Posted on 09/27/2004 10:42:19 AM PDT by amdgmary
A right to live ... not to be killed
September 27, 2004
By Barbara Simpson
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
If I didn't know better, I'd think the heavens are crying. Perhaps they are. Florida is being inundated as the progression of hurricanes continues its destruction. Ironically, while media focus on evacuations aimed at saving lives, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 7-0 last week, that a helpless young Florida woman should die. Her name is Terri Schindler-Schiavo.
I take that back. Not just die. Be killed.
That is what's involved when a person is denied food and water. That person will die a prolonged, painful and horrible death. According to the black-robed justices of the Florida high court, that's exactly what should happen to Terri.
It will be done for a sole and not-so-subtle reason: to cause her to die.
Memo to the court: If this murder isn't prevented, Terri's blood will be on your hands.
The background. Terri Schiavo is brain damaged, but she is awake and sleeps. She breathes on her own, attempts to speak and recognizes family members when they're allowed to see her. That happens only rarely because her husband refuses to allow Terri's parents and siblings to visit. When they do, a policeman is present.
In 1990, Terri suffered some kind of trauma. Reports that it was a blood-chemical imbalance or eating disorder are inaccurate. No one knows what happened that night in her apartment with her husband, but oxygen to her brain was cut off for a short period causing brain damage. She was 26.
Terri was hospitalized, had some therapy and seemed to be improving. There were successful malpractice lawsuits with a $1.4 million verdict for her and $600,000 for her husband, Michael. He is her legal guardian.
Then the problems started. He moved her to another facility for only custodial care and began to keep her family away.
Terri didn't get the recommended physical therapy nor the routine physical care any patient should have - dental, antibiotics when sick, and physical therapy to get her off the feeding tube and reanimate her limbs. Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, grievously unhappy at what was happening to their child, sought help from the courts. For the next 14 years, Michael battled them, consuming their lives and nearly bankrupting them.
Michael Schiavo used the settlement money, which was supposed to be used for Terri's rehabilitation, for his legal fight to keep the family out and have Terri's feeding tube pulled. He claims she wouldn't want to live this way but there's no clear proof and no written intention.
He refuses to allow Terri's parents to become her guardians. He refused to allow her to receive Communion. He refuses to allow Terri to be divorced from him despite the fact that he's lived with another woman for nine years and has two children by her. He presents himself to the media as a loving husband.
A lower court order last fall ordered the feeding tube removed - it was. Six days later, the legislature passed a law, called "Terri's Law," giving Gov. Jeb Bush the authority to order the tube reinstated. He did, it was, Terri survived. Michael challenged it and appealed to the high court.
That court didn't rule on the morality of the situation, nor the humanity. They were clinically and coldly legalistic and it appears, miffed that a judicial decision was challenged.
Their decision was to protect their turf and Terri be damned, or perhaps I should say, be dead.
Here's what Chief Justice Barbara Pariente said: "It is without question an invasion of the authority of the judicial branch for the Legislature to pass a law that allows the executive branch to interfere with the final judicial determination in a case." (My emphasis.) Silly me. I thought the legislature was supposed to make laws and the judiciary to interpret. I never realized courts were infallible.
The justices said it was simply an issue of separation of powers. Despite family grief, Justice Pariente said, "But our hearts are not the law, what is in the Constitution always must prevail over emotion." So the judges ruled Terri Schiavo be killed. A doctor or nurse, who is supposed to protect life, will take a step to kill a helpless patient.
The decision is not only immoral on the face of it, it is doubly so because it directs others to carry out a death sentence without due cause on a helpless, innocent human being.
If this comes to pass, the court, the lawyers, the American Civil Liberties Union and Michael Schiavo will be responsible for Terri's death and also the deaths of others with cognitive disabilities who will be killed the same way as their families and lawyers use this case as precedent. Every living person, able or not, should be afraid. Very afraid. We're all in danger from this immoral and illegal decision, which makes it easier for someone to decide who lives or dies, when, and under what conditions.
Gov. Bush has 10 days to ask for a rehearing or to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Terri Schiavo lives - day to day. She has survived a mysterious injury, 14 years of medical neglect and mistreatment, the actions of her husband and the backhand of the courts. On that basis alone, she deserves to live.
God help her.
