Terri Schiavo Documentary Wins More Awards, Schindler Family Helps Disabled

St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- The Terri Schiavo Story, a highly-regarded documentary on the life and euthanasia death of the disabled Florida woman, continues to rack up new awards. Meanwhile, the Schindler family continues to help disabled patients whose lives are threatened by doctors or families.

Schiavo was killed in a painful starvation and dehydration euthanasia death over the course of nearly two weeks when her former husband won a court order to kill her and the documentary presents facts that the mainstream media distorted.

Earlier this year the Terri Schiavo Story won the 2009 Jubilee Award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.

Now, the film has won the 2009 Crown Award for Best Documentary at the ICVM conference (International Christian Visual Media).

In addition, the Dove Foundation, known for their high standards in family entertainment and their "Family Approved" Seal, has given "The Terri Schiavo Story" its highest rating of five stars.

Meanwhile, Bobby Schindler, Terri's brother, says the foundation he and his family created to help people like Terri is receiving a growing amount of calls for help.

"Over the past few months Terri's Foundation is experiencing a significant increase of calls from family members asking us for help in a variety of health care treatment situations," Schindler explained.

"Most of these are dealing with people who are facing withdrawal of medical care. These calls have been coming in from across the nation. This increase in calls is alarming," he said.

"These calls come in from everyday families who are faced with having their loved ones killed simply because they need extra care or have potentially life threatening disabilities," Schindler continued. "Sadly, too many in the medical community are now deciding that some people should die because their 'quality of life' does not meet some standard that is being subjectively established."

"Terri's Foundation fights every day for the families faced with these situations, trying to protect their loved ones from a strong euthanasia movement," he said.

Schindler says, in an email to LifeNews.com, that the health care bills pending in Congress could add to the concerns.

"And despite the warning from health care experts that a government controlled health care system will only add to this growing problem, potentially exposing countless of our most vulnerable in harm's way, we will remain committed to fight," Schindler said.

Schindler talked about the kind of ethic society needs to embrace.

"We believe no one is unworthy of life, and the most vulnerable among us deserve nothing less than our unconditional love, compassion and care," he said.

Related web sites:
Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation - http://www.TerrisFight.org

Bobby Schindler has written an excellent editorial on Zero's deathcare plan.

Thread by Kaslin.

Michael Steele: Right on Rationing, Wrong on Reasoning

Recently in a Washington Times radio interview, RNC Chairman Michael Steele was expressing his concerns regarding health care reform. He commented that the GOP’s handling of my sister Terri Schiavo is an example of what he fears, stating, “It is inserting itself into the very fabric of the decisions that you make, have to make every single day. It’ll make the Terri Schiavo case look like a walk in the park.”

I understand the point that Michael Steele was trying to make. He was using Terri as an example of what it would mean if the government was to get involved in the decisions of healthcare. However, not only was it a badly chosen comparison, but as a proclaimed pro-lifer, Mr. Steele should be ardently supportive of the actions taken by Congress—Democrats and Republicans—in their attempt to save Terri’s Life.

Perhaps Mr. Steele has fallen victim, along with so many others, to the same media spin that implies Congress was intruding on a “private” matter, rather than applauding them for stepping in to protect a disabled woman who was in the very process of being dehydrated to death.

The act by Congress granted Terri a federal and civil rights claim to be heard in federal court. In fact, these are the same rights we give to those on death row—who die far less brutal and painful deaths. If Ted Bundy or Scott Peterson had a guaranteed federal court review after their cases have been gone through the state courts, then why shouldn’t an innocent disabled woman like Terri be given that same chance?

That is what I find so ironic about Mr. Steele’s remarks and his concern regarding a government-controlled health care system. What happened to Terri is a perfect example of what he and Republicans are now trying to prevent from happening and what so many health care experts are warning us will happen if President Obama gets his way and establishes a system of health care rationing that would inevitable lead to countless premature deaths. . .

I have posted two threads from Wesley J. Smith's blog about Zero's deathcare plan.

What Does Ezekiel Emanuel Really Believe About Rationing? Age, Maybe. Quality of Life, Yes

have been doing a little reading about Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the head bioethicist at the NIH and brother of the president’s chief of staff. He is a supporter of health care rationing, which is relevant to the current health care debate. In a Lancet article earlier this year, he suggested that age be a proper method of allocating scarce resources, and indeed, stated that age based allocation is not invidious discrimination. . .

______________________________________________________________

Obamacare: Example of Why Some Fear “Counseling” About End-of-Life Care Could Become “Persuasion”

The Medicare “mandatory counseling” controversy in the Obamacare debate laid bare a realistic fear that compensated counseling under Medicare could easily become subtle (or not so subtle) persuasion to refuse treatment–particularly since the primary point of the clause is to cut costs.

Here is an example of why I believe that the fear is realistic. The Center for Practical Bioethics has published a “Caring Conversations” workbook, in which intimate issues and details of life, death, and end of life options are raised. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, of course. It all depends on how it is done. . .

