Terri Schiavo Hospitalized With Apparent Puncture Wounds In Arm! Apparent Foul Play!

WFTV-ABC in Orlando | UNK

[MindBender26]

In 7:25 break, anchor reported "Terri Schiavo was rushed to a Pinellas County emergency room last night after nursing home staff noticed puncture wounds on her arm. The wounds appeared to be caused by a hypodermic needle! Toxicology tests were conducted but the results are not available yet!"

This could open a huge new round in this case. What did tests reveal? Who was last person in room? When was husband there? Was staffer trying the Angle of Death routine?

This will be developing hard all day!

[tutstar]

morning friend, good to c u!

[mickie]

Thank you for all your hard work FV. And for keeping us posted to the latest events, etc. regarding Terri.
Don't let anyone get you down. Do as I do....just skip over the posts from certain posters.
Why doesn't Gov. Bush make Terri a ward of the State? Seems like it's time for this.

[tutstar]

I finally did find the oath of office for Florida....

http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Constitution&Submenu=3&Tab=statutes
Article II Section 5b
(b) Each state and county officer, before entering upon the duties of the office, shall give bond as required by law, and shall swear or affirm:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the state; and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of (title of office) on which I am now about to enter. So help me God.",


and thereafter shall devote personal attention to the duties of the office, and continue in office until a successor qualifies.

[MindBender26]

OK, enough. --- Over and over you've said this. You also say you want action. So - what actions have you taken personally to get her "better lawyers and professional PR help"? Any actions at all? Or just saying "she needs better lawyers" repetitively?

I'd like a non-evasive answer, but don't expect one. What I expect is to be asked a question instead of getting mine answered. Hope I'm wrong.

You ask for an answer. It is not pretty, but it is real.

I previously forwarded a list of outstanding PR people to family friend of Terri's. Was told at that time it was being acted upon. It needs to be.

Am willing to come down to Pinellas County to try to explain to family why this needs to be done.

Same re: lawyer. Can provide names there also. They need the best.

They will also need $ to pay for it. FReepers and concerned others would need to do fund raisers. The best is not cheap.

Why do I stress the need for professionals?

A few years ago, after a local PR guy had completely screwed up the case in order to promote his own political career, I was asked to go help in another publicly debated issue... at the last minute.

I went there, met with the family, met with the lawyers (they were good), got some old media friends on the phone, (including Rush's producer, John Fund and the EE of the Wash Post Writers Group) and worked out a strategy.

The strategy was very simple. It's easy to send a Cuban boy back to Cuba, but it would be much harder to send "The Newest American" back to Cuba.

Imagine pictures of young Elian at his first baseball game, eating his first BigMac and fries at a McDonalds, taking the oath in his little blue Cub Scout uniform, roller skating in the street as we was on the little patio behind his Uncle's home.

Imagine video of that on the nightly news everywhere, rather than another relative babbling on in Spanish.

Previously, we had arranged for a prominent Cuban-American to take Elian to Disneyworld and it was a huge media hit.,,, and even better, it was a huge public boost.

We had a great, new, operational PR plan. Elian needed public support. Clinton wouldn't take a dump without a poll indicating approval. This would have given Elian the PR boost he needed.

My one day visit was obviously going to be at least a one month project, so I came back to Orlando overnight to get clothes, explain to the wife, etc.

In the morning I turned on the TV.... and they had taken him.

While I was there at Elian's, something happened that I will never forget. A man who had escaped from Hungary in 1956 came and gave the family his bank book. He contributed $18K to the cause. I asked him why. He said.... "Because I remember..."

In another case, a woman told me why she hated Casto so much.

As she escaped Cuba, her last memory of her father was seeing him hanging from a lamp post.

His crime? He had been the village postmaster under Batista.

I have never forgiven myself for not acting earlier.

Now do you understand my desire to see Terri's supporters to it right, and do it right now?

The ball is in your court.

[cyn]

Thanks, pc. What was this 11/93 depo about, is this still the malpractice?

What's this about an **amputation**??

Felos asked the Schindlers about hypothetical amputations in attempt to marginalize them as unrealisticly determined to keep Terri alive at all costs, perhaps with this in mind.

DEPOSITION OF: MICHAEL SCHIAVO
DATE: November 19, 1993

Page 23
24 Q. And I see is she all healed up on -- from the
25 amputation on that foot?

Page 24
1 A. Yes, she's all healed, yes. . . .
4 Q. In one fashion or another, Mike, are all of the
5 joints of her body limbered up in some fashion with these
6 various kinds of things that you all are doing for her?
7 A. It's preventing them from getting any worse, yes.
8 And what he's doing right there is pretty uncomfortable. (he says here and in next depo that she CAN feel pain)
9 He's working more with her. We take her out for walks.
10 usually take her out to the pond and sit and feed the ducks.
11 And now the cooler weather is coming and they have a
12 baseball field next to her and little leaguers play ball.
13 I like to get her outside for fresh air.

