Praying extra hard tonight.
I am praying.
Bet Michael isn't getting a heck of a lot of sleep tonight.
Ping
Will do.
Earlier in the day, a Florida appeals court refused to block the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. For years her husband has battled her parents over his efforts to allow her to die, which he contends she would prefer rather than live in a vegetative state.
The House bill, passed on a voice vote, would move such a case to federal court. Federal judges have twice turned down efforts by the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, to move the case out of Florida courts, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Senate Republicans are introducing a separate bill to give Schiavo and her family standing in federal court, and they hope it can be debated on Thursday, a GOP aide said.
Under the House legislation, a federal judge would decide whether withholding or withdrawing food, fluids or medical treatment from an incapacitated person violates the Constitution or U.S. law. It would apply only to incapacitated people who had not left directives dealing with being kept alive artificially and for whom a state judge had authorized the withholding of food or medical treatment.
Schiavo, 41, suffered severe brain damage in 1990 when her heart stopped temporarily, and court-appointed doctors say she is in a persistent vegetative state. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, says she told him she would not want to be kept alive artificially. Her parents disagree that was her wish and say she could improve with proper treatment.
Florida Circuit Judge George Greer has granted Michael Schiavo permission to remove the feeding tube, a ruling a state appellate court upheld Wednesday. Without the feeding tube, which the state court allowed to be removed as early as Friday, Terri Schiavo would likely die in one to two weeks.
"What's going on in Florida regarding Terri Schiavo is nothing short of inhumane," said House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who introduced the bill with Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla.
Some House members criticized the bill, which Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., called "a dangerously reckless way to deal with some serious issues."
"It does not deal just with feeding tubes. It would allow intervention in any decision affecting any kind of medical care. Read the bill," Nadler said.
The Florida appeals court said in Wednesday's ruling that the issues the Schindlers' raised were not new ones and had been dealt with previously by numerous courts.
"Not only has Mrs. Schiavo's case been given due process, but few, if any similar cases have ever been afforded this heightened level of process," Chief Judge Chris Altenbernd wrote.
The court also rejected the Department of Children & Families' request for a 60-day stay while that agency investigates allegations that Terri Schiavo has been abused.
The Schindler's planned to ask the Supreme Court to consider whether their daughter's religious freedom and due process rights have been violated. Federal courts have declined to become involved the case.
In Tallahassee, the House and Senate were considering competing proposals to prevent the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.
The bills would block the removal of feeding tubes from patients in a persistent vegetative state who didn't leave specific verbal or written instructions otherwise. But the Senate plan would only affect cases where families disagreed.
AP-ES-03-17-05 0009EST
Should read: "husband has been given permission by a state court to allow him to kill her."
A feeding tube does not constitute life support.
Catholic Ping - Come home for Easter and experience God’s merciful love. Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
What section of the Constitution empowers Congress to take this action?
Why can't Jeb Bush use executive authority and just put a couple of state troopers in there with pistols pointed at any nurse who won't feed her?
The judges in America have truly lost their common sense.
poing
This bill, as passed by the House, is bizarre. And then people wonder why the balance of powers has become so misaligned.
I tried to send the following letter to the AG of Florida. It bounced back. Anyone have the address?
Mr. Attorney General Crist,
Thank you for reading my email. I am expressing to you today my concerns over the killing of Terri Schiavo, and the ability of one judge, in your system, to order the killing of another innocent, helpless humanbeing.
I know that you are aware of the case. Please just allow me to make a few points, that I have not seen anyone else address.
The Terri Schiavo case is a very clear case of civil rights violation, by the state, of an American Citizen.
Terri's religious rights are being violated, by the state of Florida. Terri is a life-long Catholic. She did not publicly or privately renounce her faith before her "accident". And so, it is unconstitutional for the state to force her to participate in any act, which would be a sin, in the eyes of her church. The state can not force her to violate her conscience and her sincerely held religious beliefs! The Pope has clearly condemned the starvation and dehydration of an individual as a sin. Suicide is clearly a sin. Terri would not agree to starving herself to death, as this act would be against her publicly declared religious beliefs. She publicly was baptized and confirmed into the faith; and followed that up with the public marriage sacrament. These acts were strong declarations of her faith. These public, and witnessed acts and declarations of faith should hold much more weight as to what Terri's wishes would be, than the declaration of a adulterous husband, four years and a 1.6 million dollar settlement after her "accident"!
Judge Greer denied Terri's religious rights, by forbidding, from his bench, anything being given to Terri by mouth; including the communion sacrament. For Catholics this is the most spiritual aspect of their religion. It is the essence of their religious beliefs. In case you do not understand this belief, the Catholic believes that they actually receive the Holy Spirit through this act. For the state to deny this solemn act of religious faith, is an abhorrent interference into Terri's first amendment rights! This clearly is a case of the state; the government "prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
of Terri's constitutionally guaranteed rights! Do your duty to put a stop to this.
Another point that this case brings up, is the husband treating his wife's body like property! This sets women's rights back to the 19th century! Terri is being treated as her husband's property by the courts.
Lastly, Judge Greer, acting on the authority of the State of Florida, is going to deny Terri's globally accepted humanitarian right to nourishment! His actions violate every treaty this country has ever signed!
Judge Greer will not allow Terri to receive any nourishment at all. He will not allow Terri to receive swallow therapy, to see if she could possibly live a normal life! She gets no chance to live at all! Cleary a violation of her 'RIGHT TO LIFE" that our United States Constitution guarantees! The state does not have the right to deny any American the ability to eat!
Judge Greer has certainly violated the Constitution in Terri's case, in several areas. As I have stated, first amendment rights have been violated. Clearly her 5th Amendment rights have also been violated in the past, and again on Friday:
"......nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"
Then move to the 7th:
"In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law."
Terri's value is much more than Twenty dollars! Give her a jury trial. Let a jury decide what Terri's "wishes" in this case are.
Please do your duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from this court, which has become a "domestic enemy"!
Thank you,
Linda Cruz
Where are all of the feminists on this? They are silent about a husband lording over a disabled woman, denying her treatment, taking away her rights, taking property of her body and her life. Haven't heard anything from the women's rights Senators either. Boxer, Feinstein, Mikulski, etc. all of those who stand strong for other issues are now mute.