AnnaZ's Interview w/ Bob Schindler, Jr. - Terri Schindler-Schiavo's brother [Rough Transcript]

AnnaZ's "RADIOFR'S *UNSPUN* TONITE: TERRI'S FIGHT" ^ | Sept. 6, 2003, from Sept. 4 interview | AnnaZ and Bob Schindler, Jr.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Unspun with AnnaZ (& 'Feinie') - w/ guest Bob Schindler, Jr., brother of Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

 

Thurs. Sept. 4,  2003,

 

Rough transcription - minus the first few questions and using a scratchy tape - beginning, sorry. Time is short.

---

(Terri 'collapsed' at age 26, in 1991)

 

A: What is your belief about what caused this collapse?

 

B: Well, at the time, we weren't certain. I didn't suspect that her husband could possibly be behind it.  We were all very concerned with her well being, but it wasn't until recently - last year - that some very disturbing, troubling, medical evidence surfaced - which really raises (questions).  (It's) something my father had suspected for a long, long time..a lot longer than I had, that Michael could possibly have been behind Terri's (collapse).

 

A: So that it may have been physically brought on.

    Now, there are apparently x-rays that show bone fractures and things like that?

 

B: That is correct. That's what the terrible truth (is). That surfaced, I believe, in Nov. of 2002. Bone scans indicated severe trauma throughout Terri's body.

 

A: What have the doctors ... have they said (what) they believe may have caused her to collapse?

 

B:  Well, it's never been investigated. That's one of the things..that we're (trying) to get done...(get investigated - give to) ..state attorneys in Florida..We went there.

 

They also have a doctor's testimony, who said that he has only - I forget his name - but he came across only one other person who had the same neck position as Terri and that person's neck position was caused by strangulation...So he persists, and saw the bone scan..very troubled by the new evidence. Along with quite a bit of the circumstantial evidence that supports the notion that Terri could possibly have been strangled.

 

We went to the state attorney's office - Bernie McCabe (sp), in Pinellas County, and, if I remember correctly. they were not very kind about him getting back to us. They told..my father..even if Terri was a victim of strangulation, there's a 4-year statute of limitations which would protect Michael.

 

A: O.K. Perhaps for that, but this attempt to (withhold food) by the judiciary - to continue in the, perhaps, murder of his wife would be something a little bit more current.

 

B: Correct.

 

A: And this is what we're really dealing with now.

 

    Now, when this first took place, Terri first collapsed, in those first few days and weeks that followed this incident, she was hospitalized immediately?

 

B: Correct

 

A: And she's been hospitalized ever since?

 

B: That's correct.

 

A: Now, was she responsive at all in the beginning?

 

B: Yeah, Terri was, uh, she was getting rehab for, uh, I guess for about a year and a half (out) from her accident and she was making progress. We have notes by nurses that state she was. It was limited.

 

A: Has she ever been able to communicate anything that may have happened to her that night?

 

B: She's not at that point where she's able to communicate that well, yet, but she is communicating. She tries all the time to speak. She receives (virtually) no therapy no - since 1991 - so for her to speak is very difficult because she has to be taught how to speak again, but she tries her darndest to..communicate with us.

 

A: (When did) you last see her?

 

B: Last night. Her family, we were in shifts all weekend because Terri was very ill, and I went down last night..

 

A: Because there was an issue with her being moved and your family not really being able to be with her.

 

B: Well, we've always...actually, my little sister, Susie, and I, uh, were actually barred at one time a couple of years ago from seeing Terri for a period of 6 months. Until recently, it's just been my mom, my dad, Susie and myself who have been visiting Terri, and, uh, of course, Monsignor Malinowski (sp)..visited her as well.

 

A: O.k., tell us about that controversy.

 

B: Monsignor Malinowski? When Terri was at the hospital, I guess it was about two weeks ago now, Monsignor went by to visti Terri. He always gives her the annointing of the sick, and, now for close to three years. He went to the hospital by himself, without my parents, and (I guess) Michael (learned of this)..he told the nurses not to allow Monsignor to visit Terri, and Judge (Greely?)...barred...from Terri.

