DATELINE FLORIDA: Richard Engle, President NFRA
The premise of the title suggests that death can have meaning so I will begin by affirming that it very often can. There is little doubt that the death of Adolph Hitler meant the end of WWII in Europe and that the death of Joseph Stalin meant the end of the mass purges that he created under his governance.
On the flip side the death of Jesus Christ was meaningful to all who are Christians and the martyrdom of many of the saints continues to inspire people centuries later.
Death can become very meaningful and I would suggest that the death of Terri Schiavo is meaningful due to the utter meaninglessness of it.
While it seems to be a self-contradiction it most certainly is not. We have before us one young lady who is extraordinary for how very ordinary she was. She was not a saint, at least not as most of us understand saints. She didn’t save lives, contribute greatly to charities, nor even have children to carry on her heritage. She was Catholic but not especially devout. She was not famous for virtues or vices. She did have some problems as she (like so many young American women) fell victim to an eating disorder. She married the first man with which she had a date. She did not contribute significantly to science, literature, culture or otherwise deliberately make the world a better place.
She is well known because of her ordinariness. And, of course, because of the extraordinary manner of her death.
Terri is not a martyr, she is a murder victim. Her value in life was that she was alive and loved by her parents, siblings and by God.
She needed more care than she could ever have contributed to others. That is a value too.
The means by which she was murdered was dramatic and horrifying. It seems that most Americans would have preferred if the situation had not become public because it is so unsettling. We are disturbed to see someone who is not ill but is badly injured slowly die of thirst and hunger. Most would prefer to have death hidden and quiet. Terri makes us recognize that there are doctors, lawyers, judges and even family members who would be so callous and evil as to take advantage of our youth, vigor and health but not to equally treasure us when the youth, vigor and health wane.
Most importantly, we are challenged. We must now decide, should we embrace death as a process that begins at birth that should not be avoided, or will be embrace a culture of life that treasures and respects all human life up to the unavoidable end thereof?
Richard Engle is President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA). The NFRA is a national grassroots conservative organization of Republicans. It has local chapters in most states.
FV SAYS: NFRA advocated for Terri like the rest of us but unfortunately, hit the brick wall, the obstacle, the plan that "the law of the case is that she will die." Judge George Greer (making all judges look even worse than they already are).
There is one important thing missing from the alleged scans of Terri's head in the last week's effort to say she was not a person and needed "Mercy Killed" [which is against the law while calling it an order to deliver her wishes] and that is:
The spider of electrodes, the wire harness and the Brain Stimulator device is not blatantly visible as it is plainly in the 1996 Scans that were used in the 2000 trial, and very visible in the 2002 CT scans that were taken and used in the 2002 trial.
If these "empty head" CT scans being shown to the public really are Terri Schiavo's then this is even more proof of NEGLECT in that the device, wires and electrodes would be just floating or flopping around in there DOING DAMAGE to her. Or is that Stimulator pack duct taped to the inside of her skull? Nonetheless where is it in the scans shown of late.
Where are Neurologists giving reports of Scans as that is out of their professional licensed field. These are opinions being memorized and fed to the public. They are immune from prosecution probably because they are giving personal opinions and not written professional opinions to which they could be sued or disciplined.
Each of these deathmakers needs "listed". They have participated and have furthered efforts to make her dead. They are accomlices to this murder.
Next on stage is the Medical Examiner(s).
The Scene: The Final Coverup; or The Convictions
Will this be done by public polls too?
The clock is ticking. The hold period for any decesion to fully investigate or certify and pass through for cremation is only a 48 hour window per Florida Law 872.03(1).