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.

[jackibutterfly]

"It is absurd (IMO) to argue that this gives Congress the right to sit as a court of final appeal for any state court action, or any other judicial matter."

Jim, that wasn't what Congress was trying to do - they were trying to get the FL courts to re-review the facts, all the facts, which they refused to do.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“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.”

This is the most powerful explanation of why so many believe Teri was unjustly killed. The courts would not allow any opportunity that could result in her living.

[jackibutterfly]

I told you guys I could never let this go - just don't get me started. Tho, now, I need to hit the hay. I'll check out this site tomorrow morning again.

And, I'm right with you, floriduh voter. Keep up the good work - you are SO on the right side! Thank you!

[Brimack34]

“Welcome to the Democrat Party - the Party of death.” Unless it comes to their own impending death then they will do anything it takes to survive.

[TAdams8591]

I agree with you wholeheartedly! I can hardly think of it without getting tears in my eyes. This is NOT the country we grew up in.

[TAdams8591]

"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."

What was done to Terri was abominable. There should have been no disagreement about this in the country, let alone on FR.

[TAdams8591]

Your anger is misplaced. It was the starvation and dehydration of Terri Schindler that was unconstitutional, and where all our rage should be directed.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“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.”

I think you forgot something. She was in this state for 15 years. During that time she was fed and hydrated. How was anyone able to get her through a simple doorway? Do you have any idea how much food and hydration she was given? Do you know how much space that would take up if one was simply to stock it? If her body was not using the food and hydration, they would have had to break down walls to take her to the hospital. Also, they would have needed a very heavy lifting plane to move her in.

That simply did not happen because her body was using all of that hydration and food.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“And killing in a horrible manner. The courts would not permit subhumans such as Reginald and Jonathan Carr to be killed in the same way as Terri.”

I agree with you. I do not understand how someone who is accused of no crime can be sentenced to death in this fashion, but others, like the Carr brothers, can not be sentenced to death without as painless a process as possible. The Carr brothers were not only accused, but tried and convicted of several heiness murders.

What was Teri accused of? What was she tried for? What was she convicted of? Why was she taken in the fashion she was taken when convicted murderers can not be taken in such an “inhumane” fashion?

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“It is absurd (IMO) to argue that this gives Congress the right to sit as a court of final appeal for any state court action, or any other judicial matter.”

Congress did not act as a final arbitrator of any law. Congress acted to uphold the right to life by way of passing law that clarified what the judicial branch was to look at related to law. That is within the constitution of this country. It is not only within the constitution of this country, it is demanded of Congress to do.

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“Congress has no competency to do this, and the power which they claimed by so doing is a power without intrinsic limit.”

From the US Constitution: nor be deprived of life, libery or property, without due process of law.

The constitution exclusively orders Congress to make law to clarify (legislate) what the law is relating to constitutional matters, yet, somehow, you seem to think that the Congress has no say in this matter. What have you got to back that up with?

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

BTTT. Praise God for the Schindlers and Father Pavone for their faithful work after Terri’s horrible death. Forgive us, Terri, where we failed you.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I thought about that the other day. Terri’s death was a turning point and a great victory for Satan.

[antceecee]

I cannot condone the deliberate starvation of any living being.
Even as a child when we would find a baby bird fallen from the nest we would give it sustenance. It is a very HUMAN response.
Those who would refuse a drop of water or a crust of bread to even a severely brain damaged woman should be marked as callous and heartless in the least and murderers at worst.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I remember that time. Each day I prayed and hoped for a change, but Satan was relentless to prove that murder of an innocent woman could be accomplished in full daylight with the approval of a court of law. FReepers who should have known better said the most amazingly ignorant and hateful things about Terri on many threads. They routinely dismissed her as a “vegetable.” She was a human being who had been horribly mistreated for years and had an incredibly strong will to live! And they were eager to toss her in the trash heap without a second thought.

[Leapofaith]

I was one of those people who didn’t understand. I argued with Frank Salvato on The Rant & got the public spanking of my life over all of this. I deserved the spanking & learned so much from him. I learned more from him than just about Terri: I learned to honestly look at every situation/story & think in a critical way for myself. To stop letting the MSM to influence my thinking. Thank God for Frank he gave me a gift I can’t repay. Yes, I think we will have many more like Terri. You guys can find Frank at New Media Journal & at my favorite charity The Basics Project. Please stop by & visit these web sites. Leap

[8mmMauser]

Smashing more mantras and lies...

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[bvw]

There are six institutions of law in the US. The States three, the Federal government three. Judicial, Legislative, Executive. It is most dispiriting that ALL six of them either condemned Terri to death or assented to that murder directly, refusing when the case was in in front of them to act to save her, to act to stop a murder.

That leaves us where, in front of G-d Almighty?

Perhaps it is that we have a seventh level of government -- as the Constitution says "We, The People", and WE reject those decisions and condemn that murder and will, in time, hold those who committed it accountable, but more importantly, we will act to stop such terrible injustices from occurring in the future.

If not, then where are we?

[nmh]

Satan’s evil little helpers - is what they are.

[xzins]

The list of things that have gone wrong for the Pres since March of 05 (maybe even the few months before, too, when it became evident no one would help) is noteworthy.

I think maybe the worst was actually the appointment of Harriet Miers — not because she was a bad person — but because she indicated the focus on self of the president that hadn’t really been clear before.

Between Miers, Dubai Ports, Illegal Amnesty, over-the-top budgets, and Terry Schiavo, the President managed to alienate just about every constituency he had.

It all was self-focused stuff. Had he just listened to his friends. That was the beginning of his terrible slide in the polls.