 

A: So now the problem really at it's crux right now, it's kind of a custody battle?

 

B: I guess you could look at it that way. Correct.

 

A: Her husband..won't divorce her, he won't allow her family to be in charge of her, to take care of her..it seems he would prefer her to die.

 

B: He is, he is Hell-bent on, on killing my sister. He is doing everything in his power, I mean everything in his power to see that my sister dies.

 

A: Let's remind them. Let's find some of his motivation. Now...there was, of course,..some innuendo that it was an abusive relationship..there are people who have correlated that that might have been realistically what was going on, and we've had all this time in between and now you have him adament to the point where he's demanding that the law step in and allow her to be sort of be killed off, and die.

 

  Now, how these fights that are going against it, what is it..are you trying to (seize) custody or just demand that attention be given? And then there's of course the money motivation.

 

B: We want guardianship back of Terri. We want Michael to be removed as guardian and allow our family to become Terri's caretakers.

 

A: And this battle has been going on for how long..this specific case about guardianship?

 

B: That's been going on since January of 2000.

 

A: Why won't Michael give that up?

 

B: Well, if you ask Michael what is behind it, he claims that he's just doing what Terri wanted. That it's Terri's wish..that's what he said.

 

  But we believe that, you know, it could be, well, back when he first initiated the removal, back in Jan. of 2000, uh, there was close to a million dollars in Terri's trust fund that Michael would have inherited upon Terri's death, so it was clearly a money motivation, when this whole thing started.

 

  Since then, and I didn't think he planned on this ..lasting in the courts as long as it has, the money has deteriorated. It has gone to his attorney - over a half million dollars, which was, again, which was supposed to be rehabilitation...that's what it was earmarked for, but it has gone to his attorney and now they say that there's not any money left.

 

  We're not sure if the motive is, because she can never speak again (unintel..)...

 

A: Let's be honest. Were the collapse to have been an offshoot of an attempted strangulation, I wouldn't want her to speak again either.

 

B: Well, of course not.

 

A: We wouldn't want her to be rehabilitated. Nobody wants to have that finger pointing at them.

 

(Anna asks Bob how he feels about a)  "mainstream media that refuses to do any journalism whatsoever when it comes to your sister's story?"

 

 B: Well, I got to tell you, it's possibly one of the most frustrating aspects of this case is the lack of responsibility by most, not all, but most of the media in this case. They had to research this case.

 

    We're up against an attorney who has initiated a campaign with this right-to-die language that has (conditioned) the public to think that Terri's a lifeless, brain-dead vegetable.

 

A:  That's the first story I got, my first impression was.."why shouldn't they allow her to die. And then I saw the video. I was horrified that someone was trying to put her to sleep...When the doctors were asking her (to) open wide her eyes - I was in tears. I have to tell you, Bob, I was just sobbing watching that. I thought, "she's responding. She's listening. She's opening her eyes, and someone wants to yank her feeding tube out so that she can die - excruciating - and she's a totally alive human being?

 

B: I think you understand now why so vehemently his attorney, Michael Schiavo's attorney, tried to have those videos blocked - he tried his hardest to block those videos from being released.

 

A: I'm glad they were. They wer very powerful. Incredibly powerful because you're looking at her. You're seeing a live human being who is able to respond. Who is totally cognizant of what is being said to them and it's horrific. I mean, the Judge has not seen these videos?

 

B: Yeah. We're mystified on why the judge is acting as he is in this case. You know, it was ...the release of the videos on our website that's really started this groundswell. They've only been released now since mid-July and the support we're getting - it's difficult for me to express - to tell you the amount of e-mail, the amount of support - the amount of outrage thae we're now getting.. People are looking at these videos and they are mystified. They are just outraged that the court (is going to) starve to death my sister.

 

A: I'ts incredibly horrible. Those videos came out in July. It's getting to the point where when the charges went out (at) the website we're affiliated with, which is Free Republic.com....Jeb Bush received 27,000 e-mails. That obviously then did propel him to write that letter. Wrote what I thought to be a very well thought out letter to the judges that are involved. Because 27,000 e-mails represents a lot of people.

