The
case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo
The
world debated as Terri's life hung in the balance
Dead :
after 13 days without
food and water
The
debate over end-of-life issues continues...
Are we are a Culture of
Life or are a Culture of Expediency
with a duty to die once we are not productive?
contents
The extreme right
wing & its faith-based agenda support, "life at all cost"
Polls reflect a majority in public opinion that we're "better
off dead"
We say, "Don't assume our lives aren't worth living"
Sadly, all too many don't "get"
the difference!
When Terri was competent, she had a fundamental right of self determination regarding decisions pertaining to her health, including the right to choose or refuse medical treatment. But when she became incompetent, these rights became exercisable by her husband, who is her guardian. And it is the conflict of these two rights — a legislatively-recognized right of self determination as presently exerted by her guardian, and a constitutionally inalienable right to enjoyment and defense of life as raised by her parents — that has become an epic legal battle.
Some argue that what makes this matter so difficult is that Terri cannot speak for herself. But it is clear that Terri is not terminally ill. Judge Greer expressed this well in his order, stating that “there appears to be no finality in sight to this process.” That her disability precludes her from objecting to the imposition of death by starvation and dehydration has given the Florida Circuit Court cause for years of deliberation on whether her life may be so taken.
But is it really that complicated? Terri has committed no capital offense. She has not asked that her life be taken. She continues to live with her disability and has not abandoned her right to defend her life. Absent the gravest of circumstances, the State must defend her life.
And the State must also ask, given the conflict of a legislatively recognized right and a constitutionally inalienable right, how shall the State proceed? Here again, the presumption must be for the defense of life. Terri’s inalienable right to defend her life may not be taken from her by her guardian, or by the Florida Legislature, or by the Florida Courts. If her guardian refuses to exercise it, the State of Florida must do so. If the State of Florida will not do so, then the United States must.
If we have come to the point that a severely disabled person, or even a person in a persistently vegetative state, may have their lives devalued and their inalienable Constitutional rights arbitrarily removed by legislative or judicial fiat, then we have reached a dangerous point indeed. For, in order for the rights of the remainder of us to be preserved, we must then argue that such humans in general, and that Terri Schiavo in particular, no longer can be considered true “natural persons.” We must argue that because a human no longer can react, or feed herself, or enjoy life, that she has become less than a person. We must argue that, because of criteria regarding physical disability which we have established legislatively or judicially, the basic rights of these individuals may be removed on the basis that they have forfeited personhood.
And if we have reached the point that personhood, and basic rights, may depend on the vagaries of physical debility, who is to say that in another time, another legislature and another judge may not define personhood by criteria of race, or religion, or national origin? Who has forgotten that in another time, legislatures and judges did just that?
The only positive outcome from this case is that it raises public awareness of the importance of discussing end-of-life issues with family members and underscores how an advance directive, a living will and/or durable power of attorney for health care, clarifies and provides evidence of the wishes of an individual regarding end-of-life decisions.
DAWN Ontario encourages everyone to have an advance directive in place. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Terri Schindler-Schiavo.
"Don’t imagine this case doesn’t set a precedent. Once we start deciding who deserves to live and who doesn’t, where do we stop? How do we stop?
Part of my silence [up to now] on the issue, aside from not knowing quite what to believe with all the strong words out there, has come from sheer disbelief that we have come to this."
“It really is a slippery slope.” If so, we’ve already slipped all the way down to the bottom and have begun to dig. It is only a matter of time until courts and hospital “ethics” committees routinely decide who lives and who dies, without regard to the wishes of the patient or any members of the patient’s family.
They will evaluate your “quality of life” and decide whether you are worth taking up a spot on the planet. In the Schiavo case, they are purporting to take her wishes into account, and are actually choosing the wishes of her husband over all her other family members. But that’s this time. In other cases, they ignore the family’s wishes as well, and soon this will become routine."
The Quote that says it all...
“The law of this case is that she will die… I don’t want anyone trying to feed that girl.”
~ Pinellas County Probate Judge George Greer
http://www.theempirejournal.com/35052_schiavo_judge_tells_dcf.htm[I suppose that’s why they have an armed guard in her room to make sure her mother doesn’t put a drop of water in her mouth.]
Key Quotes
Reactions following the announcement of
Terri Schiavo's death:
Today, millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schiavo. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak.