When she was dying my anger caused a brain aneursym. I spent 34 days in neuro intensive care. I came out of the event with a greater understanding, don’t allow anger to cloud you mental focus.

It was a miracle that I survived much less have no headaches or seizures. I realize that we have the mental focus to fight and win if we get rid of our fears.

My heart goes out to those that fought for her life, but I realize that she is in a much better place than we are and for that she is a peace. It is us that are stuck with the useless politicians that are leading so many toward destruction.

More on the UK's new push to embrace euthanasia.

Thread by me.

Assisted suicide: Whose life is it anyway?

Debbie Purdy was “ecstatic”. It was a strange reaction to the news that it had suddenly become easier to be killed in Zurich. But the real reason for her elation was that the news also meant it might soon become easier to be killed in Britain.

The law lords had just ruled that the director of public prosecutions (DPP) must make it clear under what circumstances he would prosecute somebody for assisting a suicide. It was the law lords’ last ruling before they themselves are killed off and replaced by a Supreme Court.

Multiple sclerosis will kill Purdy, 46, if the Dignitas clinic in Zurich does not do it first. Her argument was that she needed to know whether her husband, Omar Puente, would be prosecuted if he helped her make her last journey. If he would, she said, she would have to go and take the lethal dose of Nembutal soon, well before incapacity prevented her from travelling alone. If he would not, she could safely put it off for years. . .

The Vatican needs to start putting their words into action.

Thread by me.

RU 486 Users Risk Automatic Excommunication: Vatican Responds to Italian Drug Agency Decision

ROME, August 3, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - When the Italian drug agency approved the sale of the deadly abortion drug RU 486 late Thursday night, senior Vatican officials responded strongly saying that doctors who prescribe it and the women who take it risk excommunication. The Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency (AIFA) said the drug, to be sold under the brand name Mifegyne, would not be sold in pharmacies and only be administered by physicians in hospitals.

Bishop Elio Sgreccia, a bioethics professor, author and former vice-president of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) told Corriere della Sera newspaper, "This is a compound which kills the foetus and one much promoted by the pharmaceutical industry. It is an incitement to abort. It is absolutely unacceptable and leads to automatic excommunication."

He added, "First abortion was legalised to stop it being clandestine, but now doctors are washing their hands of it and transferring the burden of conscience to women."

The current head of the PAV, Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella said, "An embryo is not a bunch of cells. It is a real and full human life and to suppress it is a responsibility no one can take without fully realising the consequences." . . .

More on Bobby Schindler's editorial from this weekend.

Thread by me.

Terri Schiavo's Brother Concerned by Rationing in Congressional Health Care Bills

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo, knows a thing or two about health care rationing. Forced to sit idly by as his sister's estranged husband deprived her of food and water for a period of 13 days before she died, Schindler is concerned the government-run health bills in Congress will foster rationing.

In a new editorial, appearing on the conservative web site Townhall, Schindler talks about the problems associated with the health care restructuring bills.

Schindler responds to a comment from Republican party chairman Michael Steele who said the rationing components are so bad that they will "make the Terri Schiavo case look like a walk in the park.”

He wrote that he found "Steele’s remarks and his concern regarding a government-controlled health care system" to be "ironic."

"What happened to Terri is a perfect example of what he and Republicans are now trying to prevent from happening and what so many health care experts are warning us will happen if President Obama gets his way and establishes a system of health care rationing that would inevitable lead to countless premature deaths," Schindler warns. . .

If only more Congressmen and Senators would have the courage of their convictions.

Thread by marshmallow.

Catholic Congressman: I'd Rather Save My Soul Than Vote for the Health Care Bill

New Orleans, La., Aug 3, 2009 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, (R-New Orleans), the first Vietnamese-American congressman and a Catholic, announced this past weekend that, because of the “stealth mandate” for abortion still present in the Health Care bill, he prefers to “save his soul” rather than vote in favor of it.

Cao, the only member of the Louisiana House delegation who had not weighed in on where he stands on the health reform bill, told the Times-Picayune on Saturday that he cannot support any bill that permits public money to be spent on abortion.

“At the end of the day if the health care reform bill does not have strong language prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortion, then the bill is really a no-go for me,” said Cao, who spent time in formation to be a Jesuit priest.

“Being a Jesuit, I very much adhere to the notion of social justice,” Cao said. “I do fully understand the need of providing everyone with access to health care, but to me personally, I cannot be privy to a law that will allow the potential of destroying thousands of innocent lives,” he explained to the Louisiana newspaper.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Cao will be one of seven Republican members of Congress targeted with radio ads that will play on radio stations with largely African-American audiences, urging him to support Obama's health reform efforts.

“I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career,” Cao said, “but I have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, ‘How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul.’”

Cao is the first native of Vietnam to serve in Congress and the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890. He won in a district that usually votes overwhelmingly Democratic. . .

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