And help us too, if we allow her murder to take place. For full details about Terri Schindler-Schiavo, and the timeline of this case, go to the family website .
This wounded woman is so extraordinarily important to the spiritual life of this nation. Pray God that Florida will yet listen and not give to itself the power that belongs to God, alone. The heavens shake with the battle that is raging over this mother's child.
FLORIDA, DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE!!!!
Read it again, I said "braindead". All you are paying for with my money is a husk.
Then that decision lies in the hands of her guardian. Government bureaucrats and politicians should just butt out.
Secondly, you're priorities are way out of whack if you dollars mean more than precious human life.
Buy a clue someday. "Braindead" people have no "precious human life" to preserve.
I'm thinking you are being sarcastic here. Lord, I hope you are.
Think again. Your children will have to make the same kind decision about you someday when you have lost all ability to reason but medical science keeps you alive for no apparent reason but someone has the money to pay for it.
that is so true.
God bless them, the Schindlers are on Larry King Live now. Prayers now and always for them.
wondering why lawyer Gibbs just said she cannot swallow when she (obviously!) handles / swallows her saliva, acc. witness testimony.
thanks for the ping -- still having power probs off & on, but made it through without any trees falling this time. Hope you all are well.
One could reasonably argue that neither the government, nor society, has any obligation to spend money to care for people in Terri's condition. But even if one accepts that premise, that would not imply that government has any right to prevent such people by receiving care from anyone who wishes to provide it voluntarily.
If Michael were to publicly announce that he himself would not pay for any more food for Terri, and that at noon on Wednesday he was going to abandon her on a park bench at some specific lication, that would be "letting her die" if, despite his announcement, nobody came to care for her. But his actions go far beyond that to actively preventing anyone from caring for her. And to starve her under such circumstances would not be to passively "let her die" but would instead be to actively kill her.
I couldn't agree with you more, Pegita. Larry King Live tonight is about how loving one another instead of throwing innocent people to the wolves.
As usual my friend, you've made the complex quite clear! The Floriduh Supreme Court is now in the Murder, Inc. business ... such compassionate liberals. Bleech!
Yes, I think this is an appropriate portrayal of this whole situation. This whole situation just makes me sick and angry
The Schindlers were just on Larry King Live. They were wonderful. Larry King seemed very moved by their story. Also their attorney, David Gibbs, eleoquently spoke about Terri's fundamental right to life.
Those words sound Heaven-inspired, my sister. One does wonders what is going on 'behind the scenes' that we cannot see!
I've had similar thoughts, and so has my Mother, that those storms are very likely a consequence of what is happening in Florida to our Terri.
Pray God that Florida will yet listen and not give to itself the power that belongs to God, alone.
Amen and amen, dear sister!
That kangaroo court should NOT have the power to decide this. It appears justice is perverted in this country due to liberal judges. We must take the system out of their hands and keep it out.
Then you don't know much about the case. She's far from being a 'husk'. In fact, for a brain injured patient who has been studiously denied rehabilitation, she's remarkably functional.
The term 'murder' was used by the author with the obvious and express intent of being inflamatory.
Heavenly Father, we return to give You thanks that You forget not this mother's child, for she has been sustained, not by man, but by You these many years. Forever sweep away from her door those who seek her life, for they have shown us the naked face of evil. We are horrified at the massive scale of insidious collusion, yet we know the devil rewards his own. Only You, O God, can break the chains that bind this wounded woman to a bed of neglect ... only You can open her prison door and set her free. Return her to the love and care of her family, O God ... let not this evil claim an innocent victim. Have mercy, O God, have mercy upon us as we cry out for our beloved Terri ... in the Name of Jesus, we pray, Amen ...
I agree!
Forgive me for being so ignernt, but is there not "someone" who can get this case changed to a different judge? I have tried to keep up to date on this but senior moments get so in the way I can't remember squat. ;( I watched LKL last night and was so moved by the Shindlers. It is obvious to anyone who gives a d@mn what the husband wants. It is either one of two things - one is he is afraid of what Terri might say about how she got into her condition when she gets therapy and two is that he is doing this to spite these dear people or maybe three - both one & two.
Right!! Terri is NOT brain dead. I watched LKL last night and in one of the videos that was shown, she flat@ssed laughed at something her dad said to her (I believe it was him)! This woman has some short circuits in her brain that can probably be helped immensely with therapy.
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