 

B: It certainly does, and I think Jeb Bush, being a human being, and I'm told there was research done on the case, and anybody that researches this case and discovers what is going on, I thinks as Jeb Bush did, (feels) helpless..wanting to involve (themselves). Because it is, you know it is just mystifying to us how these judges, it is really one judge in particular that has just (visibly) protected Michael (out of this) whole group of people the last 3 years...

 

A: O.k., Now, this is Judge Greer?

 

B: Judge George Greer.

 

A:  How much information has your side given him? Has he seen these videos?

 

B: They were at the trial..and, you know, interestingly enough, Judge Greer, in his ruling, even said that, uh, that Terri shows some response, and it was almost like she didn't respond enough for Judge Greer in order for him to rule where she was aware. But if you look at Florida law, to be in a PVS position, you have to show absolutely no, NO response, uh, or awareness of your environment..Terri clearly, that's what our attorney (responded)..Terri clearly, under Florida law, does not fit the PVS category.

 

A: Which is Permanent Vegetative State.

 

B: Permanent Vegetative State

 

A: Right

 

B: NO response, at all! No response at all to her environment.

 

A: Which is obviously not what we're seeing. Terri has shown more response than the guy who has come out of a 19-year coma in Arkansas - and asked for a Pepsi. Terri is more active than he was.

 

B: I fully agree.

 

A: Is there something sneaky there with Judge Greer..something weird between him and (this) husband?

 

B: It certainly doesn't makes you wonder...about the American justice system. The truth is what the judge says it is. So (much is) in control of this Judge and as long as he is ruling in this case, uh, we're in a lot of trouble - Terri's in a lot of trouble, unfortunately.

 

A: (Anna talks about a seeming nationwide trend of 'judicial tyranny'.)..'judges undermining and overturning the concensus of vast amounts of people..Judges are supposed to be about enforcing the laws that we already have..

 

  If we can prove, which obviously you've already been able to do, that Terri is NOT in a 'permanent vegetative state', I just don't understand why we need to continue...I don't know. It just seems there's got to be something there.

 

B: The same Judge refused to let (we asked) 3 doctors testify that Terri's able to swallow food, which means she can eat..We went to Judge Greer's court and asked him - we had a hearing - we asked the Judge to please give Terri, allow Terri a simple swallow test to see if she can eat. A swallowing test, to see if she has the capability of eating would take less than a day. He denied it.

 

A: Now, has he met Terri? Has he seen Terri himself?

 

B: Only through the videos. He's never gone down to visit her.

 

A: That's interesting, because he wants to preside and decide over whether she should live or die, but has decided not to go look her in the eye first?

 

B: That's absolutely correct.

 

A: There's something wrong right there.

 

B: Well, you would think he would want to go down and see for himself the person that he's ruling on, just how 'brain dead' she really is.

 

A: I would.

 

B: I would, myself, too - to have a clear conscience. Maybe he doesn't want to go down for that reason. He would see how alive and how responsive Terri is.

 

A: And this brings us to controversy no....which is, of course, the Catholic Bishops' Conference. ...that are all screaming about people that are on death row, and yet, have not accorded Terri the same respect as convicted murderers.

 

B: I teach at a Catholic School here in Florida, and Bishop Lynch (sp) is really my direct superior. He is the head of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and he is not, 'til recently - I'm talking the last 3 weeks - spoke(n) out on behalf of Terri, never called my parents...he could have prayers for my family and Terri. He has remained completely silent over 3 years. I think caved into the pressure, public pressure...

 

   Our family met with him right after the trial. I've had conversations with him in my school, recently. Before he came out with a statement..I think he tried to avoid me.  So, but I have to say that he has come out recently and he has come to Terri's defense. I would have liked to have seen it (be) a stronger statement, and I think it's sad that it took him this lonmg to do something, and at least he has, finally.

 

A:  Now, you said that you saw Terri last night. DOes she know? From what I've seen, it seems like she's kind of trapped inside her body that's not really functioning any more. When you talk to her, what kind of clarity do you see in her eyes? Does she understand when you're talking to her?

