Posted on 04/20/2005 11:25:41 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Three weeks will soon have passed since Terri Schindler-Schiavo was forced to die an inhumane and tragic death. Thousands who were against Terri's killing claim they find themselves awake at all hours of the night trying to come to terms with what happened to Terri. Many state they are suffering from overwhelming depression, frustration, and feelings of powerlessness. Others find themselves struggling to understand how America stood by and allowed Terri to be publicly murdered and not receive judicial or police protection.
Only a few short weeks ago, we witnessed thousands upon thousands of people from all over the world rise in protest to the heinous crime involving the murder of Terri Schindler-Schiavo. During the long 14 day period, as Terri laid suffering from starvation and dehydration, members of the US Congress gathered in a weekend forum to vote on a bipartisan bill that would assure Terri's constitutional rights. The bill was aimed at saving her life. The President of the United States who was preparing for Easter with his family, was urgently flown from his vacation ranch home in Texas to the White House to sign a bill that was passed in a 203 to 58 vote. So, why now are we faced with feeling the unsettling side effects of Terri's murder? Why do many seek answers to questions such as: How does a nation justify, publicly watching the death of an innocent disabled woman while no one was capable of stopping her murder?
When trying to find any sense of understanding or acceptance regarding Terri's murder, we must discuss some aspects surrounding the topics of death. Death, as we all know, is defined as: "A permanent cessation of all vital functions." Due to its permanency, we find death very disturbing under any circumstance. Death creates a destabilization of our existence, knowing there is no turning back. Normally, we experience death when it results from illness, unexpected trauma, or old-age. We are seldom, if ever, confronted with the unique emotions associated with murder happening in our family. When we hear about a murder we usually find ourselves gasping at the crime as it makes headline news. The loss of human life is final and emotionally traumatizing on any society. Any way we wish to view it, the intentional infliction of death on a human being, will always be defined as murder. Our country bases its philosophy on the value of "preservation of all life," thus, creating its laws to say, under no circumstances should anyone take the life of an innocent human being. We ask then, why was Terri allowed to be murdered as the world stood by and watched?
Once we are subjected to loss of life, we naturally emerge into what is known as the grieving process. Grief as we know it, has limitless boundaries. Often when we are forced to grieve, we flail aimlessly and timelessly into what appears to be an open abyss. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross describes in her book "Death and Dying," the 5 stages of grief as: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. In order to move through the grieving process, we must at some point encounter the 5 stages of grief. Many will vacillate between the phases of grief for an undetermined period of time.
We also know there are thousands of people who routinely struggle with the controversial issues surrounding the death penalty. It is not unusual, or unreasonable for people to find difficulty digesting the legal liberties that are given to man when they are authorized to inflict the finalities of death upon any human being. Be the death penalty right or wrong, those who struggle with it can often find some sense of rationale and acceptance in knowing that those on death row were convicted and tried for a crime which brought forth their death sentence. However, what happens to the thousands who are reaching for that same sense of understanding and acceptance when grieving for Terri's publicly inhumane murder? Terri, was not a criminal and never hurt anyone. She was not tried, or convicted of any crime. She was not terminally ill, or unhealthy. She was not taken off to the hidden ominous fields where victims are murdered by their unknown killers. Despite all, we had a nation that was forced to watched Terri's tragic and unnecessary death, making it difficult, if not impossible, to transition into the grieving phases of acceptance.
We recognize that Terri was not any more special to her parents, than any other child is to their parents who love them. It is a given that she will be just as missed by her family, as others tend to miss their family members when they die. However, once again, as we seek some rationalization and acceptance in dealing with Terri's death, like we do in the normal grieving process of others, we find ourselves reaching an emotionally unsettling and angry set of emotions to deal with. Perhaps,it is due to the disturbing visions of a Mother publicly pleading for the life of her daughter; a daughter who would not be dead if it weren't for an estranged spouse who intentionally starved and dehydrated her, to her death. These visions leave the sane population very distraught. We again find ourselves asking, how do we move into the acceptance phase of grief after watching an innocent member of our society be murdered and denied the right to receive help? We knew, and will remember Terri as the innocent woman who through her means of natural communications waited patiently each day for her loving and very dedicated family to visit her so she could smile and laugh with them. We knew how her biological family had struggled for years to be capable of providing her with the therapy and help that we all naturally reach for when we are hurting, or injured. We shall always recall the look of love and warmth on the faces of Terri and her Mother as they embraced each other. Was the love and unity of the Schindler family so wrong a bond that we had to remove one of its members?
For Terri, sadly, the help that we normally would have expected to come her way, never did arrive. Where does this leave the thousands of civilized people who are now in shock, remembering the agonizing expressions on Mary's face as she pleaded for someone, anyone, to help rescue her daughter? How do we as a nation cope with Terri's unnecessary and brutal murder; a murder that we not only heard about over and over again though out every media source, but were also forced to watch as it appeared on national television for 14 long days? How do we justify the murder of a woman who was healthy and did not have to die, yet, we did nothing to stop it? When did America begin denying a family the right to care for one of its members? Who will be next?