In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in favour of life.
I urge all those who honor Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others.
~ President George W Bush
Terri's will to live should serve as an inspiration and impetus for action.
~ House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner
Mr Schiavo's overriding concern was [that] Mrs Schiavo has a right and had a right to die with dignity. And die in peace. She had a right to have her last and final moments on this earth be experienced by a spirit of love and not of acrimony.
~ George Felos, lawyer for Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband
This is indeed a sad day for the nation, for the family. Their faith in God remains strong. God loves Terri more than they do. She is at peace.
~ David Gibbs III, a lawyer for Terri Schiavo's parents
Mike's very upset. My sister's crying. It's very emotional. It's been a long, hard fight, but I believe she's happy. Terri's probably happy now to be free and not be shown all over TV. I would imagine if it was me I'd be very embarrassed, everybody looking at my picture lying there.
~ John Centonze, brother of Jody Centonze, Michael Schiavo's fiancee
I'm saddened by her passing, and I'm pained by it. It's unnecessary, in the end. She was starved and dehydrated to death. To me, it was merciless rather than merciful.
~ Rev Jesse Jackson, who supported the Schindlers
This is not only a death with all the sadness that brings, this is a killing. And for that we not only grieve that Terri has passed but we grieve that our nation has allowed such an atrocity as this and we pray that it will never happen again.
~ Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life
She's got all of her dignity back. She's now in heaven, she's now with God, and she's walking with grace.
~ Scott Schiavo, Michael Schiavo's brother
Mrs. Schiavo's death is a moral poverty and a legal tragedy. This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change.
The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today. Today we grieve, we pray, and we hope to God this fate never befalls another.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schindlers and with Terri Schiavo's friends in this time of deep sorrow.
~ Congressman Tom DeLay
It's heart-breaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. To all the people that wanted her to live, this was a very, very emotional couple of weeks.
This issue transcends politics. Her experience will heighten awareness of the importance of families dealing with end of life issues. That's an incredible legacy.
I wish I could have done more. As governor, this has been the toughest [issue I have had to deal with].
~ Florida Governor Jeb Bush
In doubt, be for life and avoid what in practice and without euphemisms would represent a murder, to which it is impossible to be a passive observer without becoming an accomplice.
~ Vatican Cardinal Renato Martino
Source: amended from: BBC News
Published Commentary from Disability Community
No Guts No Glory
"The
women's movement doesn't know how to be revolutionary anymore."
by Ingrid V. Tischer
Ragged Edge, Oct. 2003
Terri
Schiavo: It's Not Just About Terri Any More
A perspective from a 17-year survivor of ALS
... The
tragedy of Terri Schiavo should scare the Hell out of all Americans,
because our courts have now established what level of human impairment
is worth living. Mark my words, this benchmark will not remain static.
by David Jayne,
CEO - Homebound Solutions LLC, www.RespiteMatch.com
DAWN Ontario, April
7, 2005
You
Too Can Lose Weight and Keep it Off: The Terri Schiavo Success Story
by Zeynep Toufe, DAWN Ontario, April 1, 2005
Articulating
our perspective to progressives
by Josie Byzek, Ragged Edge Online, March 25, 2005
Why
Schiavo case worries the disabled
by William G. Stothers, Toronto Star, March 25, 2005
Bigotry
and the Murder of Terri Schiavo
by Joe Ford, The Harvard Crimson, March 25, 2005
Has
disability become a capital offense?
by Gary Presley, Springfield
(MO) News-Leader, March 23, 2005
Not
Dead at All
Why Congress was right to stick up for Terri Schiavo
by Harriet McBryde Johnson, Slate.com
Against
the killing of the light
Ed Smith, CBC DisabilityMatter, March 22, 2005
No,
It's Not About Terri Schiavo Anymore
by Mary Johnson, CommonDreams.org, March 22, 2005
Disability
Advocacy Organizations Voice Support For Terri Schindler-Schiavo
Florida Woman's Case Could Impact Millions with Disabilities
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), October
29, 2003
Issues
Surrounding Terri Schindler-Schiavo Are Disability Rights Issues, Say
National Disability Organizations
ZMAG, Disability Rights Watch, Oct. 27, 2003
Analysis:
You Be The Judge: Was Terri Schindler- Schiavo A Strangulation Victim?
by The Empire Journal
Of
Maturity and Murder: George Felos, Adolf Hitler, and an American Majority
by Brian Melton
Chron Watch
April 8, 2005
Schiavo
case pertains to life, choice, due process
Balancing out
the Bias
by James Mack, Jr.