 

B: Well, you know, that's what's so sad. My heart breaks when I go in there. Terri's been confined to this room for 12 years. To see her just being neglected the way she has, with absolutely no therapy, it's a miracle as responsive as she is today  with absolutely no stimulation. The only stimulation that she gets is from the nurses and my family members - speak to her, do whatever we can to help when we're visiting.

 

It's hard for me to explain how, how responsive and how, you know, alive Terri is when we go in and see her, and, again, the notion that they're going to starve my sister to death seems...(unintel.) reponsive..(unint.).

 

A: Jane Chastain wrote a column today in World Net Daily which, I'm assuming you read.

 

B: I certainly did. It was wonderful.

 

A: It was wonderful in an absolutely horrific kind of way, though.

 

B: That last sentence, the way (she) framed that last sentence..20,000 petitions have been signed, and only 200 million more to go.

 

A: Exactly.  She fully  described what it takes to die from being starved for two weeks. It's horrific..what a person goes through.

 

B: I say wonderful in the sense that I'm glad this case is getting attention now. Every time I see an article written about Terri in this light, it makes me..I'm appreciative of the people speaking out on behalf of Terri's life.

 

A: And I'm appreciative of the family who is fighting so long and so hard for her in the face of ..even now, judicial madness.

 

  Jeb Bush did write this letter which I did read. Summer, a poster on Free Republic, received a full copy of the  letter and posted it for people to read, I guess the truth of it is it only has a certain amount of weight to it.

 

 What really can we do at this point? Would just his showing his interest - is that enough? Is there something else that may be done still at this point?

 

B: Well, you know, I'm not 100% sure what Gov. Bush can do at this point. I'm not sure that he can intervene any more than he already did with the Judge. I don't know. Maybe the appearance of bias. I don't know if he's in a position to do that. Someone told me that he has to be appointed in order to be removed for bias,a nd Judge Greer seems to be an elected official.

 

A: You have to prove bias.

 

    If someone is accorded 1.3 million dollars in order to take care of someone else, and they, instead, spend that money on a lawyer to try and kill the person they're supposed to take care of, is there a lawsuit there? This is obviously misappropriation of those funds - what they were designated for. Is there anything there?

 

B: Let me tell you, we have looked into every aspect of this case. We tried to track down the insurance company that was settled back in 1992, to let them know of the fraud involved, and we found out that they had been bought out like 2 or 3 times, not even in business anymore.

    We have looked into, as I said, almost every aspect we could possibly look into and I got to tell you - this Judge has completely insulated Michael. This Judge has put an order out to kill Terri and ..it has completely insulated Michael from any wrongdoing.

 

A: What happens on Sept.11?

 

B: Well, from my understanding, the Judge (will) set a date for the feeding (to be stopped). He could set (it) for the next day. He could set it for two years from now.  But our attorney is going to go in there and try (her) hardest to get the Judge to change his mind.

 

A: So what can people do to help Terri? Because there are a lot of people, Bob, that want to help her, a lot of people that want to stop this from happening - that are just as horrified - well, obviously they can't be, you're her brother, but are as horrified and overwrought as one can be without tthat sort of fillial relationship.

 

  What is it that we can inspire people to do to help this situation?

 

B: Did you see the affadavits of the nurses? They just came out the last couple of weeks..These nurses were absolutely petrified of Michael..I wish they would have come forwarda earlier, but, never the less, their affidavits are extremely disturbing, to say the least.

 

A: Why would they be afraid of Michael? Who is this guy? Why are they so afraid of him? ..He has pictures of everybody naked,...I've decided.

 

B: Michael's 6'6" - probably 260 pounds, and he, he's very intimidating physically. Uh, I think he bullies girls around as much as he can. I think he intimidates women.

 

A: There's 'concealed carry' laws there in Florida.

 

    But, seriously, right now there is a big fight rught now on FR to call Judge Greer and to give him a peice of everyone's mind.

 

B: The problem with Terri in this case, is his rulings have gone completely, you know, on Michael's behalf.

 

     Bernie McCabe (sp), a local state attorney. We think now that the nurses coming forward - there's enough evidence now so he (could) launch a criminal investigation into this case.

 

A: O.K., that would be nice. He's someone we could call.

 

B:Right.

 

A: Bernie McCabe, write it down.

 

B: He has chosen not to get involved in this case. Why? Why isn't there enough information for him to investigate? What's going on? It certainly seems. in a lot of people's minds, that there could possibly be some criminal wrongdoing - at the very least.

 

A: This is what I'm saying. Even if we can't prove, or statute of limitations - what happened 13 1/2 years ago, we certainly have, and I say 'we' in the collective 'we' - have certainly enough now where a criminal investigation on a whole bunch of different levels.

    You said - the money, the restricting of rehabilitation services - all of this stuff - it just seems like a whole body ...so, let's call him, call Judge Greer, who else? Who else can we bug? They're making your sister's life miserable, Bob. We want to make their life miserable.

 

B: I guess the, uh, Charlie Crist - the Florida State Attorney (AG) - launch his own investigation if he felt as though there was enough evidence to do so.

 

 Again, we feel as though there is.

 

  You know, one of those things, Michael petitioned to have Terri's body cremated immediately upon her death.

 

A: Lovely. We like that. That always seems so innocent.

 

B: Oh, yeah, and he just did that back in this past year - petitioned Judge Greer.

 

A: Well, we have to prevent that (Feinie, I think, says 'that doesn't send up a red flag or anything, does it?!')

   Yeah, we have to prevent that from happening.

 

B: I certainly hope so. If the petitions inspired Gov. Bush to do something, maybe the more people we get outraged by this case it will inspire someone else to want to get involved.

 

A: I think that we need to, and I (trust) that there were people that thought, 'Oh, I should write a letter,' and then they heard, 'oh, wekk they got 27,000  - onus is off me.' You know what? I think that's the wrong approach.

 

  I think we need to double and triple and quadruple those numbers 'til they realize that, you know something, it's just not acceptable when there is someone who is saying "I will take care of this person", "I will do what is necessary to help this person out,"...why then force their dying?

 

B: I can't, for the life of me. There is no common sense to this case at all. It keeps me up at night. I don't know how this could be happening. I just, I have no idea how tis could be happening.

...

A: What is it with the Florida courts?

 

B: I think after this case is over, I'm ready to move elsewhere. I don't want to end up with any kind of physical problems in Florida.

 

A: That sort of thing begins to spread.

 

B: You know where the "right-to-die" movement has us?...We're actually sitting here, and we're talking about 'Terri's got to prove her awareness.' Know what I mean? And not just Terri, all disabled people. They have to prove awareness. The issue here is, nobody should have to prove their awareness. We're having discourse over when it is o.k. and when it isn't o.k. to starve people to death. It wasn't that long ago (that) starving people to death was considered barbaric.

 

A: It's still considered barbaric.

 

B: It's become (acceptable) now.

 

A: So is abortion, and that's legal.

 

B: Right. We are taking human life ...just like what happened back in the 1930s.

 

A: With your sister, instead of saying, "This is a woman with the potential to regain her functions" we call her PVS. ('Feinie?' : "she's a vegetable.) She's not even human anymore, so, therefore, we put this epithet on people and reduce them to totally demeaning (manner)  and I think it's horrible.

 

   I thank you for joining us tonight. My heart just  goes out to your family.

...

 

A: This is what we'll do: have people call the Judge, call Bernie McCabe, Charlie Crist, ..and we're going to do everything that we can to help save your sister.

 

B: I'm never going to be able to thank everybody. It upsets me very much. I'm getting ... hundreds of e-mails daily. I can't keep up. (I want) to e-mail all these people back. Tell them that I read their e-mail, and you have no idea how much we appreciate your support. And I just wish there was some way - I want your listeners to know, that my family appreciates every single e-mail. If we don't respond to  them in a short amount of time, please know that we are reading them...

 

A: Now, the website is www.terrisfight.org?

