Posted on 03/25/2005 8:05:47 AM PST by yatros from flatwater
STARVATION: DAY 8
Jeb Bush not likely
to ride to rescue
Florida governor indicates
he won't defy court order
Those hoping Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will step forward to save Terri Schiavo from imminent, court-ordered starvation death are likely to be disappointed, based on his comments to a group of reporters following county court Judge George Greer's ruling against the state's effort to take custody of the brain-injured woman at the center of a worldwide euthanasia controversy.
While Bush reiterated his motivation to save Schiavo, based on new evidence that she is not in a persistent vegetative state and is, to some degree, conscious of her surroundings, the governor said "it isn't possible to remove her" from the hospice.
Earlier in the week, there were hints from the Bush administration that the Department of Children and Families might use force, if necessary, to stabilize Terri Schiavo and remove her from the facility.
"The judge is so focused on carrying out whatever decision he made years ago, that I guess the additional information he just rejected out of hand, and rejected the ability of the department to go in and stabilize her," he said. "It isn't possible right now to remove her. ... Given the fact that she's being starved to death it would be difficult to move her."
Bush downplayed the earlier reports about the possibility of action by the DCF.
"We never said that unilaterally we would do something that's against the court," he said. "I've been asked to do it by a lot of people – a lot of the advice I'm getting over the Internet and over television and the like. I know that there were lots of rumors of things that aren't accurate. I have a duty to uphold the law and I have been very consistent about that. It seemed like a big story that never was confirmed because it wasn't true. If we had that ability to do it, if there wasn't an injunction, we would do it right now. We would stabilize her by giving her hydration. We couldn't put a feeding tube in. There was already a court order in place. The opportunity we had was appealing his decision."
A prominent evangelical Christian leader yesterday urged Bush to disobey the judge's order barring the Florida governor from intervening to save the life of Terri Schiavo. In a statement shortly after Judge George Greer's decision, Rev. D. James Kennedy pointed to Bush "as the only legal authority who can save the life of Terri Schiavo."
Kennedy, president of Coral Ridge Ministries, said Bush "must act and he must act immediately on her behalf."
"He must disregard the order of Judge Greer," Kennedy said. "He has both the authority and the duty to do so under the state constitution."
Greer rejected Bush's request to grant the governor protective custody. On Wednesday he barred the Department of Children & Families from taking custody. Also yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Terri Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, for an emergency order allowing her feeding tube to be reinserted.
Bush said new information had come to light warranting intervention, including a review of Terri Schiavo's condition by neurologist Dr. William Cheshire, who claims she may have been misdiagnosed. Cheshire believes Schiavo to be in a "minimally conscious state," not a "persistent vegetative state" as Greer has determined.
"It is imperative that she be stabilized so the DCF team can fulfill their statute to review the facts surrounding the case," Bush said.
Kennedy said Bush should be commended for his efforts over the past two years – which include the state legislature's passage of "Terri's Law" – but he noted those efforts "thus far has proven fruitless." The law later was declared unconstitutional.
"Neither the state legislature nor the courts, state or federal, have been willing to act on behalf of this helpless woman who is now within hours of death," Kennedy said.
Kennedy points out the Florida Constitution states in Article I, Section 2, that "[a]ll natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law, and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life ... ." According to the Constitution, "no person shall be deprived of any right [including the right to enjoy life] because of ... physical disability."
Similar arguments were brought to Florida's capital this morning by former Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes. Keyes wrote a column published yesterday by WorldNetDaily, arguing for Bush to step in and save Schiavo amid judicial abuse of the separation of powers.
"I have talked to a whole lot of people that I respect, not just now but the first time when Terri's law was passed, to make the determination of what my powers are and they are not as expansive as people would want them to be," Bush said yesterday. "And I understand, they're acting on their heart and I fully appreciate their sentiments and the emotions that go with this, but .... I've consistently said that I can't go beyond what my powers are and I'm not going to do it. There are 90,000 abortions that take place in this state every year. That troubles me more than I can ever describe, but that doesn't mean that I have some secret powers to stop that. There are a lot of things that go on in society that trouble me and this is certainly one of them. To have someone starve to death troubles me greatly and we have done everything we can and we will continue to do so within the powers that I have."
Dear sinkspur,
"The pro-lifers already risk losing ground over this issue."
Just what would be lost?
Perhaps abortion on demand might be legalized? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
Perhaps parents might have no say in their 11 year old daughters having abortions? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
Perhaps abortionists will be permitted to deliver a baby, at full term, only to stick a pair of scissors into the back of her skull, and suck her brains out? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
Perhaps disabled people will be starved to death, so that faithless husbands can keep the money for their whores and bastards? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
Perhaps judges will use the falsified testimony of lawless murderers to justify their murder? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
Perhaps judges will begin to deny that the people, through their elected representatives, have the power of self-government any longer? Perhaps the judges will appoint themselves our masters, superior to our legislatures and executives? Oh wait, the robed tyrants already did that.
And in not taking Terri into protective custody, and having the murderer greer arrested for violating state law, Gov. Bush has enabled the last item. And in not sending federal marshals to protect Terri, and to arrest the murderer greer for contempt of Congress and violation of federal law, President Bush has also enabled that last item.
They're all hat, no cattle.
sitetest
I'll walk that mile with them, too. You gotta' do what you gotta' do.
You said it there. You've got my vote. This is the proverbial CONSERVATIVE, CULTURE OF LIFE "LINE IN THE SAND". It cannot be crossed. Those who cross it, be they Deathocrats, RINOs or Republicans, should do so at their political risk. And as for the Republicans, I really don't care anymore if their family name is Todd-Whitman or Schwarzenegger or Bush or Hastert.
