bulwark against totalitarian democracy. “The framers believed in the principle of subsidiarity,” said Barr, namely, “that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest competent authority that was closest to the people.”

Subsidiarity makes federalism more than just a localized exercise of a federal power. It means that citizens live under multiple sovereigns (state, federal, county, municipal). Free communities govern themselves to the greatest extent possible.

One of the greatest causes of “our current acrimonious politics,” says Barr, is that the powers “imposed from outside by a remote central government… undercut a sense of community and give rise to alienation.”

The revitalization of constitutional government requires principled and tireless local officials who will fight every attempt to move government power up the chain. School boards must jealously guard their authority to set policy and curriculum. Cities and states must oppose every scheme that taxes their citizens and gives the money back with strings attached.

Finally, Barr turned his attention to the free press. It is necessary because “the press” is not ordained to the high priesthood of truth. Reporters are just as likely to be deceived as anyone. Therefore, a free society doesn’t need a monolithic press corps controlled by media conglomerates. Rather, it needs in every town independent newspapers that criticize one another. That is the true diversity that can keep a people free.

All three of these institutions, religion, decentralized government and a free press, grow out of a true understanding of human nature. A just and free society is built on self-control and on institutions designed to frustrate those who will not exercise it.

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on March 13, 2020.

Attorney General Barr speaks on religion, federalism and free press

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Nothing instills confidence in our constitutional government better than a government servant who can ably explain the principles of the government that he serves. Attorney general, Bill Barr, stands out as such a servant.

He is an able teacher with a deep understanding of the philosophical foundations that undergird American institutions. The most recent example of this was his February 26, 2020 speech given to the convention of National Religious Broadcasters, gathered in Nashville, Tennessee. It is rich in wisdom and worth your while to read or listen to the whole address.

Barr began with the observation that politics is pervasive. It encroaches on, and then dominates, every aspect of our lives together. Not only the state house and city hall, but the school board, the grocery store, social media and sports have all become politicized. Even the weather—the last safe topic to talk about with political opponents—has been drawn into the angry narrative.

A.G. William Barr, speaks at the NRB convention

Why is that? Barr answers that the politicization of everything is the result of a movement he calls, “totalitarian democracy.” In contrast with the “liberal democracy” envisioned by America’s founders, “totalitarian democracy …seeks to submerge the individual in a collectivist agenda.”

“Under our system of liberal democracy,” Barr said, “the role of government is not to forcibly remake man and society. The government has the far more modest purpose of preserving the proper balance of personal freedom and order necessary for a healthy civil society to develop and individual humans to flourish.”

Totalitarian democracy, on the other hand, “is based on the idea that man is naturally good, but has been corrupted by existing societal customs, conventions, and institutions.” It seeks to tear down all existing institutions and remake both man and society into something unnatural.

“Although totalitarian democracy is democratic in form,” Barr explains, “it requires an all-knowing elite to guide the masses toward their determined end, and that elite relies on whipping up mass enthusiasm to preserve its power and achieve its goals.” This creates two ills that poison public life today.

First, where liberal democracy enjoys a wide variety of formal and informal communities: churches, families, neighborhoods, etc., “totalitarian democracy recognizes only one plane of existence, the political.” Every mediating institution is politicized. As the dictator Mussolini put it, “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.”

Second, every person’s virtue, “is defined by whether they are aligned with the program.” As a result, “the most militant agents for change are entirely comfortable demonizing their opponents and are all too ready to destroy those opponents in any way they can.”

This explains why so many good people are searching in vain for a place of innocence, outside of the political realm. No one is safe to think and speak without the pervasive fear of being villainized by the thought police. Totalitarian democracy has made tremendous and destructive inroads into American life. That’s the bleak truth.

But Barr does not leave us in this sad diagnosis. He next discusses the “three bulwarks” capable of defending our communities against this totalitarian impulse. These are: the freedom of religion, decentralized power, and a free press.

Religion is vital in the fight against totalitarian democracy. As John Adams put it: “We have no government armed with the power which is capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” The religious principle helps in three ways.

