Posted on 09/01/2005 9:51:24 AM PDT by NYer
TAMPA BAY, August 31, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Ten year-old Joshua Heldreth, the eldest of eight children, was arrested on Good Friday of this year for trespassing while attempting to bring a drink of water to Miss Terri Schaivo. Days later Schiavo died of intentional dehydration. In court Joshua pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 hours of community service and ordered to write an apology for his actions.
The boy whose arrest photo was splashed on front pages of newspapers across the nation wrote in his apology letter, "I was arrested on Good Friday for trespassing on the hospice center's property . . . Not giving Mrs. Shiavo (sic) food or water was wrong. The reason I had to go on your property was because Jesus would do the same thing. It made me sad that she was so thirsty and it made Jesus sad too. I knew she would die without water and I am called by Jesus to be a defender of the defenceless. So I had to go on your property to try to bring her a drink."
Joshua added, "I am sorry that you didn't like that and wouldn't allow me to help save her life and one day you will have to tell God why. I won't be able to help you then like I tried to help her. I will pray for you every day . . ."
LifeSiteNews.com caught up with Joshua's father Scott Heldreth today. Scott told LifeSiteNews.com he is very proud of his son. "My son has amazed me through this whole thing," said Heldreth. The proud father said it was his son's own initiative to attempt to give the starving woman a glass of water, and despite the warning of his parents that he'd be arrested, the boy insisted. "He was the one who begged us to go down, because he wanted to give her a glass of water . . . We explained that police will never let you help . . . you'll be arrested, but he went anyways."
Pro-life leader Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America told LifeSiteNews.com that the whole pro-life movement shares Heldreth's pride in his son. Benham recalls the reaction of Heldreth on Good Friday as he watched his son being arrested: "When that all took place Scott was weeping, this father was weeping tears of joy seeing his son not only talk the Christian talk but walk the walk."
While the apology letter has been submitted, Heldreth told LifeSiteNews.com he's not completely sure it will be accepted.
See Joshua's full handwritten apology letter here:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/JoshuaApolog...
Well, sorry about the barbed tongue routine, but all I ask of Freepers is that they read my posts, rather than interpreting them.
Hasta la bye bye.
Yeah, given what he put in the letter, they'll probably throw him in jail and expel him from his public skrool, if he's unfortunate enough to be attending one.
If she had wanted to badly enough, and I had the opportunity and finances to do so, sure I would.. I would be glad to be there myself if I could have. I think you're barking up the wrong tree here.. I don't feel that this child was coerced in any way.. if you'd read the story more completely you'd see that.. if your children choose not to be active in this way, that's your business, but I let my children know that many things are worth fighting for. I would be proud to be arrested for something like this, and if my child chose the same path, I would be very proud of her.
I think even more than that.. there are people out there for whom nothing is worth fighting for, or getting arrested for.. not even Christian ideals.
Well, if you believe that any non-Christian is evil, I guess I qualify. I can live with that.
I didn't say coerced - I said encouraged. I stand by that.
If more adults showed the kindness and faith of this child.......
Out of the mouths of babes.
The PINELLAS PARK POLICE DEPT. HELPED MURDER TERRI. That proves they are friends with JUDGE GREER. Their gender doesn't matter. THEY ARE KILLER COPS.
Trolls, you are disgusting creatures, even if you come here acting like know it alls. All you know is that you wish the rest of us would go away. FAT CHANCE.
Today, we see the dehydration of New Orleans. Maybe some of those folks will tell how it feels to starve and be dehydrated for FIVE DAYS. I bet they were suffering in pain. JUST LIKE TERRI. Quite a few of them died that way. TROLLS, YOU ARE BOTTOM DWELLERS FOR THE DEALERS OF DEATH.
Serious answer -don't try to put words in my mouth... It is up to you to mend your ways if that is your goal. -I will not debate what is objectively obvious to me and apparently but argumentative to you...
Take my feedback and factor it into your 'equation'...
I will give you my opinion on the topic -I myself see nothing wrong EVEN if as you argue the child was 'forced' to to this... I myself have forced my children to do many things brush teeth, do homework, go to bed, come inside...
Really -force is not the issue -the issue is the intent and the direction that some find potentially disgusting... Some might say that forcing a child to follow the teachings of Christ is a parents perogative and choice... Some such as myself see nothing wrong with EVEN the worst case scenario you moral relatively argue in ACLUish fashion...
Thanks for the great great letter. I like the way he 'apologizes' - he tells them how wrong they were and how he was commanded to do what he did! So cool.
Pinellas County is just lucky it hasn't been hit by a hurricane. Lots of jaded or corrupt people live in Pinellas County. The decent folks do the best they can.
Lots of jaded or corrupt people live in Pinellas County.
IMHO, A hurricane is too mild a justice for those - in any way - involved in Terri's demise. Even for those who just thought it in their heart.
When I think of her sitting in bed all those years without therapy - the brazen deliberate withholding of any and all treatment is cruelty.
The courts made sure Terry died. They made the kid do a perp walk in cuffs. Hasn't the state gotten their pound of flesh here?
I'd advise the judge to take the backhanded apology and "move on".
If it takes a 10 year old to show them the error of their ways, so be it. They just want to squash his spirit, his beliefs. It's not too smart to mess with one of God's children. Like you say "move on" and I'll add "hands off".
I do not need to show anybody anything. I responded to you out of charity -NOT to engage in moral relative posturing for a perceived audience whose 'majority' opinion really has no consequence on the truth...
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