I think Greer figures he can win this by saying that Terri told Michael that she didn't want to be kept alive. The thing that needs to be pointed out, loudly and often is that it took Michael many hears to remember this converstaion and that he had two children out of wedlock while remembering what his beloved Terri wanted.
I have a question - my understanding is that Greer is the Judge but also the Guardian. How can he be both? Isn't there a conflict of interest? It seems like he's ruling for himself. How is that possible?
I think it is also illuminating to hear about Michael's testimony during the malpractice trial. I understand he testified at length about how he would care for Terri the rest of her life, the therapy she would need, and how she would live twenty or forty more years. Then once the award was made, he terminated therapy and "remembered" how she wanted to die. I wince every time I hear that she is "brain dead" or "on life support." This is not a respirator or a machine making her heart beat... this is a feeding tube, something many disabled adults and ill babies use. Since when is eating "life support"? If that is the standard, then watch parents withholding feeding tubes from disabled babies and children next. Or maybe not even feed them at all, what's the difference?
Greer's mistake was to accept such hearsay. His pride will not allow him to change his ruling.
The fallacy of that entire argument ("Terri told me...") is that, in a criminal case, Greer would rule that second-hand testimony is hearsay and not admissible in court.
"The thing that needs to be pointed out, loudly and often is that it took Michael many hears to remember this converstaion..."
Exactly. See the following, a statement from a girlfriend of the estranged husband:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Regarding that alleged conversation [that Terri supposedly said she would want to die in such a situation] -- Cindy Shook said that Michael Schiavo said:
"How the hell should I know, we never spoke about this, we were young."
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:yzE5tNjKsYMJ:ottawa.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/628.shtml+schiavo+how+the+hell+should+i+know&hl=en