“In the first place,” says Barr, “it allows us to limit the role of government by cultivating internal moral values.” There is no power on earth that is capable of restraining human evil. No society of cowards, thieves, adulterers, murderers and slanderers can ever survive. Even the most detailed legislation and the most powerful police force cannot prop up such a people.

By recognizing that good and evil transcend government, religion places governmental power “under God.” Unless the majority recognize that there exist moral limits on their power, a democracy is unsafe for democracy.

In the second place, religion calms the rage of political disputes by cultivating humility. Pride believes that all evil is “out there” in the “system” and in political opponents. Humility sees the truth. It teaches, with the 20th century sage, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, that “the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” Religion, says Barr, teaches “that the right way to transform the world is for each of us to focus on morally transforming ourselves.”

Finally, religion constantly reminds us that our part in world history is a drop in the bucket compared to the eternity of heaven. “Remember, Man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.” This prevents politics from becoming the be-all and end-all of human existence.

For these three reasons, Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote in 1798: “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.  Without it there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”

Decentralized power is the second bulwark against totalitarian democracy. “The framers believed in the principle of subsidiarity,” said Barr, namely, “that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest competent authority that was closest to the people.”

Subsidiarity makes federalism more than just a localized exercise of a centralized power. It brings real power—to make, enforce and judge laws--to the local level. Such federalism means that citizens live under multiple sovereigns (state, federal, county, municipal).

Just as religion teaches that there are two kingdoms, the temporal and the eternal, and that all humankind is answerable to both, so also citizens of a federal government are involved in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. These are distinct and must not encroach on one another’s powers.

One of the greatest causes of “our current acrimonious politics,” says Barr, is that the powers of local government have been stolen by ever-more-distant bureaucracies. Powers “imposed from outside by a remote central government… further undercut a sense of community and give rise to alienation.”

The revitalization of constitutional government requires principled and tireless local officials who will fight every attempt to move government power up the chain. School boards must jealously guard their authority to set policy and curriculum. City Councils must oppose state schemes to tax their citizens and give the money back with strings attached. And states must roar whenever the federal government does the same.

Finally, Barr turned his attention to the free press. As decentralized government is needed because government has no corner on the truth, so also a free press is necessary because “the press” is not ordained to the high priesthood of truth.

Reporters are just as likely to be deceived as anyone. Therefore, a free society doesn’t need a monolithic press corps controlled by media conglomerates. Rather, it needs in every town independent newspapers that criticize one another. That is the true diversity that can keep a people free.

All three of these institutions, religion, decentralized government and a free press, grow out of one common understanding. The evil that threatens society is found in the heart of every man. Therefore, a just and free society is built on self-control and on institutions designed to frustrate those who will not exercise it.

WTE: Governor Gordon, mountain goats and Wyoming’s roar

Rarely has a Wyoming governor so publicly rebuked the federal government. But the terse and fiery letter that Governor Gordon sent to Gopaul Noojidail, acting superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, proved that our governor can roar.

“Let me begin,” wrote Gordon, “by expressing my profound disappointment that the National Park Service chose to act unilaterally aerially executing mountain goats over the State of Wyoming’s objections. I will remember your blatant disregard for the advice of Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department.”

The dispute between Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) concerns a herd of mountain goats that share an ecosystem with Teton’s bighorn sheep. Last fall the herd was estimated at 100-150. Fearing that they might spread pneumonia to the bighorn sheep, GTNP officials want the herd gone. WGFD does not object to killing the goats, it only objects to the unfairness of aerial shooting and the waste of leaving them to rot.

They want GTNP to treat the mountain goats like they already treat excess elk. The ban on hunting within the park boundaries is simply suspended for elk under tightly-controlled conditions. Such a special goat hunt was already held last fall. Its success surpassed expectations. Now the goat population is down to about 100.

Nevertheless, on February 21, 2020 they commenced firing. In a single day of slaughter, 36 dead goats were left to rot. This was in open defiance of a January 15, 2020 letter from Wyoming’s Game and Fish Commission objecting that, “aerial gunning by GTNP personnel to remove these goats is inconsistent with all notions of game management, fair chase, and totally inconsistent with years of GTNP management of big game animals in GTNP.”