You may want to research exactly what he has the power to do before you join the rest of the masses in this thread and bow at the alter of the mighty Jeb Bush. I'd encourage you to read the findings presented by The Thomas Law Center. Jeb has the power to legally stop this fiasco. But he isn't willing to spend the political capital.
What amazes me is how tricked most of the people are, including conservatives. This isn't a new issue. It's been years in the making. There's no excuse for the Congress, Senate and President waiting until the tube was removed to do something. Heck, the tube has been removed before. They're just responding to public pressure, in so much as they want the idiotic masses of this country to believe "they really tried".
It's time for us to stop being so naive. The government could stop this if they wanted to. Do you really believe that a solitary judge in Florida has the power to overrule the Congress and the President? You must be joking. Take a step back and think about it. Who "really" has the power in this charade? I think the answer is pretty obvious. The President, Governor, and Congress are immensely more powerful and able than a solo judge and a tiny arsenal of lawyers backed by the ACLU.
The real question is whether or not the government is "in on it", or if they just don't want to cause any problems. After all, if you want to remain an oligarchy of elites running the lives of the serfs, you've got to play nice together, even if a few people have to die here and there to get the job done.
Spineless, IMO.
We would simply be led away in handcuffs, accomplishing nothing. Odds are, that wouldn't happen to the Governor.
When legal measures fail for justice, its time to take extra legal measures to protect the public interest. If Terri can be executed by her HINO, then it would set bad precedent for allowing other undesirables to be further denied of life and liberty... In fact, Schiavo's case is different from Cruzan or Quindlan because medically their conditions were without dispute, while Schiavo (we should call her Terri Schindler because her husband is soo willing to kill her that he has essentially forfieited all other rights regarding her) could possibly recover, and others worse off (though not brain dead vegetables like Quindlan or Cruzan) than her have done so.
But when man's law runs contrary to God's law, Man's law is null and VOID, and those who follow it are the chaff to fuel the fires of hell, while those who follow the law of God are the good shepherds and the finders of lost sheep.
I'd be willing to go down there, if I lived closer to Pinnellas, FL (I live up in Kentucky...).
Have mercy on our country if we let this woman die, for I fear that God will strike us with great vengance if Terri dies..
We keyboard jockeys do not have the National Guard at our disposal. We keyboard jockeys do not have the executive power that Jeb has. Keyboard jockeys like us will certainly face serious legal consequences if we take arms, show up with our Winchester, Magnum, Glock, etc...to rescue Terri. Whereas, Jeb HAS the executive power to send the National Guard, State Police, etc...to do so. What would Greer and likes of him do if Jeb sends in the National Guard. Greer and what army? Let Greer enforce his own ruling! Enough is enough. We have a runaway judiciary and this is the perfect time to reign 'em in and be a hero to all conservatives. If Jeb is calculating some future political position such as POTUS, Senate, etc...he would be shooting himself in the foot if he doens't take the right action to defend life at this time. Jeb, so far has not shown that he has any cahoonas. Face it, Jeb's a weenie.
The Florida legislature had an opportunity to act, and didn't.
I certainly understand and agree with your anger, but you can't simply discard laws you don't agree with.
High emotion and frustration are leading some people toward situational anarchy, it seems to me.
I heard a lot out of you over TS six months ago (NOT!) when the Florida legislature could have changed the law regarding what is, and what is not, a medical procedure ("sustenance and hydration" are "medical procedures" in Florida law).
Now, at the eleventh hour, you and many others want to just ignore laws you don't agree with.
Of course it is. I'm glad that both Bush brothers are guided by calmer judgment.
Agreed - calmer and more rational judgment, perhaps.
Dear sinkspur,
"You're advocating, effectively, lawlessness, sitetest."
No I'm not. I'm stating that the judiciary has become lawless and that it is within the inherent power of the executive to check the judiciary's lawlessness.
The fact is that the murderer greer IS in contempt of Congress, which is part of the federal government. President Bush is the chief federal law enforcement official, and thus has the power to arrest those who commit federal violations.
The fact is that Florida state law permits the DCF to take an abused adult into custody WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF A COURT, if that adult is in immediate physical danger, especially of death.
The fact is, the executive and the legislature are co-equal branches of government, and do not have to kow-tow to the illegal, unconstitutional acts of a tyrannical judiciary.
My advocacy is to RETURN to the rule of law from the current judicial lawlessness.
sitetest
Dear mountaineer,
"High emotion and frustration are leading some people toward situational anarchy, it seems to me."
Well, perhaps you might think it preferable to anarchy, but where we've gotten to is judicial dictatorship.
We aren't in favor of anarchy, we merely wish that our elected representatives, especially in the person of the executives, prevent this coup d'etat against our Constitution. We merely wish that President Bush and Gov. Bush abide by their oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
The judges are usurping the Constitution, overthrowing the Republic, and imposing judicial dictatorship.
The executives ought to prevent this from occuring. The power to do so inheres to their offices.
sitetest
The blame also belongs on the people who would not do enough to stand up to to the evil doers. Jeb has the power but is afraid to use it.
When she passes, can Jeb Bush order a autopsy?
I hear that Michael is intending to cover up everything by immediately cremating her and sending her ashes to Pennsylvania.
She had healed broken bones, maybe evidence of damage from previous strangulation and her brain should be looked at after this.
Hope somebody officially forces an autopsy if she is forced to die.
I think Jeb Bush is a GOOD man. Because he is a GOOD man, his failure to act NOW will torture his conscience for the rest of his life.
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