Posted on 03/25/2005 7:46:32 PM PST by madprof98
PINELLAS PARK, Fla., March 25 - The somber ranks of protesters swelled on Friday outside the hospice in which Terri Schiavo lay dying as two more last-ditch legal appeals wound through the courts on Friday and the sense there grew that this religious and political drama was rapidly coming to a grim conclusion.
"Terri is weakening and she's down to her last hours," the woman's father, Robert Schindler, told reporters beneath a glowering sky. "Something has to be done, and has to be done quick."
The question of whether the severely brain-damaged Ms. Schiavo should be allowed to die, as her husband, Michael Schiavo, says she wanted, or instead be turned over to the care of her parents, who want to keep her alive, has reached from this small, secluded hospice to the state's Capitol, the Vatican, the White House and the halls of Congress.
Robert Schindler and his wife, Mary, said doctors told them their daughter would most likely live 7 to 10 days after the removal of the feeding tube, which came out a week ago, on March 18.
The drama's coincidence with Good Friday and Easter weekend made protesters gathered here ever more fervent. At one point this afternoon as the crowd sang "Amazing Grace" and "Onward Christian Soldiers," demonstrators holding plastic cups of water for Ms. Schiavo stepped one by one across the police line at the hospice and were taken into custody.
Still battling despite a series of legal setbacks that went all the way up to the United States Supreme Court, lawyers for the Schindlers filed a motion Friday before Judge George W. Greer of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, who had ordered the tube's removal, with what they said was "highly significant new information" indicating that Ms. Schiavo is more able to communicate than had been previously believed.
Barbara Weller, one of the lawyers, said she had been in the woman's hospice room on the day the tube was removed.
The motion before Judge Greer said that "at one point during her visit, Mrs. Weller attempted to elicit a direct statement from Mrs. Schiavo regarding her end of life wishes." It went on, "Mrs. Weller told Mrs. Schiavo that this whole matter could end if Mrs. Schiavo could articulate one sentence: 'I want to live.' In the presence of Suzanne Vitadamo, Mrs. Schiavo's aunt, she attempted to verbalize the sentence. She managed to articulate the first two vowel sounds, first articulating 'AHHHHHHH,' and then virtually screaming 'WAAAAAAAA.' She became very agitated, but could not complete the vocalization attempted."
The Schindlers argued that their daughter seemed to be trying to say "I want," and that her feeding tube should be reinserted to determine whether she could communicate.
George Felos, Mr. Schiavo's lawyer, called the motion "outrageous" and "an abuse of the legal system," saying the issue of whether Ms. Schiavo can communicate had been addressed in previous hearings. It is nothing more than a reflex caused by touching her, he said.
Judge Greer said he would rule on the motion by noon Saturday.
Although the court filing did not come until late Friday afternoon, whispers that Ms. Schiavo had tried to speak rippled through the crowd of protesters and were already beginning to appear on placards.
"Terry: I Want to Live," read one sign. "Terri asks Mom for food," read another.
In a second legal maneuver, this time in the federal courts, the Schindlers' lawyers asked the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, to overturn a ruling by Judge James D. Whittemore of Federal District Court, denying their charge that that Ms. Schiavo's right to due process had been denied. On Friday night, the court declined to overrule Judge Whittemore.
As has been the case since crowds first began to form early in the week, nearly all of the protesters outside the Woodside Hospice House were siding with the Schindlers. "I believe what is going on here is a sinister act," said Marilyn Aleman of Orlando. Her sign, pointedly directed at Mr. Schiavo, "Divorce is an option, murder is not," flapped in a stiff, muggy breeze.
A handful of other protesters quietly waved signs asking that Ms. Schiavo be allowed to die in peace. "There's another side to this," said Raymond Simms, who described himself as a veterans' advocate. "No one, not even the government, should be allowed to interfere in the decisions between a husband and wife."
Pastors in the crowd urged calm and forgiveness, but tempers were clearly on edge. "It's easy to get caught up in anger here," said Pastor Rick Barnard of My Faith House of Prayer in Morris, Ill., as he led a noon service outside the hospice. "We need to ask the Lord for the grace to forgive even those who oppose us."
At the same time, many of the chants and slogans were taking on a gruesome edge. "Her skin is peeling," read one sign. "Terri's nose and lips are bleeding," said another.
Some protesters were even looking beyond Ms. Schiavo's death. "No cremation," said one sign. "We want an autopsy."
Mr. Schiavo and Judge Greer remained the main targets.
On Friday, however, much of the anger was also being directed at Gov. Jeb Bush and his brother, President Bush, for not taking further action to keep Ms. Schiavo alive, despite their efforts to prod the courts and their calls for legislators to "err on the side of life" as President Bush phrased it earlier this week.
"President Bush, Governor Bush: Fear God More Than Man," read one sign waved by protesters toward the burgeoning colony of cameras and reporters stationed across the street.
"To be certain, Jeb Bush has done a great deal on behalf of Terri, but how will history remember him if Terri dies?" asked Andrew Doran, a spokesman for Crossroads, Pro-Life, one of the groups holding a vigil. "Likely, as a weak, moral coward who did not have the courage to save a helpless, dying woman from those who so vehemently wished to take her life."
Randall Terry, the veteran anti-abortion advocate and head of a group called the Society for Truth and Justice, handed out what he said were five legal opinions showing that the governor did have more powers than he seemed willing to use.
The governor has told reporters that he had asked the state's lawyers to search for any legal avenue to put Ms. Schiavo back on her feeding tube, but had found none. "I cannot go beyond what my powers are," Governor Bush told reporters.
A cluster of cameras formed around the police barricade at the entrance to the hospice around 1 p.m., alerted by religious leaders that they would try to send volunteers across the police lines in an effort to deliver water to Ms. Schiavo.
"It's good, it's good, my son is going to be a man," said Scott Helbreth of Charlotte, N.C., as he watched his 10-year-old son, Joshua, take his place in line carrying a cup of water.
Mr. Helbreth said Joshua had read about Ms. Schiavo and asked his father to drive him to Florida. "I am so proud of him," Mr. Helbreth said. "Only in America do we have children like this."
The crowd sang hymns and one by one protesters took their place in front of the cameras, made a short statement, then stepped across the police line and were taken into custody. When it was Joshua's turn, he seemed cowed by the hulking camera crews, muttering quiet answers to their shouted questions. He didn't know how he felt. He just wanted to do the right thing. He wasn't afraid.
Joshua took two steps across the line, then looked up at a pair of police officers, each one thrice his size. They spoke to him quietly, placed a hand under each of the boy's arms and led him toward a police car.
"What a statement this makes," Mr. Helbreth said. "We have a culture of death in this country, but this strikes a blow for the culture of life."
Dennis Blank and Lynn Waddell contributed reporting from Pinellas County, Fla.,for this article.
Hospice of the Florida $uncoast: willing to kill Terri Schiavo: victim of abuse and neglect! Choosing to use backdoor legalization of euthanasia to make hospice a place to kill the vulnerable the Nazi agenda of euthanasia is alive at Hospice of the Florida Suncoast! ....a hospice that was convicted by the US Justice Dept. of bilking Medicare to the tune of many millions of dollars and did it under the watch of C.E.O. Mary Labyak and Chairman of the Board (at the time) George Felos (Michael Schiavo's right-to-kill agenda attorney)"
CUT
2nd felon gets 2nd chance at hospice
Bell said the hospice thinks the revelations about Wynn and Langan are related to lawsuits filed against it this year by Tampa attorney Jonathan Alpert and are part of an effort to discredit it. Those suits' allegations include a charge that the hospice-Hospice of the Florida Suncoast- improperly diverted donations.
A payroll worker is the second employee the hospice hired in recent years despite a criminal record. By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published June 26, 2003
I would not blame Jeb for this. I blame that DAMN Judge and that husband - They are pure evil!
""I guess she would have been better off if she had committed some crime? ""
Yes. And Jeb Bush has made that point too. Terri would be better off being a criminal.
Just maybe if Terri lives until Latin Easter, something like this could happen: beginning with the end of midnight masses, all the Roman Catholic and traditionalist Anglican faithful in Pennelas Park and environs could converge on the hospice with cups of ice chips, followed at sunrise by all the protestants who had just celebrate their Eastern sunrise service, followed late morning by the Orthodox fresh from the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil for St. Gregory Palamas Sunday, and the Western Christians who celebrated the Resurrection at their usual service time.
Each wave could put at the front all the people for whom a conviction for contempt of court, trespass and resisting arrest would (under the circumstances) have no consequences in terms of loss of jobs--the clergy, retirees (who might be considered as defending their own interests in not being 'euthanized'--a twisted use of the Greek 'eu' meaning good when applied to death by stravation and dehydration), people self-employed, . . .
They could come silently, then burst into hymns as the pressed against the police-line.
Surely the Christians of Florida out-number the police willing to enforce the judicial tyrant's order. (And even if he isn't active enough on Terri's behalf, Jeb won't send out the National Guard.)
I agree with you 100%!
George Felos, Mr. Schiavo's lawyer, called the motion "outrageous" and "an abuse of the legal system..."
Oh yeah, baby, pour on the coals Mr. Hotshot Lawyer man - you gonna fry like a chitlin in a hot skillet when they pass out the report cards. Nobody gonna bring you water either. Good thing your mouth is full of oily words 'cause you gonna need every bite.
This two-legged pile of dog sh*t is a poster boy for why the legal system needs to be gutted and reformed.
I don't blame anyone except these Nazi Judiciaries. How could any of these judges believe that a 21 year old female had nothing better to do in her life than discuss with her "spouse" how she wouldn't want to live when living is what she seemed happiest at? It makes no sense.
Excuse me, but President Bush and Jeb Bush are not starving this woman to death. Anyone who has taken a proactive role in this including the 42 Democrats in Congress are innocent.
It is the judges. Every one in the Supreme court INCLUDING Scalia has blood on his hands. And Judge Greer and Michael Shiavo will burn in hell for this.
Well said! Couldn't have said it better myself!
Jeb should give up his career and do right - he sure as hell would if it was his daughter in there. The family money would take care of him just fine and, who knows, he might even come out of it a hero. At least he'd be a real leader and statesman.
Excuse me, but President Bush and Jeb Bush are not starving this woman to death. Anyone who has taken a proactive role in this including the 42 Democrats in Congress are innocent.
It is the judges. Every one in the Supreme court INCLUDING Scalia has blood on his hands. And Judge Greer and Michael Shiavo will burn in hell for this.
Well said! Couldn't have said it better myself!
EXACTLY what I have been thinking lately. No freakin' way did Terri discuss this with that scumbag. I hope the POS burns in hell for what he's done.
How so? Explain that to me. I don't get it.
Someone need to risk it all to help this woman. No one in the Judicial, Executive, or Legislative system wants to risk their comfy life for this woman.
Being that this is Easter Weekend there is one verse that I have tried to practice but know that in this case maybe God is the only one that has this ability,"Lord Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do".
It is amazing to me that judges can make bad rulings and pronouncements on the behalf of convicted murders but no one has the guts to make a "bad" ruling in favor of Terri.
Truth from the Mouth of God.
"No one, not even the government, should be allowed to interfere in the decisions between a husband and wife."
Does that include her decision to divorce him? Maybe she finally got up the nerve to tell him the night she "collapsed."
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