Terri Schiavo's Family Continues Effort to Block Jack Kevorkian UF Speech

Life News ^ | 9/3/07 | Steven Ertelt

[wagglebee]

Gainesville, FL (LifeNews.com) -- The family of Terri Schiavo is continuing its efforts to block a speech by Jack Kevorkian scheduled for the middle of next month. The speech would be the first for the former assisted suicide crusader following his release from prison for killing a disabled man and showing the death on national television.

Kevorkian would speak to students at the University of Florida on October 11 and receive $50,000 for the talk, as long as his parole officers approve the trip.

The family of Terri Schiavo has been leading an effort to stop the speech by gathering petitions from concerned citizens so Kevorkian doesn't get a platform in their home state.

They don't want the former pathologist telling students that people with disabilities should be killed, like their sister, rather than receiving appropriate medical treatment or rehabilitative care.

Bobby Schindler, Terri's brother, told LifeNews.com, "We have collected thousands of petitions (and they are still coming in) to deliver to the Office of the President of the University of Florida."

"We're demanding the University rescind its offer to pay $50,000 for Kevorkian to address the students," he added.

"Despite the ongoing message of death spreading through our society and those, like Jack Kevorkian, who attempt to justify killing the most vulnerable among us, we are committed to fight against this death-obsessed culture and spread Terri's legacy of life, hope and love," Schindler explained.

He said there is still time for pro-life people and others worried about Kevorkian's pro-assisted suicide message to sign a petition asking the University of Florida to cancel the speech.

The petition can be found at the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation web site.

ACTION: You can also contact the University of Florida President J. Bernard Machen at 352-392-1311 or president@ufl.edu.

[bjs1779]

What ‘fantasies” ? did you not even read I said “really not a solution”? If you don’t even read the responses..forget it.

Oh I read your responses.

"Dr. K offers what is really not a solution, but to the sick and dying it is the only solution they have if they don’t get pain treatment" - Recovering Ex-hippie

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

No, but college kids haven’t looked at all this.

[wagglebee]

Why would you expose anyone to beliefs that you know to be wrong?

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Get that beauty rest!

[BykrBayb]

I can’t! I have that nagging question, that just HAS to be answered. If you were on stage with Kevorkian, would you debate him, or agree with him?

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I am interested in discussing the issues. he has already been convicted...so? there would have been many ways to deal with this at the college other than the way they are doing this.they could have asked for him not to be paid, or asked that he be only on with others.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I would take a really good debator with me and try to convey to the college kids WHY Dr. K’s solution the way he did this was not right.

And to bring up other issues, like pain managment. I would bring up the fact that in Oregon where they gave terminal people medication they could take, if they wanted to at the end...the reality was maybe .05 percent actually took the medicine. That would bring up the issue of how do we deal with people’s fears and pain and depression? And which end of life treatments, including spiritual, are the MOST helpful that avoid having people to end their life.

[bjs1779]

I am interested in discussing the issues. he has already been convicted...so? there would have been many ways to deal with this at the college other than the way they are doing this.they could have asked for him not to be paid, or asked that he be only on with others.

I think you would of let Richard Speck teach sex education if he was paroled.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Because the beliefs are out there all around us. It is my duty as a moral person to address these beliefs with young people....I am sure you would do the same if a young person asked about soemthing you did not agree with morally.

[wagglebee]

I agree, we must address what we know is immoral. That does not mean that we should willingly (and for a very large fee) expose people to those we know to be immoral.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

the issues are not the same.
and Dr. k should not be paid and not allowed to teach...but he should be allowed to speak.

[BykrBayb]

Not bad, but I ain't giving you $50,000 for it. Maybe if you hadn't thrown in "WHY Dr. K’s solution the way he did this was not right" (as though some other method would have been fine). But at least I can get some sleep now.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I do see your point there. I would not want Kevorkian to be paid or to be allowed up there alone.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

the point I would make, is if someone is so terminal and in pain, they should be allowed as much pain med, even if it hastens death. I agree about the slippery slope and THAT is the strongest point I would want to make with young people!

[wagglebee]

But that is exactly what the university plans. They are paying him $50K to give a speech to which there will be no rebuttal (and if this university is like many others, Dr. Death will no doubt have many admirers among the faculty).

[bjs1779]

and Dr. k should not be paid and not allowed to teach...but he should be allowed to speak.

To a college who pays him with taxpayer money? That the issue my friend.

[BykrBayb]

Well yeah, I can agree with that. Sometimes palliative care involves increased dosage of pain medication.

[wagglebee]

Sometimes palliative care involves increased dosage of pain medication.

And so long as this is done gradually and properly the patient will develop a tolerance to the increased dosages and not die.

However, the point still remains that some of the people who Kevorkian killed suffered from depression, which is not physically painful and generally treatable.

[BykrBayb]

Obviously, I have no self control. I was going to stop posting half an hour ago, but here I still am. Maybe if you all just “Do not post to me” for a while, eventually I'll get bored and leave.

; )

[wagglebee]

You should go eat an omelet or something! :-)