Senator Frist on Terri Schiavo
This is the rough transcript of a speech delivered on the floor of the United States Senate on the night of March 17, 2004 by Majority Leader Bill Frist on Terri Schiavo.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/frist200503181027.asp
[EXCERPTS. THIS IS A LENGTHY SPEECH.]
MR. PRESIDENT, IN CLOSING TONIGHT, I WANT TO TAKE A FEW FINAL MOMENTS TO SPEAK ON AN ISSUE THAT I OPENED WITH EARLIER THIS MORNING, NOW ABOUT 12 -14 HOURS AGO AND AN ISSUE WHICH SENATORS MARTINEZ AND SANTORUM WERE JUST ON THE FLOOR SPEAK TO ABOUT 45 MINUTES AGO AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TERRI SCHIAVO CASE IN FLORIDA. I'D LIKE TO CLOSE THIS EVENING SPEAKING MORE AS A PHYSICIAN THAN AS A UNITED STATES SENATOR AND REALLY SPEAK TO MY INVOLVEMENT AS A PHYSICIAN AND AS A SENATOR AND AS LEADER IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE IN WHAT HAS BEEN A FASCINATING COURSE OF EVENTS FOR US OVER THE LAST 48 HOURS BUT A SAGA WHICH HAS NOT ENDED BUT ONE WHICH WE TOOK MAJOR STEPS TOWARD TONIGHT AND SEEING THAT THIS WOMAN IS NOT STARVED TO DEATH TOMORROW BEGINNING AT 1:00, ABOUT 13 HOURS FROM NOW.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE SITUATION FACING TERRI SCHIAVO, I IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CASE FROM A MEDICAL STANDPOINT. I ASKED MYSELF, JUST LOOKING AT THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS, IS TERRI CLEARLY IN THIS DIAGNOSIS CALLED PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE?
LET ME CLOSE WITH AN E-MAIL THAT I RECEIVED, A FRIEND OF MINE SENT ME THIS E-MAIL ONCE THEY SAW THAT WE WERE PERSONALLY — OR WE AS A BODY WERE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE. AND THE E-MAIL READS: "I KNOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH SO MANY MAJOR ISSUES BUT I BELIEVE THIS ONE THREATENS TO SEND US DOWN ANOTHER SHAMEFUL PATH WE MAY NEVER RECOVER FROM. I DON'T THINK I EVER HAD AN OCCASION TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE A SEVERELY BRAIN DAMAGED ADULT DAUGHTER THAT I CARED FOR IN MY HOME FOR 20 YEARS.
SASHA'S FUNCTIONING LEVEL IS FAR BELOW TERRI'S BUT SHE'S BEEN SUCH A BLESSING IN MY LIFE.
DITRICH BONOFFER SAID NOT ONLY DO THE WEAK NEED THE STRONG BUT THE STRONG NEED THE WEAK. IT'S HARD TO SNRAIN IN A DAY AND AGE WHERE PHYSICAL PERFECTION IS SO HIGHLY VALUED BUT I KNOW IT TO BE TRUE. SENATOR FRIST, AS YOU FIGHT THIS BATTLE TODAY, HOLD FAST. IF EVER THE WEAK NEEDED A CHAMPION, IT IS NOW. ON BEHALF OF MY SWEET SASHA,"
AND THEN THE EMAIL IS SIGNED. SO I CLOSE TONIGHT WITH THOSE WORDS — POWERFUL WORDS.
More on Terri on FOX now.