Open Letter to Gov Jeb Bush + Pix from Terri Schiavo's Vigil

Envoy Magazine Blog ^ | October 19, 2003 | Pete Vere

[NYer]

Dear Governor Bush:

As members of the Catholic media, we beg you, in the name of our Lord Jesus, to intervene in the case of Terry Schiavo, and, by extension, in the lives of the millions of persons with special needs in Florida and throughout our country whose lives will be greatly endangered if Ms. Schiavo is left to die, or, more accurately, murdered through the present withdrawal of food and water.

The judge in this case is acting on a remarkable doctrine: That food and water are medicines which may be granted or withheld based on a judicial order. What legal or moral authority gives anyone the right to withhold food and water from an innocent person? Starvation is a most painful and difficult death. If one were to propose it as a method of execution for death row prisoners, it would be instantly opposed by society under the Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. If starvation is cruel and unusual punishment, it should not have the imprimatur of the State of Florida for any innocent citizen.

We admire your seeking the assistance of the St. Thomas More Society concerning what is legally just. And we are strengthened in our hearts by their response that, at the very least, you have the authority and the duty to protect her life and to conduct a proper and thorough investigation. We appreciate the difficulty of this matter and that the right course of action before God may not be the popular one in today's culture.

The moral and just path, however, is clear to us who believe that human life is God's to give and His alone to take. History has shown the truth of the statement,  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.  We would go a step further in saying that those who have the power to do good, and yet do nothing, participate in the triumph of evil, whether or not their withholding of the good seeks or intends such evil.

It may be that our Lord has put you into office, like Queen Esther of old,  for such a time as this . The God who saved Esther, and through her, the people of God, will not abandon you, dear Governor. He is faithful. May our Lord Jesus Christ be your comfort and guide in this urgent hour, and may you be His instrument to save the life of one of His  little ones , and through her, the dignity of every soul made in His image.

With gratitude and prayer,

Rosalind Moss,
Catholic Author and Speaker
 
Father Richard John Neuhaus
Editor in Chief, FIRST THINGS
The Institute on Religion and Public Life

Pete Vere, Editor
The Alhambran Magazine

Mark Shea
Catholic Author and Speaker

Philip F. Lawler
Editor, Catholic World Report and Catholic World News

Carl Olson
Editor, Envoy Magazine

John Pacheco
Catholic Author and Speaker

Domenico Bettinelli, Jr
Managing Editor, Catholic World Report magazine

Amy Welborn
Columnist, Our Sunday Visitor

Martin K. Barrack
Catholic Author and Speaker

David Pearson
Features Editor, National Catholic Register

Mike Mohr
Chairman, St. Bernadette Soubirous Chapter of Catholics United for Faith

Dave Armstrong
Catholic Author and Speaker

Gerald Korson
Editor, Our Sunday Visitor

Steve Ray
Catholic Author and Television Host

Rod Bennett 
Editor, WONDER Magazine

Matt C. Abbott
Columnist, the Wanderer

Tim Drake
Staff Writer, National Catholic Register

Dr. Paul Thigpen
Executive Director, The Stella Maris Center for Faith and Culture

Mary Kochan,
Contributing Editor, Catholic Exchange

Sandra Miesel
Catholic Journalist

David Moss
President, Association of Hebrew Catholics

Maureen and Robert Wittmann
Catholic authors and speakers

Steve Kellmeyer
Bridegroom Press

Mike Aquilina
Vice President, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Mark Brumley
Catholic Author

Greg Popcak
Catholic Author and Radio Host

Patty Bonds
Catholic Author and Speaker

Jeff Cavins
Catholic Radio and Television Host

Fr. Joseph F. Wilson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

[Dubya]

Praying.

[utahagen]

Thank God for Jeb Bush. Please, God, keep Terri alive a few days longer. St. Therese of lisieux, shower your roses upon Terri.

[GOP_Thug_Mom]

Unfortunately, this is just an obvious "next step" after legalized abortion. I spent so many years standing outside abortuaries, watching mothers go in, knowing their babies were being torn apart on the other side of the wall. All we could do was offer assistance and pray for the babies and their mothers, though it just wasn't enough. Joan Andrews was always my hero. It was in Florida (Broward County, as you may recall) that she spent several years in solitary confinement for going into abortuaries and pulling the plugs on the machinery.
Our prayers and tears go up for Terri and all innocent victims of the culture of death.

[supercat]

Might be worth getting this introduced in other states as well. An ounce of prevention...........

I don't think this bill is addressing the real problems in the Schiavo case. The real problems are:

1. The appeals court system has no power to protect people from judges who are corrupt, prejudiced, or just plain wrong about certain facts.
2. Because there is no objective standard to compel a judge to appoint a guardian ad litem in cases like Terri's, a judge's decision not to appoint one cannot be effectively challenged, even if a guardian acts against the interests of his ward.
3. The regulations which are supposed to prevent judge shopping, frivolous re-filing, and other abuse of the system give unscrupulous attourneys exceptional power over their targets.
4. Although the governor can check the power of a judge who makes wrongful factual findings against a defendant in a criminal case by granting a pardon, there is no effective check against judges who make wrongful findings of facts in civil cases.

These problems show up very accutely in Terri's case, but they are hardly unique to it, or even to euthenasia cases in general.

[seekthetruth]

Why would Terri's husband turn down one million dollars to let Terri's family care for her?

Because he doesn't want her to ever TALK! You must recall that once Terri received some rehab, she began to talk. It was then that her husband "cut off" the rehab and started working to "let her die". Don't you wonder what Terri would say, if only she could?