“I am simply at a loss for why the Park Service would ignore an opportunity to work towards a solution,” wrote Gordon, I “can only take it as an expression of your regard for neighbors and of the respect you apparently do not have for Wyoming or our professionals.” This is a “farce that I will long remember,” he continued. “Please rest assured that I will make sure your park’s attitude and willingness to find solutions is well communicated to our delegation, the Secretary of Interior, and others.”

Gordon made good on his words. By Friday night, secretary of the interior, David Bernhardt, ordered park officials to stand down. Hopefully, the ceasefire will stay in place until qualified sportsmen are permitted to hold a fair hunt that is respectful of the majesty of these animals.

Beyond the waste and disrespect, there is still more at stake. Governor Gordon pointed this out in the closing paragraph of his letter. “I have long appreciated Grand Teton National Park for the treasure it is to all our citizens. Now I hope I will not have to remember it as an example of federal disregard for the sovereignty of the states.”

State sovereignty is one of three pillars of American governance: Federalism, Enumerated Powers, and the Separation of Powers. The framers of the Constitution designed the federal government to protect the natural rights of all people through these principles.

The Separation of Powers divides power among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. The one who writes the laws cannot be either the enforcer or the judge.

The Enumeration of Powers gives the federal government only the powers specified in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The Tenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights then stipulates: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Finally, Federalism is the principle of representative government. It is the reason for the electoral college and the U.S. Senate. While it is relatively easy to sway 50.1% of the national population toward bad policy, it is more difficult to persuade 50.1% of a thousand discrete jurisdictions. This protects minorities from the tyranny of the mob.

Governor Gordon wrote to defend the principle of enumerated powers. As this column pointed out several weeks ago, WGFD is not a federal department, but a state agency. It has jurisdiction over all game and fish in the state whether they swim in privately owned lakes or wander on nationally owned parks and forests.

Animals that range across boundaries, are not owned by the landowner—even if that landowner is the federal government. By opposing the federal slaughter of mountain goats, Governor Gordon was, in fact, standing for the constitutional freedoms of every citizen.

Ultimately, it’s not about 100 goats. It’s about the constitutional government of 331 million free citizens. Last week Wyoming roared. A tiny fraction of the American population (1/600th) halted a federal travesty. In that moment, Governor Gordon was defending every single American.

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on March 6, 2020.

Governor Gordon, mountain goats and a Wyoming roar

Photo by Dominique Scripter on Unsplash

Rarely has a Wyoming governor so publicly rebuked the federal government. But the terse and fiery letter that Governor Gordon sent to Gopaul Noojidail, acting superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, proved that our governor can roar.

Gopaul Noojidail

“Let me begin,” wrote Gordon, “by expressing my profound disappointment that the National Park Service chose to act unilaterally aerially executing mountain goats over the State of Wyoming’s objections. I will remember your blatant disregard for the advice of Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department.”

For months Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has been negotiating with Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) over a herd of mountain goats that share an ecosystem with Teton’s bighorn sheep. The Park manages that land, while Game and Fish manages the animals.

Governor Mark Gordon

Last fall it was estimated that there were between 100-150 mountain goats in the park. This herd is descended from a population outside the park boundaries. For this reason, park officials want to treat them as an “invasive species.” But since the goats migrated on their own and were not transplanted by human agents, this designation is already questionable.

Still, that is not the center of the current dispute. Rather, even if eradicating mountain goats from the park is necessary, the question is: how? Those in charge of animal management, WGFD, want the park to handle the mountain goat problem in the same way that they handle elk overpopulation.

For a very specific time and very limited conditions, GTNP simply suspends the ban on elk hunting within the park boundaries. This, in fact, they already did last fall. Forty-eight people obtained special permits to hunt goats within Park boundaries. While it was estimated that only 15 goats would be harvested, that number was surpassed halfway through the season.