The Triangle - Student Newspaper at Druxel University
Excerpt:
I honestly can't think of one ordinary citizen who captured the nation's attention so quickly as Terri Schiavo. Barnum and Bailey's would be jealous at the three-ring circus her story created down south. Parents vs. Husband. Religion vs. Family. Values vs. Law. So many issues surrounded her last days, and so much anger enveloped one person's life.
Schiavo
doomed by biased polls
Letter to Editor by Alice Kennedy
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
April 7, 2005
Schiavo
Case: Living Wills, Autopsy Not the Answer
Priests for Life Press Release
Schiavo
story provokes new interest on issue
Local attorney says living wills are being taken more seriously
by Jennifer Amato, Staff Writer
Suburban GMN News
Issues
in Schiavo case live on, disability-rights group says
by Ruth Holladay
IndyStar.com
A
Right to Health Care and a Right to Die
Tug of War with Terri Schiavo
by Alan Maass
CounterPunch.org
Terri
Schiavo: It's Not Just About Terri Any More
A perspective from a 17-year survivor of ALS
... The
tragedy of Terri Schiavo should scare the Hell out of all Americans,
because our courts have now established what level of human impairment
is worth living. Mark my words, this benchmark will not remain static.
by
David Jayne
DAWN Ontario
April 6, 2005
Hundreds
Gather to Mourn Terri Schiavo
Hundreds of Mourners Gather to Remember Terri Schiavo at Funeral
Mass Arranged by Her Parents
by Mitch Stacy
The Associated Press
Where
were Schiavo's loved ones as eating disorder led to downfall?
by S. Jennifer Hunter
Chicago Sun-Times
April 5, 2005
Pope
John Paul and Terri Schiavo
by Doug Hagin
Renew America
Teresa
Schindler-Schiavo: The Final Chapter
by Barbara J. Stock
Chron Watch
The
Execution of Terri Schiavo
by Judie Brown
Washington Dispatch
Terri
Schiavo - The Legislative Aftermath
Center for Practical Bioethics Statement
Issues
raised by Schiavo won't die
by Mary Laney
Chicago Sun-Times
Kristol:
Why No 'Evolving Standards of Decency' for Terri Schiavo
www.newsmax.com
Terri
Schiavo's affliction
Boston Globe Editorial
April 4, 2005
The
Tragedy of Terri Schiavo: A Nurse's View
by Sheila M Blanchet RN
DAWN Ontario
Terri's
Fight, Our Battle
by Michael Nevin, Jr.
Chron Watch
When
Facts Collide With Beliefs
by Jay Bookman
Atlanta
Journal-Constitution / Georgia
reprinted on CommonDreams
Stories
Sway Personal Choice
by Paul Rogat Loeb
USA Today
The
Culture of Life
by Roberto Rodriguez
Published on Column of the Americas
reprinted on CommonDreams
April 3, 2005
Reality
of Schiavo case is lost in loose talk
by Robert Robb, columnist
Arizona Republic
Terri
Schiavo - Lessons Learned
Center for Practical Bioethics
Press Release dd April 3, 2005
April 2, 2005
The
execution of Terri Schiavo
by David Huntwork
Renew America
Excerpt
In February 1990, a sudden loss of oxygen to the brain left Theresa Marie Schiavo in a coma and eventually in a profoundly incapacitated state. Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, took care of her, working alongside Terri's parents. He took her to numerous doctors; he pursued experimental treatments; he sought at least some modest restoration of her self-awareness. In November 1992, he testified at a malpractice hearing that he would care for Terri for the rest of her life, that he "wouldn't trade her for the world," that he was going to nursing school to become a better caregiver. He explicitly reaffirmed his marriage vow, "through sickness, in health."When one doctor suggested that he remove Terri's feeding tube he replied that "I couldn't do that to Terri," and let her die of dehydration. Yet by 1993 such sentiments increasingly fell by the wayside as Michael's interests focused elsewhere. He was moving on and his brain damaged wife was becoming a mere problem and inconvenient tie to the past. ...
