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

[FR_addict]

Thank you for the picture and the letter. It's so hard to hear about this travesty everyday, but we must continue the fight.

[diamond6]

I think we should all contribute monetarily to the family. He probably hasn't been able to work, and plus, they deserve it.

JMHO (just my humble opinion)

[FR_addict]

Terri is a catholic. She has now been refused the final Sacrament of Last Rites! This is a violation of her 1st Amendment rights, as a citizen and a heinous sin on the part of her husband.

Where's the bishop of Florida?

We should put him on our email list.

You are right, denying her the Last Sacrament is definitely a violation of religious freedom. The Last Sacrament is the right of every Catholic and that too has been taken away from this woman.

Did she lose that right too?

[Mo1]

My local News in Philly just mentioned Terry's case .. they said that Judge Geer has even denied Terry the right to receive Communion because he considers it food

[honeygrl]

Another poster on another thread told me that she had seen threads regarding Terri on DU and the people there were pretty much on the same side we are on the matter. I never checked myself though. I find that site really hard to find anything on since you can't do a search (or I can't find a search tool there.)

[rayoflight104]

have medical records stated that she is not in a vegetative state? or do they state that she is.. and its peoples opinions that think she is not in that state because of the videos that have been released?

[utahagen]

God bless you. As soon as I hit "post", I'll say another prayer for Terri.

Freepers, please pray.

[kenth]

It's part of a selfish attitude. People don't want to suffer even the most minor of inconviences. The mere sight of Terri causes us pain, our initial reaction is to remove that pain. Thus, the reaction "If I were in that situation, I'd want someone to pull the plug." It's wishing she would go away so we don't have to see her and be pained anymore.

That underlying compassion that makes one look in the first place is the souls' knowledge of right from wrong.

I'm sure many of us here have encountered people the last few days whose initial reaction was to wish her death. Some looked long enough to see what is really happening. Sadly, others haven't opened their eyes. Worse still, some know what is happening and wish for it.

Despite the lack of care, despite a husband (in legal standing only) who has worked tirelessly to have her put to death, despite all odds against her, she has lived. She is not on life-support. But, if she is considered to be, then we all are, because it's nothing but food and water.

Evil forces want us to think that because of her condition, that it would be better for her to expire. It paves the road for the abuse of those who need protection the most. It reduces one to that of less-than-human. She is no less human than you or I, and deserves no less treatment. If we cannot starve another person to death without dire consequences from our laws here on earth, how can the same state that would prosecute us, do this to another human being?

It cannot. That is why the courts have had to overlook the rights of humans and determine that Terri's mental condition is grounds for her to be considered property of Michael Schiavo.

The state is wrong. It is breaking its own laws.

[Pegita]

Vigil times today are 1 p.m. at the Woodside Hospice and 3 p.m. at the White House ~ prayer warriors needed, especially during those hours to uphold those at the Vigil ~

[FR_addict]

Since you are at the vigil for Terri, can you tell us more about what is happening? Are the parents and the rest of the family allowed to visit Terri? Is she getting any water at all? Did they refuse Terri the Last Rite because of the little bit of nurishment Holy Communion provides?

What about other Churches in the other? Maybe we should target them. It seems to me any Church in this area could organize their congregation to stand vigil for Terri's rights.

[Budge]

I'm off this week, but broke.

[kenth]

Yeah, DU did have a few threads. Not anywhere as many as here, but some. And to my surprise, most were on Terri's side. A thread was mentioned to be long and heated, but I never did get to see it. The one's I did get to see were relatively short with the majority in Terri's favor.

The one's who were against it were just like the one's we have here. Most being ignorant to the real story of Terri, and what is really happening to her characterized as a 'right-to-die'.

[honeygrl]

pc93 says that Terri has actually been without water/food since 8am Oct15. (6hrs before tube was removed) If she is still doing well and is alert after over 4 days of having no tube, it REALLY makes me think there may be a nurse there that actually has a heart and is sneaking her food and water.

