Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

FL lawyer says Giuliani, Romney, McCain wrong on Schiavo case
OneNewsNow ^ | 5/28/07 | Jim Brown

Posted on 05/28/2007 9:33:12 AM PDT by wagglebee

The Christian attorney who fought to keep Terry Schiavo alive says the three leading GOP presidential candidates don't understand the important disability issues involved in the widely publicized 2005 case.

Hear This Report

During a recent Republican presidential debate in California, the candidates were asked whether Congress was right to intervene in the Terry Schiavo case by attempting to prevent the state of Florida from removing the disabled woman's feeding tube. The answers varied.

Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, said he thought it "was a mistake" for Congress to get involved and the matter should have been left at the state level. Senator John McCain said Congress "probably acted too hastily." And former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called the case a "family dispute."

David Gibbs III of the Christian Law Association says the United States gives greater due process to convicted murderers than to innocent disabled people. The former attorney for Schiavo's parents argues that Congress did the right thing when it intervened to provide her those rights.

"Many of the candidates are following the political wind, if you will, instead of showing leadership and saying, 'You know what? That was good public policy back then. We need to stand up for the disabled. We need to stand up for the senior citizens,'" Gibbs says. "We need to have that compassion for vulnerable people as opposed to taking the mindset that those people that just don't matter," he notes.

It is disingenuous, the Christian attorney contends, for candidates to claim they are pro-life but not be willing to grant due process rights to the disabled. "If you're pro-life, you have to be pro-life at every step," he says.

"Please understand: our founding fathers understood that you don't have any liberty, our Constitution doesn't matter, if you don't protect the innocent life of the citizens," Gibbs explains. "That's why they talked about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- your free speech, your freedom of religion, your right to own a gun or [receive] due process of law," he says. "If the government can kill you, you have no true liberty."

When Rudy Giuliani visited Florida he initially said he was in favor of assisting Terry Schiavo but later backpedaled from those comments, Gibbs points out. And in the recent GOP presidential debate, he says, only Kansas Senator Sam Brownback and Congressman Duncan Hunter of California got the issue right when they were asked about the Schiavo case.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008election; davidgibbs; duncanhunter; gibbs; giulianitruthfile; johnmccain; mittromney; moralabsolutes; prolife; terridailies; terrischiavo
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 1,361-1,3801,381-1,4001,401-1,420 ... 1,741-1,742 next last
To: Sun
The day of Michael's explosion was February 14, 1993. After that day, Michael never again spoke to the Schindlers, vowed that her family would never see her again, and never again allowed any therapy for Terri. From that day on (if not much earlier!), he was only interested in her death -- the therapy money would be his! "Isn't that b*tch dead yet?" "I'm gonna be rich!"

Two or three months later, he tried to kill her by ordering her facility not to give her antibiotics for a UTI.

1,381 posted on 07/10/2007 7:24:16 AM PDT by T'wit (Visitors: you come here expecting a turkey shoot, and then you find out that you are the turkey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1379 | View Replies]

To: T'wit

Also Michael was very revengeful and took it out on Terri.

He wouldn’t allow her to have therapy to talk (she could say a few words), he wouldn’t allow her to have therapy to swallow better (she COULD swallow soft foods), he turned her family’s pictures around in her room, wouldn’t allow her to go outside for some fresh air, wouldn’t allow sunlight in her room, wouldn’t allow her see the cute little dogs that are brought around to cheer patients, wouldn’t allow her teeth to be brushed, etc.

He was a sadist who euthanized Terri’s two cats, and worse, admitted on the Larry King show that he had his parents starved to death when they were sick with cancer, etc., and abused Terri before the collapse, and continued to abuse her.


1,382 posted on 07/10/2007 7:38:24 AM PDT by Sun (Vote for Duncan Hunter in the primaries. See you there. http://www.gohunter08.com/Home.aspx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1381 | View Replies]

To: Sun
>> He wouldn’t allow her to have therapy to talk (she could say a few words)

Yes. Her use of the word "stop!" shows up on her med charts and she could say a few other words. The nurses reported on that. But in Michael's long regime of denying her therapy or even stimulation, Terri stopped verbalizing. I gather that she did make expressive sounds, but no longer tried words. Pat Anderson (the attorney) speaks movingly of her husband's effort, years later, to correct that and get Terri verbalizing again. He taught her to the equivalent of "yes" and "no," at least with some success. He took it especially hard when Terri was put to death not long afterward. They both did. I, for one, wish Pat Anderson were still speaking about the case. She is an encyclopedia about Terri's story and the law.