The nationwide debate has not ended with Terri's passing but has just begun. Political blood will be shed and with both barrels blasting the various sides will begin the long battle over whether we are a culture of life or a culture of expediency with a duty to die once we are not productive. Fascist regimes glorify the killing of the weak, the disabled, the helpless and 'useless' eaters that exist among us, not a civilized Western society with a heart of compassion.
Michael
Schiavo in hiding after death threats
by Jacqui Goddard in Pinellas Park, Florida
News Telegragh - UK
Excerpt
Anger at Mr Schiavo's actions has been fuelled by the revelation that a court order from a county judge, George Greer, who repeatedly refused the Schindlers' pleas to let their daughter live, will allow him to have her cremated and her ashes interred in Pennsylvania. The Schindlers' request for a share of the ashes or even a lock of their daughter's hair has also been refused.
Analysis:
Lawmakers ponder Schiavo case
by Les Kjos Miami
New Kerala, India
Terri
Schiavo Cremated Amid Family Feud
By Vickie Chachere
Associated Press Writer
Guardian Unlimited
We
must learn a lesson from Terri Schiavo
by Kevin Myers
Opinion Telegraph - UK
Autopsy
of Terri Schiavo Completed
by Vickie Chachere
Associated Press Writer
Guardian Unlimited
Who
is Brain-Dead?
by Alan Kobrin
CommonDreams.org
Who
was Terri Schiavo?
Herald-Leader Wire Services
Overkilling
Schiavo
by Rachel Marsden
Toronto Free Press
Schiavo
case tests America
by Justin Webb
BBC Washington correspondent
BBC News
Who
Is Judge George (Boss) Greer? [The Terri Schiavo Case Isn't Over]
by Ken Hughes
Useless-Knowledge.com
Terri
Schiavo Case Mythology
by Brooks A. Mick, M.D.
Useless-Knowledge.com
Schiavo's
autopsy done; 2 funerals are planned
Associated Press
April 1, 2005
You
Too Can Lose Weight and Keep it Off: The Terri Schiavo Success Story
by Zeynep Toufe
DAWN Ontario
The
Murder of Terri Schiavo
by Burt Prelutsky
Chron Watch
Playing
God with Terri Schiavo, and millions found it moral
by Jonathan Law
Star Tribune
Schiavo's
Family Plans Separate Funerals
Fight Over Terri Schiavo Goes on After Her Death As Parents, Husband
Plan Separate Funerals
by Mark Long
The Associated Press
ABC News
Theresa
Marie Schiavo
New York Times, Editorial
Schiavo's
Case May Reshape American Law
by Sheryl Gay Stolberg
New York Times
Terri
Schiavo's Parents Needed Activist Judges: Ann Woolnar
by Ann Woolner
Bloomberg.com
Anger
growing over Schiavo death
A political row has broken out in the US after the death of Terri
Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman at the heart of a long-running legal
dispute
BBC News,
UK Edition
Mourning
Marks Terri Schiavo's Death
Voice of America (VOA) News
'Culture
of Life' is a Culture of Fear
by Ira Chernus
CommonDreams.org
Terri
Schiavo and Troubling Concerns
by Matthew Rothschild
The Progressive
Schiavo
legacy will continue after her death
Though Terri Schiavo has now passed away, those who supported
her right to die are vowing to continue to keep up her fight. So are
those who wanted her kept alive.
Angela Mulholland
CTV.ca News
Schiavo's
death steps up push for end-of-life legislation in U.S.
by Seattle Times news services
Funeral
location kept private to bar parents, relative says
Terri Schiavo's
ashes will be buried in an undisclosed location near Philadelphia so
that her immediate family doesn't show up and turn the burial into a
media spectacle, a member of the Schiavo family said yesterday.
