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Saundra Duffy contacts the National Civil League:

Here's the email I just sent to gchandler@ncl.org:

Greetings from Fresno CA where we were an All American City in 1967 and in 2000. Regarding Clearwater, Florida, which is being considered to be awarded the title All American City - please deny their request. Clearwater is the scene of a great crime against humanity. Terri Schiavo, who is a severely disabled woman, was almost starved to death.

If it hadn't been for Gov. Jeb Bush's emergency intervention, Terri would be dead now, having sufferred a hideous painful slow agonizing death by being deprived of food and water. For the record, it is a crime to withhold food and water from farm animals. Does this sound like something that would be done in an All American City?!

The Pope has declared it an act of great sin to remove the feeding tube from a person who depends on it for sustenance. Are the Catholic residents of Clearwater aware that the Pope has condemned the practice of starving people to death by removing their feeding tubes?!

Is the general population of Clearwater aware that Terri Schiavo is being treated in an inhuman, cruel manner? Terri is not in a coma; she is not brain dead; she is not on a respirator. She is a living, breathing human being. Her "husband in name only" Michael Schiavo treats her like an animal. He has tried for about ten years to kill her by dehydration and starvation.

Anyway, Clearwater, Florida, is a place I want to stay as far away from as I can. There are people living there who think it's okay to starve Terri Schiavo to death. I think most people don't know the facts. If they did, they'd be as outraged as I am. The media has done a pretty good job of keeping people in the dark.

Please do NOT recommend Clearwater Florida for this award. Please! They don't deserve it. It would make a laughing stock out of that city. Many protesters would converge. The word is spreading far and wide. We detest any place where people like Terri Schiavo are treated worse than animals.

Thanks for listening.

Saundra Duffy-Hawkins Fresno, CA

As a homeowner in the downtown area of Clearwater, I must confess that I'm both encouraged and proud that you've decided to honor our fair city with the designation of City of 2004.

Being inside of a tiny and immaculate downtown, being close to a glorious waterfront and having a tremendous sense of community with my neighbors and the local business owners has, indeed, been a positive experience. I would venture that Clearwater offers a great many benefits to its resident. Unless, of course, they are females.

You see, a highly corrupt and cliqued judiciary makes it rather difficult for women to live their lives uninterrupted. Case in point, judge George Greer practically signed a death warrant for an innocent woman by the name of Helene Ball McGee when he refused to issue a protective order against her abusive husband. Two weeks later, the unfortunate Ms. McGee was found dead - stabbed to death by that husband.

Judge Greer has also ordered the dehydration death of another innocent woman, Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Even though doing so breaks a number of laws and is a violation of a number of Federal statutes, Judge Greer has taken the posture that those pesky laws don't matter. Only his rulings.

That said, this same man has demonstrated relationships with attorneys, local hospice facilities and even the local Sheriff. All of which leads one to think that Clearwater is running amuck with good old boys who couldn't give a toss about the rights of its female population. At very least, certainly not its vulnerable population.

It's a pity that Clearwater is not deserving of any such distinction. I'm certain you can find a less corrupt, less dangerous place than Clearwater for bestowing your award upon. Though lovely, Clearwater is, without doubt, a very dangerous place to live. Don't mind the crime rate on the streets. Try looking at the crime rate coming out of the courts.

Please rethink your position. I would assess that many female advocates and disability groups would take serious offense to such an award being bestowed on such a hostile community.

(name)
Clearwater, Florida
(6 year resident)