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Dobson Speaks Out About Terri Schiavo
Family News In Focus ^ | October 22, 2003 | Bob Ditmer, Family News in Focus director

Posted on 10/22/2003 11:57:26 PM PDT by Robert Drobot

Focus on the Family's founder and chairman talks at length about the Terri Schiavo case — and the extraordinary efforts of Americans to help save her life.

It was a momentous day in Florida yesterday, when the Sunshine State's Legislature passed "Terri's Bill — legislation giving Gov. Jeb Bush the authority to rescue Terri Schiavo from the court-ordered dehydration she's been suffering through since last week. As of this moment, Schiavo is receiving the nourishment she needs to live.

Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, told a national listening audience on his daily "Focus on the Family" broadcast that he was relieved.

"I just don't know why it took so long for the Florida Legislature to act," Dobson said. "I mean, this is an absolutely unbelievable situation . . . where a woman who's not in a coma — she's not on a respirator, she can relate to her mother and those around her, she can even say some words — (was) being starved to death, deprived of water (and food). That's unconscionable."

While some criticized the Legislature, saying it was overriding Schiavo's wishes, Dobson strongly disagreed.

"Terri has not expressed her desire to be starved to death and deprived of hydration," the best-selling author and former University of Southern California clinical psychologist said. "It's her husband's statement that she didn't want to be on life support -- but she's not on life support. She's breathing normally. You know, if you're going to start killing people like Terri, you're going to have to kill an awful lot of people who are mentally retarded and on a feeding tube."

Others claim Schiavo is in a vegetative state and doesn't understand what's happening. That, Dobson said, is also untrue.

"She is not in a 'vegetative' state. When you are in a vegetative state you can't respond to people. You don't follow things with your eyes when they're moved in front of you. You don't use words. She has said words like 'mommy' and 'help me' and other things. This woman is not in a vegetative state. Now I don't know that she could ever come out of this or be normal, but you don't kill people just because they're not going to be normal."

Pro-life groups everywhere are applauding the Florida Legislature's courage — and that of Gov. Bush, who acted immediately to have Schiavo fed. Dobson said that's because this is a right-to-life issue.

"It's life at an older age," he said. "Life is life, and yet I would not want to give the impression that the concern about Terri is limited (only) to those in the pro-life movement. I mean, this situation will grab your heart. If you've ever gone a full day without drinking water, you can imagine what she's experienced after six days without food or water. It's Nazi-esque. It's what (Nazi Germany) did in 1939, '40 and '41 and on through the war (to the disabled, to Jews and others). It's where they started."

Pro-life groups also worked hard to tell their constituents about Schiavo's plight, and they got active. In fact, so many calls went into Florida's legislative offices that the phone lines were shut down.

"There is a growing crescendo of concern across the country," Dobson explained. "I have a radio program that's heard on 2,000 stations across North America and we talked about it this morning and asked people to call — and we weren't the only ones. A lot of (broadcasters) in Florida, and many other radio stations and television stations around the country, have been asking for a response and people have responded in massive numbers."

Dr. Dobson said that speaks volumes about the power of Christians to influence government.

"Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address that (we have) a government 'of the people, by the people and for the people.' That's the way it's supposed to be. It's not for judges, it's not for the Supreme Court, it's not for the man in the White House, it's not for the Congress . . . it's for the people. And when the people respond, their leaders had better listen. If they don't, there are going to be some new leaders, and I think some new leaders are going to come out of this one."

Terri's family, meanwhile, is thankful that she has been given another chance, said Michael Vito, a relative.

"We know there's going to be roadblocks, we know that the fight isn't over yet," Vito said. "But compared to where we were yesterday at this time, this is monumental."

Those roadblocks include an expected legal challenge to the Florida law that — at least for the moment — saved Terri's life. It's being described as uncharted legal waters.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To obtain a recording of Dr. Dobson's broadcast on the Schiavo case, please go to the following order page.

To learn the facts of her medical condition, and how the media often misreport those facts, see a news release we've prepared on the subject.

In addition, we've created a special Web page to make it easy for you to thank Gov. Jeb Bush and every member of the Florida House and Senate who voted for "Terri's Bill." Once you visit the site, you can click each legislator's name and be instantly connected to contact information, including e-mail address and phone number.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: coma; control; delay; information; jamesdobson; legislature; lifesupport; media; misinformation; schiavo; terri; terrischiavo
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To learn the facts of her medical condition, and how the media often misreport those facts, see a news release we've prepared on the subject.

I urge you to review this report.

