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A question for anyone who may know:

I have read these threads and it appears one side claims Terri is only "brain damaged" and she is alert and responding. There is also a claim that her parents believe she was the victim of an attempted murder by her husband. If this is the case(and I don't know that it is), has she, or why hasn't she, communicated in some way that he had tried to kill her?

I can't say I understand her mental and physical state, and I'm not sure anyone here really does either, so I am wondering if she has, or why she can't, communicate that to someone.

Go to the Terri Schindler-Chiavo Foundation site for a video record of Terri's responsiveness. She is able to respond but is able to interact in only a limited way when concious. Which she is in each of the videos. There is also information about this whole case, which has been going on for years.

With no therapy, no one cared to discover whether her condition could be improved to the point where she could communicate. Looks like the team of Greer/Chiavo are bound and determined no one ever will find out if therapy would have helped.

It's amazing that Terri was denied ANY therapy whatsoever. This is not a right to life issue as much is it an issue of cruel and inhuman treatment of an individual who may very well die a painful death - and be aware of every minute of discomfort.

You aren't going to get a lot of even-handed commentary on this case by asking on these threads. You've probably already guessed that.

Just FYI, this thing has been dragging up and down through both the state and Federal court system for more than a decade. It has been to the state supreme court three times, and to the SCOTUS once (which refused even to hear the case). Last winter, Mrs. Schiavo was examined by a panel of physicians: two appointed by her husband, two appointed by her parents, and one appointed by the judge. Predictably, the four doctors appointed by parties to the case supported the position of the side that hired them. The physician chosen by the judge sided with the husband, and found that Mrs. Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state, with no expectation that she will ever recover.

In summary, this case has been winding its way through the court system for a very long time. It is standard practice in (so far as I know) every state in the union that when a patient is unable to make decisions for herself, and has left no written instructions as to her wishes, the closest living relative is called upon to make those judgments, in consultation with her physicians. In the course of 10 years of court battles, Mrs. Schialvo's parents have failed to persuade any judge, anywhere, either state or Federal, that Mr. Schialvo is not acting appropriately in his wife's best interest. And despite the allegations circulating about foul play, they have failed to persuade any prosecutor's office that there is reason to believe that a crime has been committed or is being committed.

That's about as good a summary of the situation as you're going to get.