I personally refuse to accept the notion that we have become a barbaric society living amongst many others like George Felos, Michael Schiavo, George Greer, and Deborah Bushnell. The four people who comfortably watched Terri slowly have the life sucked out of her, and then later rationalized Terri's death as merciful. Terri's death cannot be defined as anything but cold, callous, inhumane, unnecessary, wrong, and against all the laws that our country was founded upon. Laws that still read, MURDER is illegal! Assuming the majority of our world still believes murder is wrong, we must ask ourselves what can we do to prevent Terri's situation from happening to another individual? How can we seek justice for Terri and see to it that the four people who are responsible for the 14 days of her inhumane killing are brought to legal justice? We must also ask ourselves, is it more reasonable to suggest that the thousands who supported Terri, who were appalled and against her death, the emotionally unstable religious zealots that George Felos suggested they were? Or, is it more reasonable to say that rather it was Terri's estranged spouse, his euthanasia attorneys, and the judge in Pinellas County, who are the emotionally unstable death zealots who need to be convicted for their criminal actions?
More importantly, as a civilized society, we must question, are we going to challenge the inhumane laws that killed Terri, or, are we willing to allow her death to be in vain and chalk it up to becoming the new season preview for Reality Guardianship Murders? I do believe that it is vitally important for every person who grieves Terri's tragic death to have these questions answered, all in an effort to enter into the Acceptance phase of grief.
To each his own.
To each his own!
Wow. How has this changed your life?
Are you organizing or petitioning or doing anything to change the circumstances that allowed to Terri's death?
Sorry for the double post.
What are you doing?
Why are you so bugged by the support for Terri shown here? I don't understand.
Not doing anything.
I'm not bugged by the support for Terri at all.
Figures
What are you doing?
Any suggestions?
Letters, emails, phone calls, donations, talking to anyone who will listen and praying, to name a few.
Check out
http://www.terrisfight.org/now.html
April 15, 2005
We are incredibly moved that so many of you have requested to be updated and desire to be involved in our continuing efforts at the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation. Given your continued support, we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you our current focus and activities.
There are necessary actions as an organization that we must take to ensure that we are able to serve others in a meaningful and effective way.
Organizing and putting into place the necessary people, resources, and proper not-for-profit IRS designation to enable the Foundation's good work is critical. The Foundation will continue to engage volunteers and operate with the focus of our existence to serve others. Creating a solid and accountable Foundation, guided by our future focus, is an important first step to enable successful contributions be made to those we serve.
Moving forward, our goals, strategies, and objectives will be further defined as we continue to fight for the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. We are clear that our focus now and during the very near future is to help others avoid future tragedies that reflect what Terri endured. Therefore, we have set a course to address:
Education on state laws that allow terminal dehydration and starvation deaths;
Education on how to protect ourselves and loved ones against medical neglect and medical futility policies;
Encouragement of lawmakers, in all states, to reexamine laws that allow terminal dehydration and starvation deaths;
Lobbying for changes in current "death with dignity" laws so that disabled and vulnerable individuals are not targeted for death based on disability;
Lobbying for changes in current guardianship laws so that incapacitated individuals are not deprived of due process or retained rights at the whim of a guardian or probate court;
Creation of a support network for families dealing with brain injury patients to provide education on providing care and protecting their loved ones.
With your help, all of these goals are within our collective reach. Our Foundation does not seek to limit an individual's ability to make their own medical decisions. Our goal is to enable the respectful treatment of incapacitated individuals through cultural awareness and laws that ensure the rights of vulnerable citizens across our nation are preserved.
Please be certain to check back soon for information and details of how you can help and how your can take steps to protect yourself and your family.
If you would like to be updated via email, please contact us here. Note: Your email address will not be shared with any third party.
Thank you for all your past, current and future support.
Please ping the Terri list to post 150 -- I think most people may not have seen the latest on the action suggestions on the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation website.
A person in PVS does all kinds of grotesque involuntary movements that can be misinterpreted by grieving families as a "smile" or trying to speak.
I have a professional interest in the rule of law.
Speaking of losers...take a look in the mirror, poster child.
Sure. Everybody loves the idea of having their mouth, tongue and insides mummmified from lack of water. I'm sure that's just what she's glad he did to her. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone? </sarcasm>
Yep, and right on cue. Talented PVS personality, there.
Peddle your rule of law where death mongers and murderers will appreciate it. You'd have supported the rule of law that made Black people sit at the back of the bus and drink out of different water fountains from white people, too, I'm sure. Just following orders, sir, just following orders.
So murder is just fine in your book as long as it follows the rule of law.
Well - so do we - especially when the law is set up to kill some of us.
I will never forget.
I want the Schindler's to file a wrongful death suit!!!!
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