Husband Michael Schiavo to Do Some Image-Polishing - FROM THE FRONT LINES AT VIGIL

THROWN BACK Blog ^ | October 26, 2003 | Fr. Rob Johansen

[NYer]

Husband Michael to Do Some Image-Polishing

Watch out! Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, is going to be making the rounds of the national press during the next week. The purpose of this is to portray Michael as and reinforce his image as the victim of unfair attacks, and as being solely motivated by his deep care for Terri and his desire to carry out her wishes to be killed.

The first stop of this train will be his appearance on Monday night's "Larry King Live" show. Larry King is slotted to have Michael on for a full hour, unopposed by anyone from the Schindler family. I think that I can safely predict that this will be a virtual love-fest between Michael and Larry. No similar invitation has been extended to the Schindlers, which seems to me to demonstrate where he is coming from regarding Terri. And, as the Most Intellectually Dishonest Media Personality In America Today [TM], he can be counted on to ask only fawning softball questions of Michael.

Michael has claimed to be in hiding due to death threats against him. This claim is almost certainly part of his effort to acquire a more sympathetic image. For a man in hiding, he is acting mighty peculiar: He has been seen in the last 24 hours at a local shopping mall and restaurant.

You can also expect, now that the ACLU and Euthanasia organizations have pledged to enter the fray on Michael's behalf, that the drumbeat portraying him as a victim and noble-minded humanitarian will only increase. They want to cast Terri's case as a "right to die" issue. To do that they will do everything in their power to portray Michael as the heroic figure, challenging us narrow-minded extermists who want to interfere with his "rights".

Michael's attorney, George Felos, has a well known affinity for the pro-Euthanasia movement. This movement's adherents have a fascination, one might almost say a fetish, with Death. They seek to widen the acceptable boundaries within which society will find death acceptable. To forestall that effort, we must be vigilant against their attempts to coopt the language of rights and compassion.

[CindyDawg]

I wouldn't post it yet.

[CindyDawg]

I wouldn't post it yet.

[Republic]

When you write a letter to the editor of any newspaper-you must include your full name and address and means of contact. That is what Kathy did...in order to get this part of the story out, trouble is, the newspaper refused to publish it....hurting the Schindler's by doing so.

[bonfire]

Why NOT have the Shindlers on with MS?? Is MS scared of them?

I don't know if I have the stomach to watch this interview.

[sweetliberty]

"Is there some way this can be investigated in Washington?"

Well, I know there have been a lot of letters written to the DOJ and the president, and to Bob Marshall who made the phone call to the hospital in Terri's behalf. I also read something about the FBI, but I am not going to try and say what it was, because at this point I don't remember. There have also been a lot of letters written to the SC, who may end up with this case before all is said and done.

[Theodore R.]

Dr. Laura has repeatedly rejected requests that she cover Terri's fight.

Bill O'Reilly seems perfectly contented with the claims of George J. Felos. He is no friend of the "vegetable" Terri.

[CindyDawg]

That will work. The c was actually for celebrity though lol

[T'wit]

Thanks for the laugh. I get to laughing myself, and also hope others are sharing the joke. Nothing more cathartic than jeering at evil-doers. They take themselves SO seriously. Once they are the object of public ridicule, their power fades away.

[Graymatter]

My gut feeling is that IF it's true, the Schindlers do know and, as usual, are just too decent to exploit the fact.
After all, there is an innocent young teen already burdened with having MS for a father, why heap on the kid?
A careful attorney should handle this info, not us. Do we even need to expose a kid to public humiliation just to demonstrate Michael's lack of character?

[Graymatter]

>>When you write a letter to the editor of any newspaper-you must include your full name and address and means of contact. That is what Kathy did...in order to get this part of the story out, trouble is, the newspaper refused to publish it...

Yes, so at the time she wrote the letter she was aware the paper might publish her name and address and means of contact. It was ok then. Why is she now "publishing" it here but unwilling to be named?

[Pegita]

Amen to that, Graymatter. We're defending a defenseless woman and we can't do that by being the means of harming a defenseless child. The family welcomes all information. I know they're more than aware of all the legal firms and outspoken media types ~ it's their call. We're great in the trenches and support to the troops, but it's the Commander who leads the battles. Just my opinion.

[T'wit]

Yeah, I don't care for O'Reilly, don't listen to him. We need a moral commentator for this case, someone who can stand firm and say with authority, "This is right" and "That is wrong." I'm sorry to hear that Dr. Laura won't take up the cause.

[sweetliberty]

Kathy did not say that I shouldn't use her last name. I just don't know who may be lurking around here. It isn't that it is a big secret. Apparently she has been actively trying to get some attention on this mess about Schiavo for quite awhile and nobody will listen.

[CindyDawg]

Lots of ifs,huh? It will come out if it's true. I agree about being careful about what is posted here and protecting innocents as much as possible though, but I consider Terri an innocent here too.

[sweetliberty]

"I don't know if I have the stomach to watch this interview."

I know I don't. If there's one thing I can't tolerate it's a scab masquerading as a prince.

[Aliska]

Here's something I found in google archives. I hope the link works. I don't want to post it because it is sourced to the Tampa Tribune with no url.: There is an allegation of stalking a former girlfriend among other things.

Alleged Tampa Tribune article Maybe a freeper can find out if such an article was published. If it is not on the net, maybe someone can find it through a Florida library archive.

[atruelady]

Court documents could be researched. Is this teenage child living in Florida?

Also, if he is hiding more of his assets, it is not just medicaid whom he is defrauding, probably Social Security and the mother of this teenager. She has a right to have a fair amount of support based on his REAL income. Why hasn't she come forward, especially if she and her child are the reason Terri and Schiavo were fighting?

She needs to come forward and help the Schindlers.

Kathy's statements are valuable, but they need to be followed-up on.

Carla

[Graymatter]

>>Kathy did not say that I shouldn't use her last name.

Even so, it ought to be run by the Schindlers and their attorney first. I feel very uneasy about calling for public exposure of a young teen, involved in this way.

[Theodore R.]

Dr. James Dobson did a good job last Monday for Terri, but I have heard nothing else from him. He is still sorely needed to give the moral dimensions of this unfortunate case. I hope that some conservatives don't think this fight is "now over."

[Pegita]

Heavenly Father, we seek Your wisdom for the way in which You would have us go, and to whom we should go. Thank You for the differing pieces of information that comes forth .. may it be used to defend the defenseless and to honor You, from whom comes all Truth and Justice. In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen