Where's the Outrage?

UPDATE: On April 1, 2008, Wal-Mart dropped its claim against Shank; the company's reply to Shank's family is posted here.

She almost lost her husband to prostate cancer.

She lost her mobility after a car accident left her with severe brain damage.

She lives in a nursing home, paid for by a trust funded by a legal settlement.

Or should I say lived?

It's not certain where Ms. Shank will live now that her former employer, Wal-Mart, wants to be reimbursed for the health care expenses the company accrued after the accident - a reimbursement that will leave Ms. Shank penniless.

Here's the way it works:

1. Shank has accident
2. Wal-Mart pays for health care
3. Shank sues company responsible for accident
4. Shank wins money
5. Wal-Mart wants its money back
6. Wal-Mart sues Shank
7. Wal-Mart wins
8. Shank loses everything (again)

It's shameful, sure - but do you really expect less from Wal-Mart, apart from their low, low prices?

The thing that astounds me, however, is that given the recent anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death, I've seen little to no coverage of Debbie Shank's story in the conservative press.

Remember the feverish intensity of the debate - the congressional and presidential showdown with Schiavo's family - the unequivocal assertion that people with severe brain damage deserve our love, care and unconditional support?

So far, these fearless, moral crusaders for Terri Schiavo have expressed no sympathy (or outrage) for Debbie Shank, a permanently disabled wife and traumatized mother of a dead solider:

Albert Mohler: 0
Michelle Malkin: 0
Rush Limbaugh: 0
Fox News: 0
Focus on the Family: 0

Read More: CNN's Debbie Shank story.