Are Some Now Understanding What Happened to Terri Schiavo Was Wrong?

Life News ^ | 10/16/07 | Wesley J. Smith

[wagglebee]

Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and an attorney for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. His latest book is Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World.

I think Bobby Schindler is right.

There have been a lot of stories of late about how supposedly vegetative patients could understand, or of "miraculous" awakenings by people who doctors were sure would never react consciously again.

Bobby, Terri Schiavo's brother, has noticed that whatever the condition of the patient whose story is being told, the reports all have a common sub theme--the awakening, comprehension, etc. has nothing to do with Terri, meaning it was right to dehydrate her to death.

It is as these reports, to quote Shakespeare, "doth protest too much," as if there is a subliminal realization that a terrible injustice was done to her.

The latest almost unbelievable example is in an otherwise interesting and important (and long) piece in the New Yorker, byline Jerome Groopman. After describing how supposedly unconscious people have been misdiagnosed, the author quotes an unnamed neuroscientist about Terri.

From the story:

A neuroscientist showed me a video on the Internet of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman who spent fifteen years in what most doctors agree was a vegetative state--tests revealed almost no activity in her cortex--and whose death, in 2005, provoked fierce debate over the rights of severely brain-damaged patients. (Schiavo died after the Supreme Court rejected her parents' appeal of a judge's decision approving her husband's request that her feeding tube be removed. An autopsy showed extensive brain damage.) In the video, a man's voice can be heard praising Schiavo for opening her eyes in response to his instructions, and the neuroscientist told me that he was impressed until he muted the sound. "With the sound off, it is clear that her movements are random," the neuroscientist said. "But, with the voice-over, it is easy to make a misdiagnosis. (My emphasis.)

The above stills are from the video in question. It deeply touched my heart and it is seared forever in my memory. In that video, Terri is asked by the examiner to open her eyes. At first, nothing. Then, within ten or so seconds, her eyes flicker, she opens them, and then opens them so wide her forehead wrinkles. It is clearly an intentional response to the question.

But if you turn the sound off, there is no question to hear--and voila, her opening her eyes with clear intention can now be dismissed as merely "random movement."

But a random movement under those circumstances would be to move her head from side to side or lick or lips. But when she opened her eyes, and so intently, precisely as requested, you have to work hard to make it "random." So, to make sure we don't see the terrible wrong that was done to her, we just turn off the sound.

As I said, unbelievable. But do read the larger piece. It is well worth the time.

[wagglebee]

Bobby, Terri Schiavo's brother, has noticed that whatever the condition of the patient whose story is being told, the reports all have a common sub theme--the awakening, comprehension, etc. has nothing to do with Terri, meaning it was right to dehydrate her to death.

All the culture of death really cares about is killing the innocent.

[wagglebee]

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[wagglebee]

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[nmh]

Terri was brutally starved to death, The was no decent reason to do this.

[wagglebee]

Ping

[xzins]

The moral thing to do would have been to try to feed and hydrate her by spoon. If she had survived like that...a natural survival....then it would have been above reproach.

But the system refused her loved ones the chance to try.

[ElkGroveDan]

[Past Your Eyes]

Her dirtbag husband wanted her to die as quickly as possible.

[wagglebee]

They tried (I think Judge Greer eventually backed down) to deny the Schindler’s family priest the right to give her a crumb of a Communion wafer and a drop of wine when he administered Last Rites. They detained at gunpoint a ten or eleven year old boy who tried to bring her a bottle of water. It was inhumane beyond belief.

[wagglebee]

I still say that Michael Schiavo looks like a young Stalin.

[ElkGroveDan]

Yeah. That’s a good one.

[cpforlife.org]

Just WHAT are you insinuating with that PIC, Dan?

[cpforlife.org]

Terri PING….
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[Jacquerie]

Yes. An American citizen who committed no crime, was not convicted of any crime was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment of the type reserved for priests at Nazi death camps.

I could not at the time, nor now in retrospect, believe this barbarous sentence was given by an American judge to an innocent woman. It is too bad that impeachment has developed such a bad rap. It should be used frequently whenever judges violate clear Constitutional principles.

[ontap]

How in Gods name this country has reached the point where we starve a couples daughter instead of letting them care for her is beyond me. Disgraceful!

[xzins]

On March 31, 2005 the Bush administration sowed the wind by allowing the death of Terri Schiavo. They have since reaped the whirlwind.

If it had been King David, the prophet Nathan would have told of a man who had a crippled child, abed in Africa with terrible disease. He would have told of a despot ruler who refused to help. The President would have demanded that billions be sent.

And Nathan would have cried, “Thou art the man.”

[ElkGroveDan]

Wife killers, all.

[DanielRedfoot]

In my experience, the majority of liberals do not KNOW what happened to Terri Schiavo and cannot be bothered to learn the details, even when you try and tell them.

They only understand that the majority of Republicans and Christians wanted the decision about her fate to respect Life, her family and the Law.

Therefore- the natural Liberal position could only be contrary to this.

And by fomenting lies as to her actual physical state and what SHE really wanted, they then stick to there sanctimonious fraudulent moral high ground.

[wagglebee]

The culture of death would have seen King Solomon’s suggestion about cutting the baby in half as a reasonable solution.

[wagglebee]

And yet less than a year later, they tried to use Christopher Reeve’s death as “proof” that the pro-life movement didn’t care about the disabled.

[xzins]

Look at all that has happened to the Bush Admin since March of 2005.

[vetsvette]

“Are Some Now Understanding What Happened to Terri Schiavo Was Wrong?”

It doesn’t take much of a conscience to conclude that denying someone food or water until they die is wrong. But, then, it doesn’t take much of a conscience to understand that dismembering a baby is wrong either.

Leftists are simply without conscience. No different from Islamic terrorists when you think about it.

[jackibutterfly]

If he thought that that video was something, you all should check out THIS one:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1381701/posts?page=181

It's Post #174 - PLEASE check it out - this, to me, proves that Terri was NOT a vegetable! She was laughing along with her father; she was remembering an incident he was describing. Tell me that a vegetable or a person in a coma could do that.

[wagglebee]

Matthew 7:15-20 and 25:31-46 come to mind.

[nmh]

It’s still hard to believe that in the U.S. THIS happened!

You’d think a court and a judge would side for LIFE.

It’s a shameful crime.

[wagglebee]

I’ve seen the videos and the saddest part is that had Michael used Terri’s court-awarded money for her rehabilitation (as it was intended) and not spent it murdering her, she would have been doing even better.

[True Republican Patriot]

Terri was Brutally Beaten by her husband that fateful night and he didn’t even call the police or EMT! Then he finished off her murder thru the courts to dehydrate her to death, a torture we never allow at all, even in animals. The Left knows no depths of depravity!

[True Republican Patriot]

Four scumbag Murderers that hopefully will enjoy the rest of Eternity in HELL!

[wagglebee]

Here are a couple of great websites:

http://www.michaelschiavo.org/index.htm
http://judgegeorgegreer.com/

[RightWhale]

It was nothing but a display of the power of the state. All these grinding logical exercises of medical opinion are pointless in the face of the power of the state. This process is repeated ten thousand times a day.

[jackibutterfly]

"I’ve seen the videos and the saddest part is that had Michael used Terri’s court-awarded money for her rehabilitation (as it was intended) and not spent it murdering her, she would have been doing even better."

I definitely agree - this is one of the most horrendous things of which I've EVER heard (and experienced), and I CAN NEVER FORGET! I'll NEVER be able to let it go. Just the thought that a State IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA could do that to a citizen, a person, let alone doing it! No, I'll never let it go.

[wagglebee]

Many of the death culters would prefer we just forget all about it, but what’s most scary is that Terri’s murder wasn’t an isolated incident, it was a TEST CASE to see what they could get away with. Unfortunately, it will become even more common if the culture of death gets its way.

[nmh]

Michael Schiavo and Greer and EVIL, HEARTLESS people.

I think hell is too good for them.

[bjs1779]

Even with the sound off you can tell she is there. Try it.

http://hometown.aol.com/GordonWWatts/myhomepage/ConversationWithTerri.wmv

[nmh]

As I said to another gentleman, hell is too good for that doctor, judge and Mishael.

