The Legacy of Terri Schiavo

Weekly Standard ^ | 04/03/2005 | by Wesley J. Smith

[tacomonkey2002]

I have never understood how Greer could allow heresay as evidence - even from a spouse. ]]]

did it ever occur to anyone that this was done on purpose to make euthanasia legal?

Thats obvious to me. Someone decided Terri was to die...so she did.
No one was going to help her.
:(

[Irene Adler]

"did it ever occur to anyone that this was done on purpose to make euthanasia legal? Thats obvious to me. Someone decided Terri was to die...so she did. No one was going to help her."

Very distressing analysis. Possibly very true, as well.

[Slyfox]

Judge George Greer's embrace of Michael Schiavo's legal status as "husband" to Terri in the face of the pronounced personal and financial conflicts of interest he faced in making her life and death decisions may not require an explicit change of law.

From 2003 on, Herr Schiavo did not fulfill his duties as guardian. He was supposed to submit a yearly plan detailing his ward's care. Greer gave him an extension but never did compel him to hand a plan into court. This may not sound like much but in not doing what he was supposed to do, he forfeited the right to be Terri's guardian.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

"What victory? This should have been no more than a family squabble, but instead it became a national one."

A family squabble? Killing someone is ok with you so long as they keep it in the family? Is that what you are saying?

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

"did it ever occur to anyone that this was done on purpose to make euthanasia legal?"

Yes it did occur to me. Also, I wondered if she was starved/dehydrated to death so that people would respond with that is too cruel and the euthanasia supporters could then jump in and say, "See we need doctor assisted suicide" or something to further their agenda.

The dehydration/starvation was horrible, but the worst really was that this whole series of events give the appearance of a system set up to ensure one and only one outcome, the death of Terri Schiavo.

[Alexis the Bengal Kitty]

did it ever occur to anyone that this was done on purpose to make euthanasia legal?


Sure, I thought that many times. So many people thought it was so horrible (myself included) to be starved and hydrated to death.

So, since so many of us had these thoughts...the next step is to allow euthanasia.

I think that is all the "big plan".

[185JHP]

BTTT

[Earthdweller]

A call back to reason. Thanks.

[Gosh I love this neighborhood]

BTTT

[HighlyOpinionated]

This has really bugged me all along. (I work in a probate court.) I have never understood how Greer could allow heresay as evidence - even from a spouse.

---

Judge Greer had an agenda. That agenda was more important that Florida Law, Statutes and Canons. He could easily overlook anything that would challenge his agenda.

Judges should be held accountable when they let their agendas over-ride the Law. Judge Greer should be impeached for his un-justice-like behavior and decisions in the Terri Schiavo/Michael Schiavo case.

[HighlyOpinionated]

Other legacies were: good people from FR posted their Opus's, Opi?? as a result of the intolerance from some; good republicans like Gov. Bush, and President Bush being compared to Pontius Pilate; anyone who thought one iota different from a self proclaimed righteous view was a Nazi or worse; politics of personal destruction practiced by supporters of Terri Schiavo's parents; thousands of new junior "Judge Dredds"(detective, arresting officer, judge and jury all in one person) wannabees.

---

Perhaps the venom was misdirected. But maybe not.

If the President and Governor Bush don't have on their staff lawyers who could have noticed immediately that Judge Greer and the 11th Circuit Court and the Supreme Court were only looking at the narrow interpretation of the appeals and not at the broader decision of Judge Greer, if "de Novo" means "Do Nothing" to Judges, then they (the President and Governor) are at fault and they are responsible for NOT acting swiftly and in the direction of preserving life.

Judge Greer, the Judges in the 11th Circuit and the Supreme Court Judges have placed themselves in the unenviable position of being eligible for impeachment (other than a few dissenters who wanted to look at the broader case in appeal).

[HighlyOpinionated]

She should be a poster child for the Boliemia foundation to remind others that this could happen to you if you keep puking up your food.

---

WAIT. Who said she had Bulimia? The only person who suggested that was . . . Michael Schiavo. HE set the stage from the beginning. Did anyone do any research to prove what he said was the truth?

NOPE.

We don't even know for sure if she was in PVS because Michael made sure there was no MRI or CAT scan. Which is the ONLY way a true diagnosis of PVS can be made. Now I wonder why Michael didn't want that???

What about the FACT that she had a NECK injury consistent with strangulation, but Michael convinced the doctors she'd had a heart attack. Why did those doctors want to be convinced? Were they involved in involuntary euthanasia of their patients and did they need a "test case" to see if anyone would contradict their 'sacred' testimony?

You want to believe that the husband is totally innocent, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to convince a reasonable jury to convict him of manslaughter if not of murder.

There are too many inconsistencies, too many questionable activities for this to be a simple "heart attack" from a bulimic patient.

Especially when you add all the other irregularities into the mix.

And if Terri had had a heart attack, how could her damaged heart hold out for so long after she was denied food and hydration? Ever think of that??

[antceecee]

Thank you for sharing that.
I have heard so many in these forums state that this hearsay evidence was absolute proof of Terri's wishes, because it came from a spouse. Why would we believe that a spouse would be more pure than anyone else? In every murder of a woman I have seen investigated by LE in the last several years the primary suspect is always... you guessed it ... THE SPOUSE!!! Why would they then suddenly believe a spouse who has a new live in girlfreind complete with children by her???

[SoothsayerToo]

I will say it again, it was a family squabble and it is not just a liberal drum beat. It is echoed by conservatives,Christians, republicans, pro lifers, groups I consider myself and others consider me to be part of.

[SoothsayerToo]

Did it ever occur to you that not everyone agrees with your statement of murder?

[supercat]

Did it ever occur to you that not everyone agrees with your statement of murder?

Michael deliberately and feloniously denied Terri therapy which might have improved her condition. He then used her deteriorated condition as an excuse to have her killed. How is that not murder by intention?

[rdcorso]

I don't know why those who sided with Michael Schiavo are pretending to be victims when they lobbed just as many bombs as they received.Nobody owns the truth in this case and it might never be known without all the facts and evidence being put out for all to see.It was my opinion that there were still too many unanswered questions that needed to be answered but other people were satisfied with the judge's decision.We are all free to have different beliefs and there's nothing wrong with that especially when a life is involved.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

"Did it ever occur to you that not everyone agrees with your statement of murder?"

I never said murder. I said killing.

In case you did not notice there is a person dead from this whole affair and that person was the center of the entire court case, yet that person did not have any attorney to look out for her rights exclusively, and hearsay testimony was used as the entire basis that she did not want to live.

Is that a situation you would like to find yourself in one day?