 

B: That's correct (spells).

 

A: We're going to do everything we can to help you. It's a week until the hearing and we're going to make (his) life as miserable as can be done in a week's time.

 

And, just, God bless you, Bob, and all of your family. I thank you so much just for having that much love for your sister that you've been fighting so hard. It's an awesome thing.

 

---

AnnaZ's original thread, and to listen to the interview:

RADIOFR'S *UNSPUN* TONITE: TERRI'S FIGHT

Terri's Fight (...it's for her life.)
    Bob Schindler, Jr.     http://www.terrisfight.org/lead.htm  

RadioFR's replay schedule can be found here: http://www.theotherradionetwork.com/pgs/rfr_schedule.htm 

Mr. Schindler's interview will replay in the "AnnaZ" slots until next Thursday.

    If you aren't already seething over this one, you really haven't been paying attention.  

Brought to you by The FREE REPUBLIC NETWORK

 

 

New RadioFR website!

 

 

Click HERE for the LIVE chat room!

 

 

Click HERE for the RadioFR Archives!

 

 

Click HERE for the Unspun web page

 

[Feiny]

Hi there lovie....I guess our voices sound alot alike on the radio because I see that there are a few sentences that I know I spoke....but they are under your name. I don't even get an initial? I am not worthy of an "F"? sniff sniff...if I had feelings, they would be hurt. (don't tell anyone I cried during the interview....)

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Not meaning to eavesdrop...BUT, you do kind of sound alike when the recording is scratchy and of poor quality (MINE, not YOURS). Besides, you rated more than an "F"! See:

A: Well, we have to prevent that (Feinie, I think, says 'that doesn't send up a red flag or anything, does it?!')

   Yeah, we have to prevent that from happening.

 

A:  With your sister, instead of saying, "This is a woman with the potential to regain her functions" we call her PVS. ('Feinie?' : "she's a vegetable.)

Please feel free to add comments. I liked the commentary on judicial tyranny, but being limited in remaining finger strength and time, some brilliant commentary was left out. (^;

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I've forwarded this interview to folks who are unaware of all the details.....and the devil is in the details.

Thank you. I'm not sure this was posted, but it's a good article to forward, as well:

	E-mail Author Send to a Friend Print Version

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-smith090503.asp

 

September 5, 2003, 10:55 a.m.
Schiavo’s Date with Death
A Florida woman needs non-dehydration intervention.

By Wesley J. Smith

hirty-nine-year-old Terri Schiavo may not live to see her 40th birthday. She's not terminally ill. She's not engaged in inherently dangerous activities. She's not on Death Row.

So, you might wonder, why is she about to die? Schiavo has a profound cognitive disability. This should entitle her to the best of care. Instead, Judge George W. Greer of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, in Clearwater, Florida, is about to order medical personnel to withhold tube-supplied food and water until she dies. Terri's dehydration will be slow, taking 10-14 agonizing days.

Judge Greer is acting at the behest of Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, who petitioned the court five years ago for permission to withdraw his wife's tube-supplied food and water. In a normal case, a spouse would be trusted to make medical decisions in the best interests of an incapacitated husband or wife. But this is not a normal case. Consider the following facts:

After Terri collapsed from unknown causes in 1990, she became profoundly cognitively disabled.
Michael filed a medical-malpractice lawsuit, during which he said he would care for her for the rest of her life, which, assuming proper care, would be a normal lifespan. He also presented at trial a medical-rehabilitation expert who had developed a plan to provide support for Terri to maximize her ability to respond to her environment.
A jury awarded $1.3 million in the malpractice case, of which $750,000 was put in trust to pay for the kind of care that Michael promised to provide Terri.
Michael never kept his promise.
Within months of the money being deposited in the bank, Michael ordered a do-not-resuscitate order placed on Terri's chart. He has also repeatedly denied her other forms of medical care, such as treatment for infections.
Once the money was in the bank, according to affidavits filed by nurses under penalty of perjury, Michael ordered that Terri be denied stimulation.
In the mid 1990s, according to another nurse's affidavit filed under penalty of perjury, Michael was overheard saying things such as, "When is she going to die," "Has she died yet?" and "When is that bitch going to die?" (This affidavit was only recently filed. Michael has not yet filed a response.)
Michael dated after the malpractice trial; he is now engaged to be married. He lives with his fiancé, with whom he has one child and another on the way. He reportedly plans to marry his fiancé as soon as his wife's death is induced.
Money that was intended to pay for Terri's treatment and rehabilitation has instead gone to lawyers Michael retained to obtain a court order to bring about her death.
If Terri dies, Michael will inherit what is left of the $750,000 (if any remains) and all other property they owned.
Michael moved Terri from a nursing home to a hospice three years ago even though Terri is not terminally ill. A hospice specializes in dying patients and is not as equipped to provide patients like Terri with proper care.

Judge Greer has ruled that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). This ruling was necessary under Florida law to allow dehydration. Under Florida law, this means that Terri exhibits no voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind and is unable to communicate or interact purposely with the environment.

Yet, affidavits filed by nurses who cared for Terri claim that she has responded to them, can speak, and can even swallow food. Moreover, a picture is worth 1,000 words. Videotapes of Terri clearly show her responding to requests. For example, a closed-eyed Terri is asked to open her eyes by a doctor. Her eyes flutter and she does as he requests. She is asked in another video to follow a balloon with her eyes, and she does. In a heartbreaking video, Terri's mother kisses her on the cheek and Terri smiles and responds, clearly happy that her mom is with her. These and other videos can be seen by visiting www.terrisfight.org.

Dr. William Hammesfahr, a world-renowned expert in cases such as Terri's — and a Nobel Prize nominee — testified that Terri is not in a PVS. He also testified that he believes he could help her improve her circumstances through proper medical treatment. Ten other physicians have testified or given statements that Terri is not unconscious. Judge Greer instead chose to believe contrary testimony by a doctor who rarely sees Terri and another doctor, who makes an avocation of testifying in cases such as Terri's throughout the country, always on the side of dehydration.

Despite the clear financial and personal conflicts of interest, Judge Greer repeatedly sides with Michael and against Terri's father, mother, and siblings, who want to care for her for the rest of her life. This means that the man who might benefit financially from his wife's death and who has clear personal reasons for wanting Terri to die continues to have almost sole say over how she is treated and cared for — or denied care — on a daily basis.

Greer will set the date for Terri's dehydration on September 11 (amazingly). This order will be based on testimony from Michael and his brother and sister-in-law arguing that Terri said she would not want to be maintained in this condition. Never mind that Michael first brought this alleged statement up only after he decided that the time had come for Terri to die by dehydration. Never mind that these conversations never came up when Michael was asking a jury for a $20 million medical-malpractice award. Never mind that none of Terri's blood family ever recall her saying any such thing. Never mind that Terri is a Catholic and this dehydration would violate Catholic moral teaching.

A PLEA TO GOVERNOR BUSH
Time is running out. Terri may be days away from a dehydration order. The only hope for Terri Schiavo may now be Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Gov. Bush is aware of the Terri Schiavo case. He has received more than 27,000 petition signatures from Americans across the country who are enraged at how Terri has been treated and the death that is planned for her.

On August 26, reacting to the political heat, and no doubt genuinely concerned with Terri's plight, Bush wrote a letter to Judge Greer requesting that he postpone the dehydration and appoint a guardian ad litem to look into Terri's case. In this regard, it is worth noting that Terri once had a guardian ad litem who recommended against the requested dehydration. Perhaps this is why Judge Greer respectfully told Gov. Bush that he would put the governor's letter in the file with no action taken.

Bush's letter was a nice first step but was clearly insufficient. The time has come for the State of Florida to attempt to formally intervene in the case. Indeed, there are enough substantial questions about the propriety of what is transpiring in Terri's case, that Bush should take whatever legal action is necessary to make the state Terri's official guardian.

Taking such action would prevent a husband with too many conflicts of interest from continuing to be in charge of Terri's care. It would permit an objective, professional guardian with no intimate ties to Terri to bring order to this emotionally devastating case and determine:

The extent of Terri's disability and responsiveness;
The likelihood that therapy could have a meaningful chance of improving Terri's condition;
The propriety of the care that Terri has received; and,
Whether the benefit of the doubt should go to keeping Terri alive or letting her die by dehydration.

If Michael Schiavo dehydrated a horse, he could go to jail. But getting a judge to order medical personnel to do the same thing to a human being is perfectly legal. The hour is late but Terri Schiavo is still alive; as long as she is, Gov. Bush can still act to protect her right to life.

If you agree with this article, please contact Governor Jeb Bush at:

Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
850-488-7146
850-487-2564 Fax
E-Mail: fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us

— Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and an attorney and consultant for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. His revised and updated Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope From Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder was recently published by Spence Publishing.

[FITZ]

How interesting. It seems that Terri is hanging on trying very hard to live --- her adulterous husband wants her dead for some obvious reasons.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, pc. Noted.

[syriacus]

People are looking at these videos and they are mystified.[snip] outraged that the court (is going to) starve to death my sister.

Perhaps the Judge wasn't able to see the video of Terri very well....

http://www.terrisfight.org/Framesets/TimelineFrame.htm

August 14, 2001 – Attorney Anderson filed a motion requesting Judge Greer to remove himself from Terri's case revealing that, because of severe eyesight problems, Judge Greer could not see Terri's trial videotape and neurological scans. Judge Greer denied the motion.

I wouldn't want Greer to be in charge of my life if he won't come to see me personally and he can't see videos of my actions very well.

[sarasmom]

BTTT
We all have our own individual priorities and human limitations, and not one of us, can possibly be expected to be aware of every heartrending and complicated issue the people of the USA face.
Having said that, I shamelessly beg that you consider, or reconsider,spending a bit of your time in reviewing the recent developements regarding Terri Schiavo.
The ramifications of allowing our court system to decree a death sentence for an innocent citizen whose very existance has become "inconvenient" to a legal guardian will touch us all, eventually.
This is not an agonising "end of life" issue, concerning extraordinary and intrusive/expensive medical measures to eke out another day/week/month for a human being kept alive artificially.
This is a severely disabled woman, who has stubbornly clung to life for 13 years, under the most adverse conditions imaginable, and against all odds.
I say let God and/or Terri Schiavo, herself, decide when "it is a good day to die".
I submit for your thoughts, that the timing of her obviously inevitable future death should not be a subject decided and decreed by a court of law,for the sole "convenience of her husband" as she has not been accused nor convicted of any crime deserving a death sentence.

[#3Fan]

Wow, what a strange case. Unbelievable the husband spent some of the care money on lawyers to stop the feeding.

[sarasmom]

The "feeding" would not have been an issue, if the husband had allowed the care, the medical malpractice suit money was awarded for care, to be actually spent on her care.

Terri Schiavo is going to eventually be executed under the legal color of law in the state of Florida, for the newly designated "crime" of having become severely disabled.

Terri is never going to wake up from a coma.She is not in coma.She will never fully "recover" from whatever caused her condition.Absent a miracle from God, nobody will ever see Terri Schiavo at the local mall, or grocery store.

Yet she lives.
Against all odds.
Since neither God almighty, nor Terri herself, appears to have any intent to hasten the end of her physical existance,IMHO, the legal "system" is way out of line in attempting to force the issue to satisfy the wishes of her husband to be rid of her, and the desires of a group of euthanasia supporters to have a legal precident.

[#3Fan]

Yeah, you're right.

[pc93]

See this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/971896/posts?q=1&&page=5140#5140

[cyn]

ANNAZ -- doing the last "UNSPUN" ever tonight at 10 PM eastern

Thanks for doing this interview with Bobby, AnnaZ Thanks for transcribing it, RC.

[cyn]

Had you all seen this?

Tonight (10pm est) is AnnaZ's last UNSPUN show.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the reminder, cyn. And thanks to all the Freepers who have since joined Terri's fight, and keep us informed.

AnnaZ, bump!

[Cboldt]

* bump *