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Terri Schiavo
News and Comments
Posted March 24, 2005
The Other Terris by Richard Stith
Posted March 23, 2005
To the editor of the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
3/22/05
Dear Editor,
I'm a nurse. I don't have a living will. And I don't want to be starved and dehydrated to death if I become incapacitated.
So how do I refuse my "right to die?"
Terri Schiavo also didn't have a living will -- just like Nancy Cruzan, Steven Becker, Christine Busalacchi and many others-but that has never been considered an impediment to the slow death by dehydration I would like to avoid.
I would also like to avoid the quality of my life from being judged too low by the so-called experts who call lethal injection executions "cruel and barbaric" killings by the state but who also extol the allegedly painless, even euphoric process of starvation and dehydration that somehow doesn't really cause death in non-dying, disabled people. Even though starvation and dehydration apparently does cause death for abused animals and poverty-stricken citizens of third world countries.
And this is the real heart of the matter. Three decades ago, we were still disturbed by the termination of "useless eaters" in 1930s Germany. Now we are told that choosing such a death is a wonderful "right to die" that everyone should prefer to a dependent, unattractive, expensive life that will burden loved ones.
Sorry, but I'm a nurse who knows that "better dead than
disabled" is a lethal form of discrimination that is unworthy
of a civilized society.
Sincerely,
Nancy
Valko, RN
Missouri Nurses for Life
Posted
February 25, 2005
Read
University of Florida Student Petition to Judge Greer.
http://www.gatorsforterri.org - Broken Link
Posted February
23, 2005
Press
release from 7/28/2003 by the Catholic Medical Association
Posted January
26, 2005
U.S. Supreme Court
Refuses to hear challenge of Florida Court ruling in Terri Schiavo
Case
by Helen Hull Hitchcock
January 24, 2005
The United States Supreme Court today refused without comment to hear the State of Florida's challenge of a decision by the Florida Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a Florida state law that could save Terri Schindler Schiavo from death by starvation and dehydration.
Washington attorney Robert Destro, representing Florida, told justices to consider "the most vulnerable of our citizens who cannot speak for themselves." (The case is Jeb Bush v. Michael Schiavo, 04-757.)
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), who filed a brief on behalf of Ms. Schiavo's parents, Mary and Robert Schindler, expressed concern that the nation's highest court declined to consider Florida Governer Jeb Bush's petition to take the case.
The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case leaves few options in the intense legal battle by the Schindlers to save the life of their daughter, who suffered serious brain damage in 1990, and whose husband, Michael Schiavo, wants to remove the feeding tube that supplies her with nutrition and hydration.
Governor Bush acting under "Terri's Law," ordered feeding and hydration tubes to be restored to Terri after a Florida trial court had ordered them removed. Michael Schiavo did not file any arguments with the court, but his attorney had accused Florida leaders of engaging in delaying tactics to prevent Terri Schiavo from carrying out her right to die.
On behalf of the Schindlers, the ACLJ urged the state's highest court in Bush v. Schiavo to reverse a lower court ruling that struck down "Terri's Law" as unconstitutional. In September 2004, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the lower court decision.
The ACLJ counsel, Jay Sekulow, said today, ""It is very disappointing that the Supreme Court has refused to enter into a critically important case involving the life and death struggle of Terri Schiavo" . Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which represented the Schindlers at the Supreme Court in their efforts to defend the emergency Florida legislation that saved their daughter's life.
"With the Supreme Court refusing to take the case, there are now fewer options available to protecting the life of Terri Schiavo and that's a real tragedy. By declaring 'Terri's Law' unconstitutional, the Florida courts have handed down a death sentence for her. We believe the Florida Governor and legislature acted constitutionally and appropriately in passing 'Terri's Law' - life-saving legislation that is at the center of the legal dispute. While there are still legal options available in Florida, the Supreme Court's refusal to take the case makes it more difficult for those legal options to prevail."
In its brief, the ACLJ said the decision by the Florida Supreme Court is an "astonishing and unprecedented ruling" and encouraged the high court to send the case back to the Florida Supreme Court for further clarification prior to accepting the case.
The ACLJ brief argued that the Florida Supreme Court acted unconstitutionally when it determined that once any court has issued a decree regarding the care and treatment of an incompetent person, neither the legislature nor the executive branch can take independent steps on behalf of the incompetent person's welfare.
The ACLJ brief said that Terri Schiavo is not in a "persistent vegetative state", as alleged by Michael Schiavo, that her condition is not terminal and untreatable, and that she is aware of her surroundings and does not want to die - especially by starvation and dehydration.
The American Center for Law and Justice specializes in constitutional law and the protection of human life. It is based in Washington, D.C. and its website address is www.aclj.org <http://www.aclj.org> .
Sources:
ACLJ Disappointed Supreme Court Refuses to Take Terri Schiavo
Case
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050124/245625_1.html broken link 6/27/2005
Fla. loses appeal in Terri
Schiavo case
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1154&slug=Scotus%20Brain%20Damaged%20Woman - Broken link
October
22, 2003
Press Release
- The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC)
The Terri Schiavo Case
Boston, MA - The National Catholic Bioethics Center has been
following closely the Florida case of Terri Schiavo. The United
States Catholic Bishops, in a 2001 document entitled Ethical
and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,
had this to say in Directive 58 about the provision of Medically
assisted nutrition and hydration: "There should be a presumption
in favor of providing nutrition and hydration to all patients,
including patients who require medically assisted nutrition and
hydration, as long as this is of sufficient benefit to outweigh
the burdens involved to the patient." The above directive
provides sure guidance to those having to make ethical decisions
in this case. Based on the facts that we have at this time from
media sources, the NCBC holds that the benefits of providing
medically assisted nutrition and hydration would clearly outweigh
the burdens in the case of Terri Schiavo.
The mission of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, founded
in 1972, is to safeguard the dignity of the human person through
research, education, publishing, and consultation in the health
and life sciences.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center 159 Washington St.
Boston MA 02135
http://www.ncbcenter.org/press/03-10-22-Schiavo.html - broken link
October 21, 2003
READ
IT!
Governor Bush Orders nutrition and hydration restored. See Executive
Order issued today.
"This is a response to a tragic situation."
Bush said. "People are responding to cries for help and
I think it's legitimate."
http://www.floridatoday.com/topstories/102103comatose.htm - Broken link
A state Senate panel approved legislation today that would
allow Gov. Jeb Bush to order a feeding tube be reinserted in
a brain-damaged woman in defiance of a court order that allowed
her husband to remove the tube.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2003
Statement By: GOVERNOR JEB BUSH
Regarding Expansion of Call of Special Session
TALLAHASSEE- "Today I extended
the call of this special session to include legislation that
may help in the case of Terri Schiavo. The proposed bill would
allow for a stay in cases of withholding nutrition and hydration
from patients in situations similar to that of Ms. Schiavo. President
King, Speaker Byrd, and others in the Legislature recognize the
unique and tragic circumstances of Ms. Schiavo's case, and I
am hopeful the Legislature will pass a bill immediately."
From Terri's Fight: http://www.terrisfight.org
October
20, 2003
Strong
Euthanasia Warning from Holland -- Florida's Terri Case Opens
the Door for Euthanasia in the USA
"Patients
are not sure if the doctor helps to kill or to cure. The Dutch
Euthanasia Law is a very dangerous example to follow".
Letters
to Jeb Bush from Women for Faith and Family
Letter
to Governor Bush - October 15, 2003.
Letter
to Governor Bush - July 21, 2003.
Posted October
8, 2003
Gov. Jeb Bush steps in
for Schindler-Schiavo: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34974
Go to http://www.terrisfight.org
for additional information on the case. Please continue to pray
for Terri and her family.
Posted September
10, 2003 Posted August
28, 2003 Posted August
27, 2003 But Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge
George Greer was unmoved by the governor's August 25 letter.
"I read [the request from Bush] because it came from the
governor and I respect his position'', Greer said. "Beyond
that, it is going in the file'', he told the Tampa Tribune. Governor Bush said that he would
not normally write a judge concerning a pending legal proceeding,
but he said his office received 27,000 e-mails "reflecting
understandable concern for the well being" of Mrs. Schiavo
. (Women for Faith & Family
wrote to Governor Bush asking for his intervention on July 21,
2003). Michael Schiavo, who has been
in a battle with his wife's parents over his wish to remove his
wife's feeding-tube, told the Tampa Tribune that "The
governor has deliberately twisted the facts in this case in an
apparent effort to kowtow to his 'right-to-life' political supporters.
This has nothing to do with him. He should stay out of it". Sources (links may not be
active): World Net Daily story - August
26 -- http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34275 October
23, 2003
Posted
September 18, 2003
Terri Schiavo Update
The feeding tube that
has kept Terri Schiavo alive for more than a decade must be removed
Oct. 15.
Source http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/18/health/main573832.shtml
Go to http://www.terrisfight.org
for additional information on the case. Please continue to pray
for Terri and her family.
Posted
September 11, 2003
Update on Terri Schavio
"A judge put off
a ruling Thursday on whether to remove a brain-damaged woman's
feeding tube after her parents argued that she first should be
given the chance to learn to eat."
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-09112003-157826.html - Broken link
http://www.terrisfight.org
Please visit http://www.terrisfight.org for the complete update on Terri
Schiavo. Please pray for Terri and her family as tomorrow Judge Lazzara decides whether to accept jurisdiction
of the Federal suit, Judge Greer of Pinellas County will schedule
the removal of Terri's nutrition and hydration in this hearing.
Demonstrators will be present.
Florida
Bishops urge Safer Course for Terri Schiavo
Florida
Bishops issued a statement 8/27/2003 regarding Terri Schiavo's
case.
Go to:
http://www.flacathconf.org/Publications/BishopsStatements/Bpst2000/TerriSchiavo.htm - Broken link
Governor Bush intervenes
in Schiavo case -- but Judge denies request
Florida Governor Jeb
Bush asked Circuit Judge George W. Greer to delay removing the
feeding-tube for Terri Schiavo so that a court-appointed guardian
can "independently investigate the circumstances of this
case and provide the court with an unbiased view that considers
the best interests of Mrs. Schiavo."
Tampa Tribune story August 27: Judge Denies Bush's
Request To Rehash Terri Schiavo Case
Governor Bush's letter -- http://www.hospicepatients.org/Gov-Bush-intervenes-to-save-Terri-Schindler-Schiavo.pdf - Broken link
"Georgetown Priest-ethicist says there's "no
obligation" to feed Terri"
I watched Nightline (ABC) last
night (Wed. October 22) and was outraged when Fr. Kevin Wildes,
a Jesuit priest at Georgetown University, called Terri's feeding
tube "extraordinary means" and that there is "no
obligation to keep her alive". He cited the doctors who
said Terri couldn't recover as the main factor in such decisions.
Koppel brought up the conflicts about the husband but Wildes
basically said we should trust the spouse because the courts
did. This priest even defended the doctor who was reluctant to
reinsert Terri's tube as properly "exercising his professional
judgment." Most outrageously, Fr. Wildes denied that there
is any "crisp line between life and death" and that
"upwards of 80-85%" of Americans now "don't simply
die" but rather they die "because people make choices
about stopping treatment" and that Terri is just "one
of those cases." The Catholic Church has many documents
countering Wildes, including the Pope's 1998 statement and the
Charter for Health Care Workers
which clearly states: "The administration of food and
liquids, even artificially, is part of the normal treatment always
due to the patient when this is not burdensome for him: their
undue suspension could be real and properly so-called euthanasia."
Unfortunately, Catholic "spokespersons" like Frs. Wilde,
O'Rourke and others are the ones the media usually seeks out
to give the Catholic viewpoint, especially when they disagree
with Church principles.
By the way, Terri's husband's lawyer Felos who has talked Terri
being "kidnapped" to restart her feedings reminds me
of the more literal kidnapping involved in the Steven Becker
case here in St. Louis in 2000. When a local Catholic hospital
recommended withdrawal of feedings from this young, brain-injured
man, both prolife and disability people picketed the hospital
and Archbishop (now Cardinal) Rigali intervened with a statement
citing Church documents and principles against withdrawal in
cases like Steven's. But then the hospital allowed the wife to
move Steven to an undisclosed location in the middle of the night
where his feedings were withdrawn. An emergency court injunction
was obtained to continue his feedings but the wife and her lawyers
were suddenly unavailable-until they announced Steven's death
several days later. And there wasn't a peep of outrage from the
media.
Nancy Valko, RN
**Women for Faith &
Family operates
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