by Michael Rubinkam
The Associated Press
Seattle Times
Young
woman sought sunshine, made headlines
by Anne Hull
The Washington
Post
Seattle Times
Death
doesn't end war of words among family members, backers
by Phil Long, Erika Bolstad and Martin Merzer
Knight Ridder
Newspapers
Seattle Times
March 31, 2005
Terri's
Death was Euthanasia rather than Natural Death
by Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Terri
Schiavo: Stealing Heaven's Fire
by Karen Pittman
Chron Watch
Terri
Schiavo dies but bitter divide remains
by Jane
Sutton
Reuters
Right
emboldened by Schiavo case
The death of Terri Schiavo is unlikely
to be the end of the debate over end-of-life issues in the United States
by Kevin Anderson
BBC News, Washington
Terri
Schiavo Dies, Ending Seven-Year Legal Fight
Bloomberg.com
After
long struggle, Terri Schiavo dies at 41
CTV.ca News Staff
It's
arrogance to decide it's time for Schiavo to die
by Mary Mitchell, Sun-Times Columnist
Chicago Sun-Times
Conservative
Elders Smack Bush for Schiavo Position
President's
allegiance to religious right sets Republican Party adrift
by James Ridgeway
A
Political Circus Comes to Its Personal Close
Terri Schiavo is gone
by Sharon Lerner
The Village Voice
Family
feud over Terri Schiavo goes on
by Mark Long
Canadian Press
Rep.
Smith calls for full inquiry into Terri Schiavo case
by Donna De La Cruz
Associated Press Writer
Newsday.com, AP New Jersey
Terri
Schiavo relatives feud over burial
by Michael Rubinkam
Associated Press Writer
Seattle Post Intelligencer
George
Bush's Limited Definition of "Life"
by Dawn Baldwin
CommonDreams.org
Life
and Terri Schiavo
The Monitor's View
Terri
Schiavo Dies Amid Controversy
by Carol Pearson - Washington, D.C.
Voice of America (VOA) News
Vatican
denounces Terri Schiavo's death
by Victor L. Simpson
Associated Press Writer
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Bush
Offers Condolences to Terri Schiavo's Family
by Paula Wolfson, White House
VOA (Voice of America) News
Terri
Schiavo Is Dead...and What Remains
by David Corn
Davidcorn.com
Brain-damaged
Terri Schiavo dies
Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged
Florida woman at the heart of a bitter legal dispute, has died
BBC News, UK edition
Terri
Schiavo, 1963-2005
by Jarrett Murphy
The Village Voice
Plug
Me In
by Will Durst
CommonDreams.org
A
Plug for the GOP: In the long run, Schiavo case could get spun to Republicans'
advantage
by James Ridgeway
The Village Voice
Key
Dates in Terri Schiavo Case
by The Associated Press
The Guardian Unlimited
Terri
Schiavo & The Constitution
by Andrew Cohen
CBS News
High
Court Rejects New Schiavo Request
by Ron Word
Associated Press Writer
The Guardian Unlimited
U.S.
Supreme Court Rejection May End Terri Schiavo Legal Fight
by Greg Stohr
Bloomberg.com
Gibson
says Schiavo death "nothing more than state-sanctioned murder"
by Jonathon Moran, National Entertainment Writer
Daily Telegraph
Blame
goes all around for Schiavo outcome
Legal experts: Congress made mistakes
by Frank Davies
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Detroit Free Press
Schiavo
case holds lessons for caregivers
Warren Wolfe
Star Tribune
Backward
Christian Soldiers
by Katha Pollitt
The Nation
So
many outrages in Schiavo case
Opinion - Roy Sharp, Goodyear
Arizona Republic
Schiavo's
Attorney Carves Out Niche
by Vickie Chachere
Associated Press Writer
The Guardian Unlimited
Bush
and Congress Rebuked in Schiavo Case
by Abby Goodnough and William Yardley
New York Times
Parents
don't want to quit
by Kaffie Sledge
Ledger Enquirer
Court
rejects Schiavo's parents' plea
NDTV Correspondent
Wednesday's
developments in the Schiavo case
As Terri Schiavo entered her 13th day without food and water Wednesday,
the U.S. Supreme Court again refused to order her feeding tube reinserted,
dealing another blow to her parents' attempts to keep their daughter
alive.
Free Press news services, Detroit Free Press
March 30, 2005
U.S.
Supreme Court again says no to Schindlers
(11:25 pm ET)
CTV.ca News Staff
Making
Terry Schiavo Important
by Dean Paton
CommonDreams.org
Why
I Don't Care About Terry Schiavo
by Joyce Marcel
CommonDreams.org
Terry
Schiavo Could Save Millions of Young Women's Lives
by Thom Hartmann
CommonDreams.org
US
Court to Hear New Schiavo Appeal
by Jim Teeple
Miami
Appeals
Court to Consider a Petition in the Schiavo Case (Filed at 8:25
a.m. ET)
The court early today agreed to consider a petition for a new
hearing on whether to reconnect Terri Schiavo's feeding tube
by Jonathan Landrum Jr, Associated Press writer
New York Times
Federal
appeals court OKs Schiavo review
A federal appeals court
early Wednesday agreed to consider a petition by Terri Schiavo's parents
for a new hearing on whether to reconnect their severely brain-damaged
daughter's feeding tube.
Japan Today
Terri
Schiavo: a disability rights case?
by Julia Kite
BBC Ouch
Bad
call for Schiavo parents, but husband's on the mark
Chicago Sun-Times Commentary
March 29, 2005
Lady
Liberty dying with Terri Schiavo
by Chuck Baldwin
DAWN Ontario
Terri
Schiavo 'close to death'
ITV.com
Suprisingly
civil at the site of Schiavo protests
A Michael Schiavo supporter
talks about mood outside the hospice
by John McCann
Citizen Report, MSNBC.com
Activists
demand action to save Terri Schiavo
As
brain-damaged Terri Schiavo survived an 11th day without food or water,
activists demanded something be done to keep her alive.
CTV.ca News
Schiavo
Case Proves Dems are Starving for Leadership
by Arianna Huffington
Arianna Online
Schiavo's
parents file new appeal
AFP
ABC News Online
The
Terri Schiavo Debate Is Far, Far From Over
by Carol Devine-Molin
American Daily - News & Commentary
Terri
Schiavo's 2002 CT scan
Neurologist who examined Schiavo explains the scan
Schiavo
Case: Media Pander to the Right
by Jeff Cohen
ZNET
List
of Schiavo Donors Will Be Sold by Direct-Marketing Firm
by David D. Kirkpatrick and
John Schwartz
New York Times
All-Out
Coverage of Schiavo Wears Thin
No Real Look at Causes of Bulimia
by Antonia Zerbisias
Toronto Star
Terri
Schiavo remains deprived of food supply
Family, protestors desperately attempt to change court decision
by Nick Henne, News Editor
The East Carolinian Online
Schiavo
case unexpectedly unites most Americans
by Alan Elsner
Reuters, AlertNet
What's
going on in Schiavo's head?
by Oakland Ross
Toronto Star
Ignoring
suffering of everyone who isn't Terri Schiavo
by Ed Montini
Arizona Republic
Political
opportunism at its most malignant
by Jack MacAndrew
Rabble.ca
Excerpt
On the day of Terri Schiavo's death, many thousands also will have left this earthly life around the world, unknown except to those closest to them. She, unknowingly, passes from this life as a North American celebrity, manipulated to that shaky pedestal over a period of a couple of weeks by the venality of modern media.
Terri
Schiavo: Judicial Murder
Her crime was being
disabled, voiceless, and at the disposal of our media
by Nat Hentoff
Village Voice
Excerpt
For all the world to see, a 41-year-old woman, who has committed no crime, will die of dehydration and starvation in the longest public execution in American history.
She is not brain-dead or comatose, and breathes naturally on her own. Although brain-damaged, she is not in a persistent vegetative state, according to an increasing number of radiologists and neurologists.Among many other violations of her due process rights, Terri Schiavo has never been allowed by the primary judge in her case—Florida Circuit Judge George Greer, whose conclusions have been robotically upheld by all the courts above him—to have her own lawyer represent her.
George
Orwell & Terri Schiavo
Euphemisms about life
and death
by Rich Lowry
Excerpt
Denial is not just a river in Egypt, goes the saying. Indeed, it is something very important to supporters of ending Terri Schiavo’s life, judging by their head-spinning evasions.
A woman who might (or might not) be in a persistent vegetative state, but who is otherwise not ill and can continue to live for years despite her profound disability, is dying because we are refusing to give her sustenance. We are affirmatively ending her life, perhaps against her will, because there is no way now to know her will. Supporters of this act feel compelled to try to pretty it up.
They say that Terri is being “allowed to die.” No. She is being made to die. All across America, in hospitals, mental wards, and institutions for the severely disabled, there are people who, if we withdrew our care for them, would die. We wouldn’t call this “allowing” them to die. We would call it scandalous neglect.
George Felos, the lawyer for Terri’s husband, Michael, explains his position in the case thusly: “I firmly believe in the right of individuals to make their own medical-treatment choices.” But Terri is not making her medical choices. Choices are being made for her, perhaps (if you believe Michael Schiavo) on the basis of things she said a decade ago, perhaps (if you don’t) in the absence of any stated preference. ...
One expert told the New York Times that “no one is denying this woman food and water.” Really? Then why is she dying? Is it merely a coincidence that she might experience kidney failure from dehydration at any time?
With
Giant Spoon, Fla. Woman Helps Stir Up Schiavo Protest Across From White
House
by Dana Milbank
Washington Post
Terri
Schiavo and the Reality Gap
by Abigail Trafford
Washington Post
Husband
Arranges for Autopsy of Terri Schiavo
CNN
Husband
promises to make Terri Schiavo autopsy public
by Maeve Reston
Post-Gazette National Bureau
Schiavo's
Husband Says Autopsy Will End Suspicions
by Rick Lyman
New York Times
Terri
Schiavo--The Bell Tolls for Humanity
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Terri
Schiavo's Condition Deteriorates, Likely Beyond Recovery
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
Excerpt
Terri Schaivo's medical condition continues to deteriorate and she has likely reached the point at which she would not be able to recover if she receives food and water because her internal organs are beginning to shut down.
George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is Michael's lead attorney, visited Terri for more than an hour on Monday.
Felos also said reports of Terri receiving morphine to stop pain may be deceiving.
Terri has not been placed on a morphine drip, but had received two "minuscule" five milligram doses of the drug since her feeding tube was removed on March 18.
According to a CBC News report, Felos said that hospice records showed Terri received a single dose of morphine on March 19 and another similar-sized dose on March 26.
Last
rites administered to dying Terri Schiavo
Cape Times
March 28, 2005
The
Right and Left of the Right to Die
by Naomi Jaffe
CommonDreams.org
Terri
Schiavo: A Cause for the Left?
by Mark Polit
CommonDreams.org
The
Many Layers of the Terry Schiavo Controversy
by Ralph Nader
CommonDreams.org
The
Schiavo case
by Tom Velk
CBC News Viewpoint
Terri
Schiavo's parents end legal battle, but protesters continue fight
Canadian Press
Terri
Schiavo's parents are 'dealing with reality' as protesters head to Washington
by Mark Long, Associated Press
Boston Globe Online
Defeat
does not deter Schiavo's parents
However, sense grows
battle is over; debate sparked nationwide
by Mark Potter
NBC News
Eating
disorder at root of Terri Schiavo case
by Robert Bazell
NBC News
Schiavo
Judge Has Reason to Fear
Armed guards, dead flowers,
and not very Christian-sounding e-mail
by James Ridgeway
The Village Voice
Supporters
of Schiavo's parents head to D.C.
CTV.ca News Staff
March 27, 2005
The
Terri Schiavo Debacle from a Progressive Disability Perspective
by Josie Byzek
CommonDreams.org
Life,
Death and Hypocrisy
by Marty Jezer
CommonDreams.org
Death
doesn't become her
by Judi McLeod
Canadia Free Press
No
compelling reason to kill Terri Schiavo
by Mark Steyn
The Sun-Times
Terri
Schiavo’s parents, husband differ on interment
AFP, Khaleej Times
Schiavo's
family asks people to leave
Schiavo family ask the people gathered outside their daughter's
hospice to go home and celebrate Easter with their families
Washtingtom Times
Schiavo's
condition worsens - hits mother hardest
by Thomas R. Collins and Brian E. Crowley
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
Husband’s
position in Schiavo tragedy is suspicious at best
by Paul Sylvain
Telegraph Online
Excerpt:
One can debate whether a quality of life exists for Terri Schiavo.
Only she knows that and she can’t say. Maybe the question needs to be asked about whose quality of life would be improved by her death.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, immediately comes to mind. And it is Michael Schiavo who has been relentless in his fight to stop the feedings that sustain his wife’s life.
Whatever happened to “in sickness and in health?”
Something just doesn’t smell right, here, and I have to applaud Terri’s parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, for keeping the pressure on to keep their daughter alive.
