______________________________________________________________ Your description of Terri Schiavo's condition is inaccurate. She has not been in a 'vegetative state' or 'comatose' as has been described in your wire service reports carried by various news outlets. This description provides a more accurate account of the dispute over her condition:
http://www.aim.org/publications/briefings/2003/oct14.html "Terri's parents insist that she is mentally impaired, but not a 'vegetable.' They have posted videos of her looking at and responding to people around her, but Michael's doctors insist her reactions are merely unconscious reflexes. Judge Greer would not allow Terri to be examined or treated by any doctors not approved or selected by Michael Schiavo or himself."
The referred videos can be seen here. http://host85.ipowerweb.com/~friendso/vid.html
The way your wire service reports are framing the story, there is a woman who is little more than a warm piece of meat kept alive for no good reason. Her compassionate husband is fighting to relieve her suffering while a bunch of religious kooks are cruelly trying to keep her alive out of religious fanatacism. This is not the case, and I wonder why your service is choosing to frame the story this way. Is there any ideological sympathy with the euthanasia movement amongst your staff?
Terri Schiavo was responsive and aware. I have to say past tense, because she has been deprived of food/hydration since Wednesday. The hospice that is holding her alread indicated that she would be sedated in that event.
I strongly urge you to fulfill your resposibility and provide complete, fair and accurate coverage.
William R Alford Accuracy In Media
So when will Jeb Bush stop this - after she's dead?
Maybe so but the whole system of appeals is supposed to overturn judges who are egregiously off-base. That didn't work in this case and you can conjecture all sorts of reasons why. We know there are people who look at someone in Terri's situation and say, "Hey, I wouldn't want to have to take care of her." Or, "I wouldn't want to live like that." And some of those people are judges. It'd be naive to think judges interpret the law without bringing their own personal bias to the table. Happens all the time.
Just imagine how Schiavo's mistress and the mother of his two children should feel comfort snd pleasure that Schiavo has been so devoted to carrying out his deathwish for his first wife.
When his illigitimate children are old enough to discern--try to fathom their fear should they become ill with a fever, injury, or require hospitalization.