[Halls]

I’ll never forget about the murder of Terri. It has left me afraid of what has happened to our country. I loved Terri even though I never knew her. I WIll meet her in Heaven. I pray that Michael Schiavo comes to know the Lord as I believe in my heart he is headed for one place and that isn’t Heaven.

[True Republican Patriot]

AMEN! a trillion times over!!!!!!!!

[penowa]

Impeachment is WAY too good for Judge Greer. Justice for him will come in the next life.

Like you, I could not believe what our judicial system allowed to happen to a poor, innocent, disabled woman. It changed completely how I look at politics and the gov't of this country. I guess you could say I lost my innocence, and I will never again expect the right thing to automatically be done.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This thread is good for 10,000 replies.

[wagglebee]

The Darwinists probably already have a thread up mocking it.

[Shelayne]

The “Big Eyes” video, for me, was absolutely the most compelling and obvious video (the first time I saw that I sat in front of my computer and bawled). I remember arguing with someone right here on FR about that very video, and they were adamant that they were involuntary reactions. I was yelling as I was typing because I could NOT believe that ANYone would view that video and still believe she was brain dead.

It was so frustrating because a few posters kept trying to tell me that her parents “saw what they wanted to” in those videos and not how she “really” was. I knew that they never even bothered to watch the videos. They couldn’t have.

I didn’t realize how contentious Terri’s battle was on FR until I stepped in the middle of the fray, and this was after she was starved and dehydrated to death in a manner that would have one behind bars if done to an animal.

To say that I was stunned by this attitude would be an understatement.

[wagglebee]

Many FReepers exposed themselves as the phonies they always were during Terri’s execution.

[bjs1779]

http://ejumpcut.org/archive/jc48.2006/SchiavoWaldman/bigeyesfolder/4-Schiavo%205.ram

[GreenOgre]

I could NOT believe that ANYone would view that video and still believe she was brain dead.

I believe she was brain dead. She never maintained eye contact for more than five seconds over the course of years. She never looked at people as they entered or left her room. She suffered a major brain injury and it killed her higher brain functions. Her heart pumped blood, she could breath on her own, her brain fired off random muscle movements on occassion, and that's about it folks.

Before all you so called "Christians" rush off to burn him at the stake. He was at her side for three years and got a nursing degree to understand what was going on with Terri. Then and only then, he realized there was no hope for her.

He moved on. I suggest you all do the same.

[Sun]

I pray that people will realize it was wrong to dehydrate Terri to death, to save other disabled people from the horrendous suffering that Terri had to go through.

Also, I resent how the left is trying to use Terri for political reasons which is why they keep asking Republican presidential candidates if it was wrong or right for Congress to intervene to save Terri.

Chris Matthews even asked that question during the 1st GOP presidential debate.

A young women is killed before her time, she and her family suffer tremendously, and the left tries to politicize it.

[Jim Noble]

why they keep asking Republican presidential candidates if it was wrong or right for Congress to intervene to save Terri.

And what do you think?

I think the Congress's foolish, reckless, and unConstitutional intervention was the end of Republican governance in this country for a hundred years.

That's what I think.

Congress is not a court of final appeal in state matters. They have no competence in such matters - none.

Of course, Michael Schiavo cleverly used the state courts of Florida and confused public attitudes about these matters to murder his wife. There is no doubt about that.

But the idea that a congressman from a thousand miles away, in another state, is going to watch a video of YOUR loved one and decide to second guess you, and the doctors, never mind the local and state courts, is SO LOATHESOME to normal people that they will NEVER, EVER allow such people to be in power.

What colossal foolishness that STUPID, STUPID Congressional intervention was.

[Fudd Fan]

Amen to that, wagglebee.

[Pinkbell]

"The Darwinists probably already have a thread up mocking it."

LOL I pay little attention to that forum, but I have looked at Other Sites Chat. It's actually pretty pitiful. It's a group of people sitting around talking about the posters on Free Republic. In their own minds they are far above us plebians in intelligence.

Anyway, about Terry, it was horrible. I can understand pulling the plug on life support, but all Terry had was a simple feeding tube. Food and water are necessary components to every human life. Who knows where Terry would be if her "husband" had spent the money he got to take care of her the right way instead of using it to kill her.

[Sun]

Welcome to the Democrat Party - the Party of death.

[Sun]

It is the government’s DUTY to protect innocent lives.