Wyoming Game and Fish Commission

Current estimates of the goat population are down to about 100. Despite the success of last fall’s hunt, GTNP ignored a January 15, 2020 letter from Wyoming’s Game and Fish Commission that was sent with the unanimous authority of the Commission. “The use of aerial gunning by GTNP personnel to remove these goats is inconsistent with all notions of game management, fair chase, and totally inconsistent with years of GTNP management of big game animals in GTNP.” Further, the letter warned, “Having government personnel kill mountain goats from helicopters and leaving them to rot and be wasted is unacceptable.”

On February 21, 2020 they commenced firing. In a single day of slaughter, 36 dead goats were left to rot.

“I am simply at a loss for why the Park Service would ignore an opportunity to work towards a solution upon which we could both agree and can only take it as an expression of your regard for neighbors and of the respect you apparently do not have for Wyoming or our professionals,” wrote the governor. This is yet another aspect, he said, “of this farce that I will long remember. Please rest assured that I will make your park’s attitude and willingness to find solutions is well communicated to our delegation, the Secretary of Interior, and others.”

Gordon made good on his words. Hours after release of the letter, secretary of the interior, David Bernhardt, ordered park officials to cease firing. Denise Germann, spokeswomen for GTNP blandly said, “We are taking a pause in operations and will continue our conversations with our partners in the state.”

Hopefully, the cease-fire will stay in place until qualified sportsmen are permitted to hold a fair hunt that is respectful of the majesty of these animals. Citizen hunters who leave big game to rot in the field can incur hefty fines. Some have suggested that the State of Wyoming fine GTNP $15,000 for each wasted carcass. That would add over half a million dollars to the budget.

Beyond the wasting of state resources and the disrespect for animal life, there is something still greater at stake. Governor Gordon pointed this out in the closing paragraph of his letter. “I have long appreciated Grand Teton National Park for the treasure it is to all our citizens. Now I hope I will not have to remember it as an example of federal disregard for the sovereignty of the states.”

The sovereignty of each individual state is one of three pillars of the United States Constitution. When most people think of the Constitution, they think of the Bill of Rights. That does not do justice to the real heart of freedom.

In fact, the framers of the Constitution hoped to design a federal government that would protect the natural rights of all people without the need to enumerate them in special amendments. The three pillars of freedom are: Federalism, Enumerated Powers, and the Separation of Powers.

The Separation of Powers refers to the division of labor among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. The one who writes the laws cannot be either the enforcer or the judge. By giving some power to the President, some to Congress and some to the Court, the Constitution means to prevent anyone from being judge, prosecuting attorney and executioner.

The Enumeration of Powers means that the federal government is given very specific powers as defined in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The Tenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights spells out: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Finally, Federalism is the principle of representative government. In order to avoid the mob-rule of raw democracy, our Constitution deliberately split power into smaller and smaller groups. Each state, as a whole, contributes a proportional voice to the decisions of the federal government. Each county, as a whole, contributes a voice to state government.

Federalism is the reason for the electoral college and the U.S. Senate. While mass media and mass hysteria can sway 50.001% of the national population to support some bad policy, it is far more difficult to get the same 50.001% of agreement across thousands of discrete communities. That further protects minorities from the tyranny of a majority.

The principle that Governor Gordon set out to defend is the principle of enumerated powers. As this column pointed out several weeks ago, WGFD is not a federal department, but a state agency. It has jurisdiction over all game and fish in the state whether they swim in privately-owned lakes or wander on nationally owned parks and forests.

Because animals move across boundaries, they cannot be owned or controlled solely by the landowner. Such is the case with the Teton mountain goats and big-horn sheep. They are not the sole possession of the federal government just because they happen to live on federal land.

By strongly opposing the federal slaughter of mountain goats, Governor Gordon was, in fact, standing for the constitutional freedoms of every citizen.

Ultimately, it’s not about 100 goats. It’s about the constitutional government of 331 million free citizens. Last week, through our governor, 1/600th of the American population stood up and roared. Every American should be proud because Governor Gordon was speaking for them all.