[Aracelis]

The simple, sad truth is this: if you are going to remove feeding tubes from a comatose or helpless person, the only humane way to do it is to introduce a IV drip with potassium chloride or other quick acting poison and make it equivalent to the execution of a condemned murderer.

An excellent point, and one that I have been wondering about myself. If the courts and her "husband" are so committed to killing Terri, why not simply give her a lethal injection? KCl would work fine, so would an overdose of opiates.

The reason why this has not been done is because such an action would be considered murder, and likely prosecutable.

So, I ask...what is the difference between filling her with poison, and slowly starving her to death??? None, as far as I can tell.

Could you imagine the outrage if pets were dispatched by starvation and not lethal injection?

[kenth]

That, or he realizes that one million won't buy his way out of a criminal investigation were Terri able to regain the ability to communicate.

[Budge]

PING!

[sweetliberty]

Yeah, that's kinda my problem too, as far as doing a necessary tune-up on my car to take a drive that far. I could probably contribute for gas if someone else had a car that was ready to go, although I would be unable to get away before tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. And that's assuming that my paycheck is in tomorrow's mail run.

[Budge]

Has anyone attempted to BRIBE Michael the 'legal guardian'?

he doesn't want Terri to survive, because then, when she IS able to vocalize, she could tell how he strangled her and put her in the condition she is now in.

he could then be sent to prison and he sure doesn't want that!

Did you know that in the not too distance past, he walked into the hospital and asked, "Is the B!TCH dead yet?"

Take a bribe. I don't think so!

[floriduh voter]

FYI and please ping the Terri regulars because I must leave post haste for the Vigil. I was up all night running my Terri command center at home. A girl from Tennessee set up a command center for Terri at her hotel. If you go to the home page for aol.com, you'll see that it is Terri's home page. Now I'd like to post something from CALIFORNIA. They are going to drop Dubya like a rock if Jeb does nothing. He can't win without California and Florida. Just the messenger.

FROM A LACI PETERSON SITE: Dear Mr. Governor,

My name is (deleted), owner and administrator of the Laci Peterson Murder Forum. We are not an activism group, nor are we extremists, however we are a bunch of voting citizens from across the United States and across the globe.

We discuss cases that have come into the current event spotlight, and while Terri's case hasn't really been spotlighted, it is our will to make it so. You see, we strongly disagree with murder in any form, and we definately have agreed that if Terri is forced to die, it will be murder. Do you want Terri's blood on your hands, Mr. Governor?

It has been our understanding that Judge Greer has disregarded your letter to turn guardianship over to her parents from the scum of the Earth that she once called a husband. And, it's also our understanding that you are higher on the food chain than Judge Greer.

Just this morning, I read this article: pub162.ezboard.com/flacip...D=89.topic and I couldn't help but think of Judge Greer. The higher courts say that the woman should be freed, and this guy takes it upon himself to become God.

I just wanted to let you know, Mr. Governor, that I am only but one person. But with the internet, my voice and my ideals become those of many. We have learned that together we have a voice. CNN learned this just the other night, when five hundred of my closest friends called in to the network, over and over in a plight to get Terri's case aired.

Terri is not a dog. She's not a cat. She's a human, and she deserves the same rights as you or I. When you are older and put into a home, should we not feed you, so that you will die and your children can hurriedly claim your inheritance for them?

Do something about this. Don't let Judge Greer make you and your administration look like a bunch of school children. We're watching. The whole world is watching. Do the right thing here.

Sincerely,

Sorry to post re: murder on this thread but I wanted to post another open letter to Jeb Bush from Laci Peterson's friends, at least 500 of them. They are now Terri's friends. Gotta run. floriduh voter

[maxplunder]

I was searching the web and fileshare networks for the missing video of Terri, and came across some Spanish news sites. Even they agree with the parents, at least i think that is what the translation is convaying.

Link to Spanish News Site translated

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.laopinion.com/salud/salud_home.html%3Frkey%3D00031015220832040924&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dterri%2Bflorida%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN