I read something in the Florida constitution that the governor has the power to intervene to protect persons, property etc. in an emergency. Terri is a person. This is an emergency. He is free to exercise his executive powers as he believes is appropriate. That is not against the law even it is not in agreement with a court ruling.
I don't know where anyone ever got the idea that the courts have the final say in anything. This even applies to the Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln ingnored their ruling as did WJC. That just about covers the full spectrum of morality.
If , after the governor takes executive action, I belive there are remedies in the legislature (impeachment, for one) and also the people may remedy it by voting him out of office. Either remedy is OK by because by the time they could be implementd tht Schindlers could have absconded Terri out of harms way to a safe haven.
To The Honorable Governor Bush;
Though I currently reside in North Carolina, I lived 33 of my 41 years in the Sunshine State and wish to make a suggestion that may be available to you as a means of assisting Mrs. Schiavo.
The Florida Statutes under chapter 252 provide the Governor with a wide range of powers available via Executive Order. Most of these deal with handling widespread calamity or disaster. However, there is no requirement relating to the size or scope of such a disaster, only that you make the declaration that a threat exists that will impact the health or welfare of at least one of Florida's citizens.
Let me quote from 252.311:
"The Legislature finds and declares that the state is vulnerable to a wide range of emergencies, including natural, technological, and manmade disasters, all of which threaten the life, health, and safety of its people; ..."
The Statute permits you to mobilize health care resources in a declared emergency:
"The Governor shall employ such measures and give such directions to the Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of securing compliance with the provisions of ss. 252.31-252.90 or with the findings or recommendations of such agency of health by reason of conditions arising from emergencies or threats of emergency."
I ask you, then, to declare a "minor" State of Emergency that imminently threatens the life of Mrs. Schiavo in order to permit the resources to be mustered that would keep her alive.
Yes, this would be an extraordinary step to take: but I believe that this is an extraordinary situation perpetrated by one man and one judge in an attempt to take away the life of one of your state's citizens against the wishes of blood relatives and family. The only reason the husband is being permitted to have standing in court has to do with a marriage contract -- that he himself has so obviously and blatantly broken.
Please act quickly. Thank you and God bless you.
Respectfully submitted,
what is necessary, immediately under the circumstances, is for Jeb Bush to call out a medical support unit (with doctors nurses etc.) of the Florida National Guard as well as an MP unit of the same to protect the medical unit, and remove Mrs. Schiavo with the minimum force necessary from Woodrige Hospice (owned by euthanasia atty George Felos--a crass conflict of interest since he is also representing Michael Schiavo) and escort her under the supervision of her parents to a nursing home outside of Florida (Texas perhaps?) where she will be beyond the judicial reach of the Florida courts and in a friendly territory to the Gov.'s family (G.W. wields godlike influence even now in Texas politics). Pres. Bush is unlikely to countermand a call-up of the national guard in Florida by Jeb, esp if he wishes to preserve his right-to-life credentials, because in the event of an extralegal action of this nature, the route from Pinnellas, FL to safe haven within the borders of the state of Texas go through politically friendly states (alabama, mississippi, and Louisiana). Something like this is what is needed, gutsy action to make a stand to preserve the life of this innocent helpless woman whose family is powerless to protect her from the malevolent clutches of her (scumbag murderous adulterour) husband. BTW, if i incensed anyone with my inflamatory suggestions concerning the fate deserved of Michael Schiavo earlier, I want to apologize, and preface that by saying that I have a fear this could be a bad precedent (duh) that could hit close to home for me, as my fiancee has Guillan-Barre syndrome, which while unrelated to what happened to Mrs. Schiavo, could if left unchecked, cause a comatose condition similar to that suffered by Terri. I could never even consider such a fate for another human being, and even if Michael was a faithful and loving husband genuinely concerned with the best interest of his spouse (his 10 year liason w/ a paramour is obvious he is clearly NOT), I could not endorse such events taking shape as they are currently. but Gov. Bush needs to take drastic actions, because he is this woman's only hope now. . .