Please pray for Terri and her family. U.S. CONGRESS TOLL FREE: 1-800-307-8525.
Posted on 12/29/2004 7:16:22 AM PST by floriduh voter
The Terri Schindler Schiavo Daily Threads are created month to month as we watch local and national news regarding Terri and her family.
Since Terri's supporters are in every time zone, you may see something FIRST. Please share news with us that you don't see here already. Now, why would you want to do that? Terri's Daily Thread for September/October of 2004 was viewed over 15,000 times. Terri's November Daily Thread was viewed over 6,000 times. December's thread is over 3,000 views.
More and more good folks are finding out about Terri and that judicial tyranny would take her life, but for lots and lots of prayer and non-stop lobbying of relatives, friends, clergy, our leaders, the media, a passerby, a cashier - ANYONE who you feel comfortable chatting with.
Folks always want to know how can this be in America or on earth for that matter? Unfortunately, this is really happening to an innocent woman who just celebrated her 41st birthday. She's not the only one but she's the one with devoted parents and siblings who knows what's in Terri's heart. Terri has a strong will to live. That's apparent. It's been 14 years.
Besides, feeding tubes have been around practically since the Civil War. They are not high tech devices. Terri is "not hooked up to machines". Her feeding tube is the diameter of a piece of spaghetti.
Talkin' about Terri is the best way to lobby for her. It is a salespitch to save her life and subsequently, many lives. If you've never sold anything in your life, START NOW. START WITH TERRI.
See Terri's flash movies if you need more information. You can see for yourself that's she's interactive and follows the doctor's instructions.
Visit: http://www.terrisfight.org
NOTE: Terri's December Dailies are noted as a source above. There are lots of important links at the very top of that thread. If you missed Terri's Celebration of Life, you can click on it from there.
Terri's case is so important that everything that can possibly be tried must be, no matter how seemingly remote the chance for success.
The people who viewed the awful A&E special on Terri last month agreed that Terri's story was not told truthfully: http://boards.aetv.com/thread.jsp?forum=10004&thread=300026664
TS: Yes, re: prayin'.
The A & E special did show a scene of Terri with her mother that was footage from October of 2003. Once again, Terri was alert and aware of her surroundings. WHY ISN'T THAT GOOD ENOUGH? Terri cannot help that she cannot speak English but she has many other communicative skills. She's also got a strong will to live but imo they're going to try much harder this time if they get the green light.
Some items on the Supreme Court say that the conservatives reign. However, sometimes conservatives are very protective about state's rights and unfortunately the right to privacy.
RIGHT TO PRIVACY ISSUE: If Terri isn't erased from society, it will somehow violate her right to privacy. In successful crimes, when there is a murder victim, it is often done quietly and in private.
The right to privacy issue is blown out of proportion in comparison with Terri's RIGHT TO LIFE under the U.S. Constitution.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1313409/posts
You are right, and Rehnquist's declining health makes him impossible to read. He also "seemed" sympathetic to B. Clinton in the impeachment trial of 1999 though he said virtually nothing.
In that two of Jeb Bush's "conservative" appointments to thge FL Supremes want death for Terri, can we even be sure that SCOTUS will also not vote 9-0 for immediate death! Can we even depend on Scalia and Thomas in this case? The best Terri can muster would be 6-3 AGAINST her in my analysis of the liberal high court.
Felos didn't file a response today to the US Supreme Court's query. Why not? Because if he responded, it would be another delay.
Exactly, and Felos knows that the SCOTUS is already in his camp, for in the past SCOTUS has refused to hear any of the pleadings in Terri's case.
PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS AND TELL THEM ABOUT TERRI. Tell your GOP representatives that we don't expect pro-life Republicans to sit on their hands while the disabled are being abused and then executed for no reason whatsover! THEY ARE TRYING TO MURDER TERRI. Who has guts? Who will help us in Washington DC?