1,383 posted on 07/10/2007 8:41:07 AM PDT by T'wit (Visitors: you come here expecting a turkey shoot, and then you find out that you are the turkey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1382 | View Replies]

To: T'wit

Thank you!


1,384 posted on 07/10/2007 8:58:25 AM PDT by kozokey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1294 | View Replies]

To: fatima; retMD
Heeehee,Your not a Doctor.God bless you,Fatima

Ummm ... what do you suppose the "MD" stands for? (Hint: it ain't "Maryland" ...)

1,385 posted on 07/10/2007 10:33:40 AM PDT by kozokey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1357 | View Replies]

To: retMD
Funny thing about this. I can't find Jackie Rhoades testimony from a 1996 hearing. All I can find is her testimony from a 1/26/2000 hearing. And nowhere in that testimony does she mention signs of physical injury, such as bruises.

Is she the person who said one thing in her deposition and another at trial? I vaguely remember reading something like that in the past, but don't recall details. I'm wondering if the discrepancy you found is the difference between the deposition and the trial testimony.

1,386 posted on 07/10/2007 10:44:37 AM PDT by kozokey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1354 | View Replies]

To: bjs1779
What I don't understand is how he became the: Stephen J. Nelson, M.D. Chairman, Florida Medical Examiners Commission

I don't know, but I heard he was appointed right after he voiced his public support for the results of Lori Klausutis' autopsy.

1,387 posted on 07/10/2007 3:05:33 PM PDT by BykrBayb (This tagline in memory of FReeper 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1305 | View Replies]

To: retMD
There seems to be only the one article, and no previous articles or follow up anywhere that I can find.

That's strange. I see 3 or 4 articles on different dates on the same webpage. Maybe some others would like you check your version of the truth out.

Dr. Nelson botched strangulation case.

1,388 posted on 07/10/2007 4:41:48 PM PDT by bjs1779
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1344 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb
I remembered the name (barely), but knew nothing of the case. Without reading very far, -- without even waiting to see how this turns out :-) -- I find this bit of info on the findings:

~~~~

"... Meanwhile, the final report has been issued that Lori died as a result of a blow to the head because an undiagnosed heart condition caused her to collapse and fall, hitting her head on the desk.

"The initial reports from the Medical Examiner's office denied any trauma to the body that would indicate cause of death. But Berkland [the M.E.] acknowledged on Monday, August 6th, that Lori had sustained a "scratch and a bruise" on her head and that his original denials were to prevent undue speculation about the cause of death. "The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury", he said.

"And so, what we have here is the death of a healthy young woman who died of a blow to the head and a lie from the Medical Director's office about this blow which was quite obvious to the naked eye. They then had to go search for some reason why she might have "fallen" and hit her head. And they have found an "undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia". But a number of questions remain to be answered, and we have requested opinions from Dr. Nelson, the Chairman of the Medical Examiners Commission...." source

~~~~

It's amazing how often undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia kills off healthy young Florida women. ... The above item from a politically unfriendly source. I hope they were similiarly suspicious about Terri Schiavo supposedly keeling over with undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia -- and right in the middle of a domestic fight.

1,389 posted on 07/10/2007 4:55:36 PM PDT by T'wit (Visitors: you come here expecting a turkey shoot, and then you find out that you are the turkey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1387 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb
Gotta love the autopsy reports in Florida :-)

"The attending medical examiner, Dr. Michael Berkland, stated in his report that she had fainted and fallen, hitting her head on a desk. This, he said, broke her skull in a 7-inch transverse fracture running from right temple to left, pulverized a region of bone the size of a small marble inside the skull behind the right ear and caused a fist-sized hematoma, or effusion of blood, gathering below the dura mater of the left side of the skull. There was also a contusion, or bruise, on the back of the head. Bloody foam, signifying a death of slow asphyxiation, bubbled up from her lungs into her mouth. Just for good measure, Dr. Berkland claimed that Lori's heart had also failed."

More from the same source. Did I say unfriendly? They even taunt Freepers! :-)

1,390 posted on 07/10/2007 5:09:48 PM PDT by T'wit (Visitors: you come here expecting a turkey shoot, and then you find out that you are the turkey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1387 | View Replies]

To: kozokey
Is she the person who said one thing in her deposition and another at trial?