Page 27 -- (Michael apparently gets choked up as he says this)
23 Q. Have -- you said you believe in your wedding vows,
24 what do you mean by that?
25 A. I believe in the vows that I took with my wife,

Page 28
1 through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer. I
2 married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the
3 rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that.

[MindBender26]

Please see 504.

It will help you understand the strength of my feeling on this issue.

I do not think you are bad people. I just know from experience two things about PR and public perception.

1. PR is incredibly powerful. It elects Presidents and changes the course of history.

2. It is very easy to do bad PR, to hurt your cause. Elian is a perfect example of that with the babbling relatives and Cuban concentration.

The easiest way to hurt your cause is to keep beating on your own issues, while ignoring the issues of the people you want to influence. That must stop before the progress can be made. We must be seen as quietly reflective, reasonable, moral people (Jimmy Stewart, Will Smith, Meg Ryan types) that the public can agree with, not a bunch of sign waving crazies, as TV is now portraying some of her supporters.

It only takes one "crazy" to destroy the work of 100 lucid supporters.

REMEMBER; never measure your success by how your supporters think you did. Measure it by how many people from the other side now agree with you.

We must make Michael the fanatic, the bad guy. (Note: We also need to concentrate the "bad" on one person. Michael. Spreading it among Michael, Felos and the judge is a mistake and dilutes focus.)

We need ONE spokesperson for the family. Someone who is intimate with them, looks like the voice of reason, etc. I cannot be that person. They need to be in Pinellas and I'm in Orlando, and I'm also identified with other issues.

There is much more that needs to be done, because, even thought I hate the thought, they are winning.

As per 504, I'm ready to help in any way I can.

[a5478]

I heard about the puncture wounds on the radio! Maybe Terri Schiavo is coming into her own in the national consciousness! I am thrilled that it was reported!

I too am desperate for a course of action! However, I think Terri's advocates have done a marvelous job in an uphill battle against a deaf public and parrot media. Maybe we could all agree that:
1. We need to continue contacting people in Public Office
senators
governor
Attorney General
Disability office
2. We need to stress that Terri Schiavo deserves all of the treatments and therapies available to thousands of others in her condition as assured by Florida Law. She is not dying! She is simply disabled!
3. We need to demand that Michael Schiavo be removed as guardian because of his conflict of interest and poor record.
4. ping every all persons everywhere
5. Require the media get interviews with Judge Greer and Felos as well as the protesters.

Am I leaving out anything?

Mindleader - I understand your concern but America is built on the power of public protest and it is effective at gaining media attention and getting on the agenda when every other polite attempt has failed.

So maybe the rest of us who can't be there in person can augment the protest with public pressure and recruitment.

Time continues to be of the essence!

[Dante3]

Politicians and even big business are affected by public outcry and there is plenty of examples to demonstrate this.

Keep up with the letters (but keep them polite and to the point), the e-mails and the phone calls. It already has made a difference.

[russesjunjee]

I don't know just what is that you think Terri's supporters are doing that is so horrible. All we do is pray, hold peaceful vigils, address our concerns to elected officials (it is our right to do so), and support Terri's family.

Now, if you think all of that is detrimental you are dead wrong or seriously confused. Coming here repeatedly and bashing away at us is going to accomplish nothing. We are going to keep supporting Terri, and we will help in whatever way we can.

When I read your criticisms of Terri's camp I just have to wonder if your not somehow convinced that you could fix the whole thing yourself if people would just step out of the way and let you take over.

But I also have to wonder if you really are not sympathetic with Felos on at least some subconcious level, or maybe you admire the guy. It just doesn't make sense for you to continually argue with Terri's supporters unless you have some sort of agenda that leads you to do so.

You are not going to discourage us, nor will you stop us from helping Terri...so why do you keep beating the same old drum over and over and over again unless there is something we don't know about your true wishes for Terri's well being.

There is also the outside chance that you are actually naive enough to think that the courts could really work this out on their own. If that's the case then you really are a lost sheep in the wilderness. The Florida courts have shown their prejudice against Terri time after Time. You don't have to be a lawyer to see that.

The bottom line is this...if the public ever dares to take its eyes off Terri for even a second she is dead..so, we are going to keep watching, and listening, and vigiling with our little signs, and we will never cease to hold these public officials accountable for what is going on.

So, whatever you problem with us is just get over it because none of us are going to be discouraged by your continual critisism.

If you want to help Terri, then by all means help her, but you are no more or less qualified to do so than the rest of us, no matter what little licenses or certificates you may have hidden away in your dresser drawer.

I dare say that if you had spent as much time and energy trying to help Terri's cause as you have spent bashing her defenders you might have actually done some good.

I respect your opinion as a freeper and a fellow American, but your criticisms have continued to the point that I am now growing suspicious of your motives. Do your self a big old favor and get over it.

[floriduh voter]

Good morning. Just logging on and am posting latest over on Terri's Daily Thread.

[floriduh voter]

Thanks. It was reported in today's St. Petersburg Times that Clearwater PD Chief Wayne Shelor stated and I paraphrase: Never in his recollection had he been so swamped with phone calls from media from all over the country, compared to even the Scientology neglect-wrongful death case of Lisa MacPherson, the Vandalism of the Image of Mary or well, any other matter.

TERRI FINALLY HAS ADDITIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS WITH THE NATIONAL MEDIA AND THE LOCAL MEDIA is waking up at long last.

Felos' press conference may have backfired on him, especially if he published the press release BEFORE they contacted the PD - a premeditated, in the can press release BEFORE THE ALLEGED INCIDENT? It's a possibility.

[pc93]

Thanks for sharing.

[floriduh voter]

As reported on local television this a.m., imo, somebody told a whopper. Now reporters are backtracking on the "puncture wounds" as information has come to light that the so called puncture wounds are actually scratches.

So, where's the nurse who contacted Felos to tell him she saw puncture wounds which is why he did the PRESS RELEASE to blame the family for injecting her? EITHER THE NURSE LIED, FELOS LIED or both.

Unfortunately, Terri's REAL FAMILY cannot see her until the investigation is over INTO FALSE ALLEGATIONS.

They have another competent attorney joining the team. HE WAS SO OUTRAGED THAT HE VOLUNTEERED upon hearing the local news accusing the Schindlers. He stated so on local television today - it's not idle chatter. He's a pit bull but with people skills.

[Chocolate Rose]

Hmm--Veeery interesting...

>>Felos' press conference may have backfired on him, especially if he published the press release BEFORE they contacted the PD - a premeditated, in the can press release BEFORE THE ALLEGED INCIDENT? It's a possibility.<<

[a5478]

I thought the same thing! I looked for the original press release - any cyber sleuths going to work to match up dates and times?

[floriduh voter]

That press release was "ready to go" so to speak.

[MindBender26]

I'm sorry, but I cannot help you.

As long as you think that courts are prejudiced, as opposed Mr. Felos winning on legal points,

as long as you think that sign waving is good, without considering the totality of the effect that has on the public,

as long as you think that anyone who is opposed to your tactics which do not produce victory is somehow in bed with Felos,

as long as you oppose efforts to make Terri's supporters effective, as opposed to just loud,

as long as some people want to depend on their reading of legal points, points the judge has rejected,

as long as some people cannot realize that the other side in winning and therefore a change in tactics is necessary,

as long as some people think their moment on TV news is more important than Terri's survival....

then you are totally right. I cannot help in any way.

There is a simple bottom line to this: Terri will die unless something is done to stop the current legal moves.

The family has few legal points to stand on. Therefore, they need two things; First, absolutely the best lawyers - nothing else will do - to maximize what little legal leverage that have.

Next they need overwhelming public support, something up in the 70% range. Right now they are way into the minority.

When they have those two critical elements are in place, negotiations with Michael can begin.

Michael wants something. To say he just wants Terri dead is way too simplistic. Find out why. Find out what other means, other than her death, can give him what he wants. Find a way to get it to him.... and Terri lives

But frankly, I doubt that will happen. Just as Michael obviously wants something that not on the table now, so do some of Terri's supporters want something that is not in her best interest.

I will not fight with one hand tied behind my back, or without the support of her parents. It's obvious that some people who call themselves her "supporters" are determined to ensure that no one's voice is heard, even if that voice has produced a string of failures. I won't waste fighting that.

I wish I could help her. I cannot.

Good luck

[MindBender26]

I will not fight with one hand tied behind my back, or without the support of her parents. It's obvious that some people who call themselves her "supporters" are determined to ensure that no one else's voice is heard, even if the tactics of those "supporters" have a string of failures.

I won't waste time or effort fighting that.

Good luck

[Future Useless Eater]

bump.

I for one would like to suggest MB seems to have some good
ideas here on how to change strategy and save Terri.

Maybe MB could meet with the 'insiders' group and get
his ideas blessed.

I don't think there are many freepers here who would not
follow exactly what the insiders recommend for us.

I tend to agree with those who've implied Terri has
only DAYS to live, not WEEKS, thanks to Michael Schiavo's
recent court and illegal nursing home practices.

Oh, and I STILL believe that move of Terri into the
Clearwater P.D's jurisdiction this year was for a reason
we are only just now realizing.

[Future Useless Eater]

Does anyone know what was the jurisdiction in 1996 when
Michael tried to kill Terri with insulin injections?

And was the official investigation back then that Terri
also had 'just scratches' on her arm?