When does Terri get to have an appropriate quality of life? I AM SICK OF THE HYPOCRISY. Show me how the democrats and republicans are different. Just show me. It is Republican Judges in Pinella County who violated the Constitution by ordering the manner of Terri's death. AND SHE HAD NO LIVING WILL, no documentation that she would choose to die.
WAKE UP AMERICA. Call the toll free numberand send them to www.terrisfight.org. OPEN THEIR EYES... CONGRESS 1-800-307-8525 (a fresh number. If it doesn't go through, ping me).
FRIEND OF THE COURT BRIEF FILED BY GROUP IN SUPPORT OF TERRI'S LAW.
Please pray for Terri and her family. U.S. CONGRESS TOLL FREE: 1-800-307-8525.
Hey FV, greetings from Texas. I "hear" weariness and despair in your post, and all of us understand it. You are relentless in your efforts for Terri and none of us will ever be able to know your personal suffering. You are there in the thick of it, Terri's family probably feels like your family. You see first hand the doors which slam shut every day.
Let me try to give you a little hope. As a God-fearing and loving people, of course we'll give to the tsunami victims for the Lord has told us to take care of the widow and the orphan. It is our God-given duty. No, it is not fair that Terri should linger so long in this horrid place, but I daresay that God will be pleased with our efforts towards Indonesia & India, etal and may turn a leave a blessing for Terri in time.
We must strive (though very difficult) to expand our compassion with the strength we have left for the Lord's honor. He always blesses this and will help us to rise above the anger. I'm not perfect, FV, please know that, tomorrow I'll probably need a hand to lift me up as well.
God Bless you FV and I pray He honor you with victory for Terri.
Children are being spirited away from hospitals by strangers for the sex trade which is huge in Thailand. We must see things as they are, not as we wish them to be.
I do believe that republicans and democrats have never been more alike. Further, I don't think we have the 350 million to begin with. We will rebuild their towns and then they will blow up our work. That is my world view. The innocents do have my compassion but Terri is innocent as well and there is no reason for her predicament which IS CAUSED BY MAN. not by nature.
Ping. I'll be back later.
"children are being spirited away from hospitals by strangers for the sex trade..."
If our presence there can protect just one child (in the same way that Terri is "one" among many), who can live and grow, then we've done good. If they blow up the rebuilt towns, we'll rebuild again. It's our only hope to fight the "good" fight where ever it rages. I do appreciate you FV, very much, but this is my world view. It doesn't have to be and "either/or".
Great FReeper name!!!
A Visit With Terri Schiavo
By Attorney Barbara Weller
This past Christmas Eve day, 2004, I went to visit Terri Schiavo with her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, her sister, her niece, and Attorney David Gibbs III. The visit took place at the Woodside Hospice for about 45 minutes just before noon.
When I knew I was going to visit Terri with her parents, I had no idea what to expect. I was prepared for the possibility that the Schindlers love their daughter and sister so much that they might imagine behaviors by Terri that aren't actually evident to others. The media and Mr. Schiavo clearly give the impression that Terri is in a coma or comatose state and engages only in non-purposeful and reflexive movements and responses. I am a mother and a grandmother, as well as one of the Schindlers’ attorneys, and I could understand how parents might imagine behavior and purposeful activity that is not really there. I was prepared to be as objective as I could be during this visit and not to be disappointed at anything I saw or experienced.
I was truly surprised at what I saw from the moment we entered the little room where Terri is confined. The room is a little wider than the width of two single beds and about as long as the average bedroom, with plenty of room for us to stand at the foot of her bed. Terri is on the first floor and there is a lovely view to the outside grounds of the facility. The room is entered by a short hallway, however, and there is no way for Terri to see out into the hallway or for anyone in the hallway to observe Terri.