1 posted on 10/22/2003 11:57:27 PM PDT by Robert Drobot
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To: JulieRNR21; Lion in Winter; tutstar; manna; stanz; pollywog; sisterjforteri; johnb838; Greybird; ...
You might like to read how the electronic and print media is distrorting the truth of Terri's condition. See the link I've included in post #1.
2 posted on 10/23/2003 12:02:20 AM PDT by Robert Drobot (God, family, country. All else is meaningless.)
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To: Robert Drobot
I don't have the slightest interest in what a vicious bigot like James Dobson has to say on any subject.
3 posted on 10/23/2003 12:04:16 AM PDT by Greybird ("War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." -- Ambrose Bierce)
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To: Robert Drobot
Thanks for the ping.
4 posted on 10/23/2003 12:15:34 AM PDT by abigail2 (SCAM-Now #47on Amazon.com!!)
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To: Greybird
Dotson is not a bigot.
5 posted on 10/23/2003 12:19:53 AM PDT by ClancyJ (It's just not safe to vote Democratic.)
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To: Greybird
James Dobson is a gentle soul and you are a hard-hearted cretin. I'd say go get bitten by something more vicious but it would be hard to find something more venemous than you and your ilk. Bite yourself then. Go gnaw on your fingers and leave God's children alone. We're done with you and yours eating us alive, and we're taking back what you've stolen.
6 posted on 10/23/2003 12:19:56 AM PDT by Quietly
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To: Quietly
Gee, Greybird's homepage is full of positively inspirational
stuff; I can't imagine that's the same person who posted #3. Mebbe Hillary has stolen some passwords?
7 posted on 10/23/2003 12:28:49 AM PDT by dasboot (Celebrate UNITY!)
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To: Greybird
Which one of your pet sins did he step on?
8 posted on 10/23/2003 12:33:58 AM PDT by Armed Civilian ("Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.")
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To: Greybird
James Dobson, a vicious bigot?

can you justify this? everything i know about the man is the opposite of that..
9 posted on 10/23/2003 12:47:21 AM PDT by wafflehouse (the hell you say!)
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To: Greybird
It is you who are a bigot.... against a good man who helps many people.

Of course, he speaks the truth about GAYS. Is that what is upsetting you so much????

10 posted on 10/23/2003 2:41:59 AM PDT by Lion in Winter
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To: dasboot
"You owe more devotion to the people around you than you do to some mystical spook in the sky. If there is a god, She has no need of being worshipped, and if She is good, no need to have her creations reject each other, and if She is secure and truly powerful, no need to encourage conversion and conquest.” —Jennifer Diane Reitz"

That is taken from greybird's freeper page. SHEEZE!

Looks like greybird has a problem with the CHRISTIAN GOD. So, of course greybird is NOT going to like Dr. Dobson.

Plus, the quotes on the page from that "great philosopher", Groucho Marx, tell me quite a lot about greybird. Groucho was one funny guy in the old days but he was as left wing as they came!

hahahaha!!

11 posted on 10/23/2003 2:53:30 AM PDT by Lion in Winter
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To: Lion in Winter
The fact of the matter is his observations about Terri and the misinformation being passed among American information sources is appalling.

I so grateful a man of Dr. Dobson's national stature is directing America's attention to the barbaric abuses Terri is suffering at the hands of the Florida 'system'.

Every state in the union needs to review their policy toward the disabled and aged to guard against similar abuses of discretion by any agency or branch of government.

Thank God there remain some few Christian leaders in America who place the law of God before political expediency.

12 posted on 10/23/2003 2:54:53 AM PDT by Robert Drobot (God, family, country. All else is meaningless.)
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To: Greybird
Please tell me you are attempting sarcasm.

Mr. Dobson doesn't have a bigoted bone in his body. You are slandering a good man here, and you better be ready to back it up.
13 posted on 10/23/2003 3:00:11 AM PDT by exit82 (Sound off to your elected reps in DC: Capitol switchboard toll free number 1-800-648-3516.)
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: Lion in Winter
Post # 12.

What I wrote:
The fact of the matter is his observations about Terri and the misinformation being passed among American information sources is appalling.

What I should have written:
The fact of the matter is his observations about Terri and the appalling misinformation being disseminated about her by media sources need to be read and understood by every single American.

15 posted on 10/23/2003 3:19:48 AM PDT by Robert Drobot (God, family, country. All else is meaningless.)
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To: TXFireman
ping
16 posted on 10/23/2003 4:04:41 AM PDT by Jonx6
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To: Greybird
Dobson is a lovely man, but he is not a wimp. You cannot push him around.
17 posted on 10/23/2003 4:42:00 AM PDT by ragnarocker
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To: Lion in Winter
>>It is you who are a bigot.... against a good man who helps many people. Of course, he speaks the truth about GAYS. Is that what is upsetting you so much????

Bingo! :)

Why does someone like Greybird even become a member of Free Republic? His philosophy obviously doesn't jive with the majority of others' on these threads.


18 posted on 10/23/2003 4:48:01 AM PDT by deannadurbin
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To: Robert Drobot
Ping for later
19 posted on 10/23/2003 5:26:52 AM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: Greybird
You're easy to refute. In the Bible in says in the end of times men will call evil "good" and good "evil." So when you disparage Dr. Dobson, you fulfilled biblical prophecy!
20 posted on 10/23/2003 5:45:00 AM PDT by Theodore R.
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