Let me guess. You believe Michael Schiavo's trusted testimony, the person who put Terri to death.

1,391 posted on 07/10/2007 5:14:45 PM PDT by bjs1779
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1386 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

“But individual states have traditionally dealt with this issue.”

The government (including unelected jurists, state, local or federal), is not allowed to end the life of an innocent and disabled human being. That goes for Terri, unborn children or the elderly.

If you think otherwise, there’s a place for you in China, Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, etc.


1,392 posted on 07/10/2007 5:23:51 PM PDT by tonysamm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

Lots of family diputes end in murder but this one was state sponsored. That’s why Jeb is out of the limelight. He knows what went down...


1,393 posted on 07/10/2007 5:43:14 PM PDT by floriduh voter (Terri's Legacy List Contact: 8mmmauser & REMEMBER TERRI IN CAMPAIGN 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: T'wit
>> The allegation was made, as you know quite well, by bjs1779.

No, I don't know a thing about it. If you have a problem with him, talk to him and stop throwing crap my way.

In bjs1779 post # 1181

Nelson is employed by Thogmartin. Or should I say that he should say what Thogmartin wants him to say if he wants his job?
The original exchange was between me and bjs1779. You jumped into it, and then claimed not to know about the original statement. I posted it again for you in post #1285. You obviously saw that post, because you answered it and continued to claim that Thogmartin employed Nelson.

If you don't want to be rebutted, don't claim things that aren't so.

1,394 posted on 07/10/2007 7:49:16 PM PDT by retMD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1368 | View Replies]

To: Sun
1) What did you “see” in the autopsy report?

2) Did it prove Terri was PVS? Hint: NOPE.

Please read what I've actually said, not what you think or want to believe I've said.

1,395 posted on 07/10/2007 7:50:42 PM PDT by retMD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1359 | View Replies]

To: retMD
Been out of town for a few days. I haven’t looked at Iyer’s testimony for a while. Will try to look it up. Was her testimony offered in court subject to cross exam or only by affidavit or in her book? As I remember, there were some question as to her credibility and the state of Florida did try suspend her license. Any testimony offered only by affidavit and not subject to cross examination, is inadmissible in trial or appellate courts. If she didn’t want to subject herself to cross exam that would affect not only the admissibility but also it’s credibility. I am going to have to look it up to refresh my memory.
1,396 posted on 07/10/2007 8:02:44 PM PDT by erton1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1361 | View Replies]

To: T'wit
>> Except that her testimony doesn't say what you claimed it did.

YOU COULDN'T FIND HER TESTIMONY! Don't tell me what was or was not in the testimony until you bloody read it!

Calm down, it's better for your blood pressure. If you read my post, I said quite clearly that I read her testimony from the 2000 trial. And nowhere in that testimony does she mention bruises, or any physical injury. If there is more medical testimony on this, link to it. However the University of Miami's Terri Schiavo timeline doesn't even show a 1996 Guardianship hearing. Maybe that's why I didn't find it?

If you think it exists, link to it.

1,397 posted on 07/10/2007 8:04:10 PM PDT by retMD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1370 | View Replies]

To: T'wit
Duh. You didn't find the right testimony.

I'm always glad to look at medical information on this. Please link to the right testimony.

1,398 posted on 07/10/2007 8:06:29 PM PDT by retMD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1377 | View Replies]

To: T'wit
Again, what does this have to do with the Schiavo case. Try to stick to the facts of the case. I know it is inconvenient to your speculation, but it just show's your problems with honestly discussing the case.
1,399 posted on 07/10/2007 8:07:10 PM PDT by erton1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1389 | View Replies]

To: kozokey
Funny thing about this. I can't find Jackie Rhoades testimony from a 1996 hearing. All I can find is her testimony from a 1/26/2000 hearing. And nowhere in that testimony does she mention signs of physical injury, such as bruises.

Is she the person who said one thing in her deposition and another at trial?

Good question! A google search turns up that she spoke about bruises on a TV interview, in 2005. One wonders why she wouldn't say the same under oath five years earlier, presumably when it mattered more.

1,400 posted on 07/10/2007 8:10:31 PM PDT by retMD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1386 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 1,361-1,3801,381-1,4001,401-1,420 ... 1,741-1,742 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson