PLEASE HELP TERRI - A BILL IS BEING INTRODUCED TOMORROW

vanity ^ | 10-19-03 | me

[MarMema]

Press Release

Special Session Called in State Legislature

Speaker of the House, Johnnie Byrd to introduce “Terri’s Bill”

Clearwater, FL October 19, 2003: The Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, has called a special session of the Florida Legislature for Monday, October 20, 2003. At that time, Florida’s Speaker of the House will introduce “Terri’s Bill”. By Florida law, two thirds majority vote are required to have a topic entered.

Volunteers with the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation have learned that Senate President, Jim King is against this bill.

The Bill would put an immediate moratorium on all dehydration and starvation deaths currently pending in Florida.

We have come to a time when the merchants of death have created a constitutional crisis and a justice gridlock, while the rightful life of Florida’s disabled and vulnerable citizens tragically hang on Terri Schindler-Schiavo’s court ordered dehydration and starvation death.

We urge all concerned Floridians to contact their Senators and State House members to vote for Terri’s bill.

Time is short.

[Possenti]

I just got this in an email. Usually, I only have a few minutes of 'net time a day, and I don't know if this has been posted here before. If you haven't seen it, please ping others to this:


You do not have to be Catholic to be outraged at this: This afternoon at the Hospice Center Terri Schiavo whose feeding tube was removed on Wed Oct 15th was denied Holy Communion as part of last rites. Monsignor Malanowski was told by police and the attorney for her husband that she could not receive the 1/4 Host he had brought her. Please understand, Terri is fully capable of swallowing. And for those of you who are not Catholic you need to understand that Holy Communion is not food - it is a Sacrament that is sacred to Catholic teaching and part of Terri's faith. She has been visited by Msgr. Malanowski for over three years and today - as always, she reacted with joy at his presence as she sat in her chair and turned to greet him.

This is no longer about removing artifical life support - if one considers a feeding tube life support - it is about a cruel and vicious murder of an innocent woman. Please, spread the word of this outrage to as many people as you can. Call your own dioceses, pastors, civil rights leaders and let them know what has happened to Terri. The local press picked this up at 5:00PM - it needs to go national and worldwide. Thank you for anything you can do to help restore this woman's rights. Terri's case will set far-reaching precedents for all disabled people nationwide. Consider this: the attorney for Michael Schiavo believes that anyone who cannot lift a spoon to their mouth should die. He is the director for Fl Right to Die. Need we say more?
God bless,
Debi Vinnedge, Director
Children of God for Life
For more information on Terri visit www.terrisfight.org

[possum]

It looks like the bill (HB 35E), which gives Gov. Bush the authority to grant a temporary stay to the court order, passed the Fla. House 68-23 earlier this evening.

http://www.myfloridahouse.com/billInfo.aspx?bid=12713

[possum]

Cold Water alert: - Can the legislature's moratorium supercede an existing court order, or will it only prevent any procedures "currently pending in Florida" (i.e., not begun) and (obviously) prevent any future attempts at initiating new ones? I SMELL WIGGLE ROOM FOR MIKEY, becuase Terri's procedure isn't PENDING, it's IN PROGRESS. Judge Greer and Mikey will take any loophole they can find. Cynical me is also wondering if they legislators don't already know they can't stop it, but are grandstanding for the state. I can only suggest that you have to watch these guys closely, the lawmakers and Mikey's death squad.

I have not seen the language that passed the House, but if it gives the Governor the authority to stay the court order, as the bill title suggests, it should work for now. There is no sneaky difference between "pending" and "in progress," as you suggest, (they mean the same thing), but the current fix is likely only temporary. It will allow her to be fed soon and to take Holy Communion, if the bill passes the Senate and Bush signs it and exercises his authority under the act. I don't know how temporary the temporary stay is, but I hope the sponsors gave themselves enough time to find a legislative solution to the unusual guardianship proplem presented. A few months, at least.

- With all due respect, why wasn't this special session called last Thursday, or even Wedesday, or even last Monday?

It was apparantly called earlier in the month, to deal with some budget matters. It's to their credit that they took this more important matter up on the first day of their special session.

Just so you know where I stand overall, though....GOD SAVE TERRI, PLEASE.

I'm praying too.

[possum]

Pardon me for asking at this late hour of day (10:33 a.m.), why did we call Senators? Shouldn't it have been the House representatives?

It's in the Senate now, as of 10:28 p.m. on 10/20/03, according to the Florida legislature's website. No calls to the Senate were wasted, and any further calls from constituents might help.