From the moment we entered the room, my impression was that Terri was very purposeful and interactive and she seemed very curious about the presence of obvious strangers in her room. Terri was not in bed, but was in her chair, which has a lounge chair appearance and elevates her head at about a 30-degree angle. She was dressed and washed, her hair combed, and she was covered with a holiday blanket. There were no tubes of any kind attached to her body. She was completely free of any restraints that would have indicated any type of artificial life support. Not even her feeding tube was attached and functioning when we entered, as she is not fed 24 hours a day.
The thing that surprised me the most about Terri as I took my turn to greet her by the side of her chair was how beautiful she is. I would have expected to see someone with a sallow and gray complexion and a sick looking countenance. Instead, I saw a very pretty woman with a peaches and cream complexion and a lovely smile, which she even politely extended to me as I introduced myself to her. I was amazed that someone who had not been outside for so many years and who received such minimal health care could look so beautiful. She appeared to have an inner light radiating from her face. I was truly taken aback by her beauty, particularly under the adverse circumstances in which she has found herself for so many years.
Terri’s parents, sister, and niece went immediately to greet Terri when we entered the room and stood in turn directly beside her head, stroking her face, kissing her and talking quietly with her. When she heard their voices, and particularly her mother's voice, Terri instantly turned her head towards them and smiled. Terri established eye contact with her family, particularly with her mother, who spent the most time with her during our visit. It was obvious that she recognized the voices in the room with the exception of one. Although her mother was talking to her at the time, she obviously had heard a new voice and exhibited a curious demeanor. Attorney Gibbs was having a conversation near the door with Terri’s sister. His voice is very deep and resonant and Terri obviously picked it up. Her eyes widened as if to say, “What’s that new sound I hear?” She scanned the room with her eyes, even turning her head in his direction, until she found Attorney Gibbs and the location of the new voice and her eyes rested momentarily in his direction. She then returned to interacting with her mother.
When her mother was close to her, Terri’s whole face lit up. She smiled. She looked directly at her mother and she made all sorts of happy sounds. When her mother talked to her, Terri was quiet and obviously listening. When she stopped, Terri started vocalizing. The vocalizations seemed to be a pattern, not merely random or reflexive at all. There is definitely a pattern of Terri having a conversation with her mother as best she can manage. Initially, she used the vocalization of “uh’uh” but without seeming to mean it as a way of saying “no”, just as a repeated speech pattern. She then began to make purposeful grunts in response to her mother’s conversation. She made the same sorts of sound with her father and sister, but not to the same extent or as delightedly as with her mother. She made no verbal response to her niece or to Attorney Gibbs and myself, but she did appear to pay attention to our words to her.
The whole experience was rather moving. Terri definitely has a personality. Her whole demeanor definitely changes when her mother speaks with her. She lights up and appears to be delighted at the interaction. She has an entirely different reaction to her father who jokes with her and has several standing jokes that he uses when he enters and exits her presence. She appears to merely “tolerate” her father, as a child does when she says “stop” but really means, “this is fun.” When her father greets her, he always does the same thing. He says, “here comes the hug” and hugs her. He then says, “you know what’s coming next---the kiss.” Her father has a scratchy mustache and both times when he went through this little joke routine with her, she laughed in a way she did not do with anyone else. When her father is ready to plant the kiss on her cheek, she immediately makes a face her family calls the “lemon face.” She puckers her lips, screws up her whole face, and turns away from him, as if making ready for the scratchy assault on her cheek that she knows is coming. She did the exact same thing both times that her father initiated this little routine joke between the two of them.
The interactions with her family and our appearance in her room appeared to require some effort and exertion from Terri. From time to time, she would close her eyes as if to rest. This happened primarily when no one was paying particular attention to her, but we were talking among ourselves. After a few minutes or when one of the visitors approached her and started to talk directly to her again, Terri would open her eyes and begin her grunting sounds again in response to their conversations. Although I approached her, leaned close and stroked her arms and spoke to her, she did not verbally respond to me.