[Ohioan from Florida]

There's a slightly new update about Terri on this thread. It's not much, but a little bit of hope!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1004134/posts

[Humidston]

I just got word that Jeb Bush is calling a special session of the Florida State Legislature to pass a bill - "Terri's Bill" I believe it's called - TOMORROW.

IMPERATIVE we contact Florida legislators and ask them to support it. (Needs 2/3 vote)

For anyone interested, please see post linked, then, scroll below that to post #475 for details on Fl. Reps.

Here's the original post with the press release;
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1003657/posts?page=456#456

THANKS for any help anyone can provide..ESPECIALLY FL residents. And please pass the word out to all here who've been interested in seeing justice done.

[utahagen]

Thank God for Jeb Bush. I have emailed every Florida senator. Freepers, please email and pray.

O God, help Terri hang on a little while longer.

[sfRummygirl]

Yes, active euthanasia would be good too. Maybe after all this works out either way, people could actively push for this, in other states, too.

[sfRummygirl]

Yes, active euthanasia would be good too. Maybe after all this works out either way, people could actively push for this, in other states, too.

[sfRummygirl]

Yes, active euthanasia would be good too. Maybe after all this works out either way, people could actively push for this, in other states, too.

[sfRummygirl]

hey, what the heck! Three times! (sorry)

[Thorondir]

Well--I have to ask, What are you trying to accomplish? There are a lot of raw nerves on this subject. Why come here and make things worse?

[SerpentDove]

VIDEO #1

VIDEO #2

[oceanperch]

I usaully have success with my ignore button but on the Teri threads I am floored by the shallowness and ignorance of posters.

It is truly disgusting.

[Deo volente]

Just read the crybaby's "good bye". What a piece of work!

As I recall, it was he who first called himself a "Nazi"!

I know I never did!

[shezza]

Update from 3:30 a.m. from a warrior at Ground Zero at the hospice:

Hi Everyone!!
... Mary, Terri's mother, spent a little time with Terri late tonight and said Terri is STILL responding to her!!!!!! PRAISE GOD! She is weak and FIGHTING HARD FOR HER LIFE!! I talked to Mike (Suzie's hubby-to-be, Suzie is Terri's sister) for almost an hour tonight. They are soooo grateful to all of you for EVERYTHING that you are all doing, you just don't know!!! We all have been asking for a miracle and it may happen, only God knows.

Tomorrow there is a special session being held by the State Senate that Gov. Bush called for. Terri's going to brought into it. And Johnny Byrd Jr., a Rep of the state of Florida, will be up all night tonight writing a new bill "The Terri Bill" that could save Terri (and others) and he will introduce it tomorrow at 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM. Remember The Clock Is Ticking!

This is were you all come in. Please keep reading. I am going to try and write this as simple as I can, please just follow with me and do what you can to help in this matter, I will explain at towards the bottom how you all can do this.

If 2/3's vote to approve to continue to discuss this bill "Terri's Bill" at a later date in the future, they will then issue an order for Terri to have her feeding tube, replaced immediately. And it is my understanding this would have to take place immediately. This is very complicated, but very real and we need your help again!!

I will go into all the rest of this later when I have more time, right now, I don't have the time.... Mike told me tonight when he called us that this is VERY HOPEFUL IF it is done in time.

And for all of us to do everything we can at our end, to have them RUSH it as an emergency secession!!! I do not know that this is possible, but no one believe we'd get this far did they??? He said STAY ON THE GOVERNOR as well. But right now, he is not the only one we need to continue to contact. I have all the info on who we need to contact below, PLEASE, I am BEGGING ALL OF YOU, to do what ever you can in this matter. Please, time is so important, you know that. This is HOPE again People, if Terri can fight, so can we!!! And God knows she is, you can all see this!!!

The family asks that we do everything in our power to help her, BE HER VOICE. You want to plead with these people to save Terri's life, because this is WRONG and her rights are being violated and this is MURDER and torture!! Faxing and calling is best but we all need to email these people as well, PLEASE ... and get this message out to everyone you know.

We need them to bump this session to early AM before noon, if they will--Terri's life is depending on it. I don't know if they will, but we have got to try and get them too and also to vote to continue to discuss this! That is the key.

Thank you everyone, sooo much, you are good people, who have taken a stand and your not backing down. For once we are all joining hands and stopping the wrongs in this world, we can and have made a HUGE difference. Now let's get busy-- we have a life to save, our sister's!!! As of right now 3:30 AM Terri has gone 115 and 1/2 hours with no food or water. Please do this for her.

Here's who you need to contact!! And THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU And may God give all us the wisdom to say the right things and the strength to keep going!!! Think of Terri and her family!!! Keep your faith STRONG. Love, Lisa

Contact ....
President of the Senate
James King (who has stated that he is AGAINST "Terri's Bill"
E-mail king.james.web@flsenate.gov
(904) 727-3600

Very important man too...
Rep. House Speaker Johnny Byrd Jr
Phone (850) 488-1450
Email speakerbyrd@myfloridahouse.com

Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
850-488-7146
850-487-2564 Fax
E-Mail: Governor Jeb Bushjeb.bush@myflorida.com OR jeb@jeb.org OR fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us

PLEASE this is what we've been waiting for... And pray for Terri. GOD BLESS U
Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation
http://www.terrisfight.org/

[shezza]

Ping!

[sfRummygirl]

Oh, God, let me tell ya.....I think I'm going to be talking about turds for the next 20 years. People are starting to make that fruitcake look like a martyr. Honest to God, the fecal matter reference must have just sent him over the edge. I haven't seen anything like this before. I don't know, maybe he was a good guy at one point. But jeez, the poo-poo just added the icing for some reason.
Oh, god, I can't stop laughing.

[sfRummygirl]

hey watch it, I'll start talking about poo-poo!