Terri’s hands are curled up around little soft cylinders that help her not to injure herself. I understand that these contractures are likely very painful, although there was a time when Terri was receiving simple motion therapy when her hands and arms relaxed and were no longer as constricted. When the therapy was discontinued by order of her guardian and the court, the contractures returned. These contractures would apparently be avoidable if Terri were given the simple range of motion therapy she previously received. It is very sad to observe firsthand these conditions that make her life more difficult, but that would be correctable with little effort.
When we were preparing to leave, the interactions with Terri changed. First, she went through the joke routine with her father and the “lemon face.” When her niece said goodbye to her, Terri did not react. Nor did she react to me or to Attorney Gibbs when we said our goodbyes to her. When her sister went to her to say goodbye, Terri’s verbalizations changed dramatically. Instead of the happy grunting and “uh uh” sounds she had been making throughout the visit, her verbalizations at these goodbyes changed to a very low and different sound that appeared to come from deep in her throat and was almost like a growl. She first made the sound when her sister said goodbye and then, amazingly to me, she made exactly the same sound when her mother said goodbye to her. It seemed Terri was visibly upset that they were leaving. She almost appeared to be trying to cling to them, although this impression came only from her changed facial expression and sounds, since her hands cannot move. It appeared like she did not want to be alone and knew they were leaving. It was definitely apparent in the short time I was there that her emotions changed—it was apparent when she was happy and enjoying herself, when she was amused, when she was resting from her exertion to communicate, and when she was sad at her guests leaving. It was readily apparent and surprising that her mood changed so often in a short 45-minute visit.
I was pleasantly surprised to observe Terri’s purposeful and varied behaviors with the various members of her family and with Attorney Gibbs and myself. I never imagined Terri would be so active, curious, and purposeful. She watched people intently, obviously was attempting to communicate with each one in various ways and with various facial expressions and sounds. She was definitely not in a coma, not even close. This visit certainly shed more light for me on why the Schindlers are fighting so hard to protect her, to get her medical care and rehabilitative assistance, and to spend all they have to protect her life.
I realize that Terri has good days and bad days. There are obviously days when she does not interact with her family, as they had previously told us. There are also apparently days when Terri is even more interactive and responsive to them than she was on the day I visited. Since this visit I am more convinced than ever that the Schindlers are not just parents who refuse to let go of their daughter. There really is a lot going on with their daughter and potentially, it seemed obvious to me, Terri could improve even more with appropriate care and 24 hour a day love that can only come from a dedicated family. As I watched her, my foremost thought was that on the next day, Christmas, Terri should not have been confined to her small room in a hospice center, nice as that room was, but that she should have been gathered around the Christmas dinner table enjoying the holiday with her family.
MEDIA: Call the Gibbs Law Firm Media Director, Mr. Keith Brickell, at O:727-399-8300 or C:727-458-4824 to arrange an interview with Attorney David Gibbs III or Attorney Barbara Weller. He can be reached by email: kbrickell@gibbsfirm.com.
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation is the official organization responsible for speaking on behalf of the Schindler family. For more information and background on the case, visit the foundation’s website at www.terrisfight.org.
Thanks for posting the article. The real trick now is to get the Judges to observe her. Anyone who sits with her realizes that she is not in a vegetative state.
Thanks for the ping!
ADDITIONALLY, 970 WFLA radio today reports that Ken Burke was sworn in today as Clerk of the Circuit Courts Pinellas County. Let's pray for him. He's got a tough job ahead of him. IMO, DeBlaker his predecessor, was derelict in her duties and Ken's got to modernize and he can audit any and all books he desires to.
That's why there's an urgency for the other side to wrap things up. THIS MUST NOT BE A SECRET. The bad guys know this already. Everyone needs to know.
PLEASE VOTE FOR TERRI'S FREEPERS under Private Citizen Category HERE.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1313673/posts
FREE REPUBLIC EAGLES AWARD 2004 re: post above.
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