In my final analysis and not so humble opinion, I don’t buy her husband’s argument that ending Terri’s life is necessarily in her best interest.
I believe his drive is all about inconvenience - his inconvenience - in remaining bound by marriage to a woman he sees more as a burden to his freedom.
Regardless of Terri’s mental capacity, her heart continues to beat strongly on its own, and she continues to breathe on her own. If the courts eventually uphold a judge’s earlier ruling to yield to Michael Schiavo’s wishes and withhold food and liquid nourishment, Terri will, in effect, be under a state-ordered sentence of death by starvation....
No life, great or small, is without purpose or meaning.
Terri Schiavo’s is no exception.
Did
Descartes Doom Terri Schiavo?
by John Leland
New York Times
The
Legacy of Terri Schiavo
One woman's journey
from marital bliss to medical darkness—and the forces that made
her story a political and ethical watershed
by Arian Campo-Flores
Newsweek (April 4 issue)
March 26, 2005
Michael
Schiavo Plans to Cremate Terri
Newsmax.com
Terri
Schiavo Near Death
News24.com
Judges
deny Schiavo parents again
Schindlers to Governor Bush: 'Please do something'
CNN
Schiavo's
dad: 'She's down to last hours'
by Mike Schneider
Sun-Times Company
Behind
Life-and-Death Fight, a Rift That Began Years Ago
By Abby Goodnough
New York Times
Morality
and Reality
by David Brooks
Op-Ed Columnist
New York Times
Local
cops say state came for Schiavo
Agents planned to have her tube reinserted
by Carol Marbin Miller
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Detroit Free Press
Poll
respondents divided on Terri Schiavo issue
StatesmanJournal.com
The
Rhetoric in Schiavo case
by Cathy Young
Boston Globe Op-ed
March 25, 2005
Judge
again denies parents' petition to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube
(5:08 pm EST)
by Kristen Wyatt
CBC News
How
Liberalism Failed Terri Schiavo
The question is not only what she would have wanted, but what
we owe her
by Eric Cohen
The Weekly Standard
Excerpt
A true adherence to procedural liberalism--respecting a person's clear wishes when they can be discovered, erring on the side of life when they cannot--would have led to a much better outcome in this case. It would have led the court to preserve Terri Schiavo's life and deny Michael Schiavo's request to let her die. But as we have learned, the descent from procedural liberalism's respect for a person's wishes to ideological liberalism's lack of respect for incapacitated persons is relatively swift. Treating autonomy as an absolute makes a person's dignity turn entirely on his or her capacity to act autonomously. It leads to the view that only those with the ability to express their will possess any dignity at all--everyone else is "life unworthy of life."
This is what ideological liberalism now seems to believe--whether in regard to early human embryos, or late-stage dementia patients, or fetuses with Down syndrome. And in the end, the Schiavo case is just one more act in modern liberalism's betrayal of the vulnerable people it once claimed to speak for. Instead of sympathizing with Terri Schiavo--a disabled woman, abandoned by her husband, seen by many as a burden on society--modern liberalism now sympathizes with Michael Schiavo, a healthy man seeking freedom from the burden of his disabled wife and self-fulfillment in the arms of another. And while one would think that divorce was the obvious solution, this was more than Michael Schiavo apparently could bear, since it would require a definitive act of betrayal instead of a supposed demonstration of loyalty to Terri's wishes.
Schiavo
Case Tests Government Principles
by Nancy Benac, Associated
Press Writer
Newsday.com
Following
the Terri Schiavo Donation Money
Michael Hess, Editor
BBSNews
Why
Schiavo case worries the disabled
by William G. Stothers
Toronto Star
Schiavo
efforts may be sign of future battles in Congress
by Rafael Lorente
Washington Bureau
by Barbara Klein
VOA News
Terri
Schiavo showing signs of dehydration
Judge denies request to reinsert feeding tube
CTV.ca
News Staff
TERRI:
Compassion or Politics? An Interfaith Perspective on the Schiavo Case
noticias.info
Neither
'Starvation' Nor the Suffering It Connotes Applies to Schiavo, Doctors
Say
by John Schwartz
Far
Right Using Terri Schiavo To Further Its Agenda
Op/Ed by Georgie
Anne Geyer
A
Good Friday to talk about Terri Schiavo
Lance Dickie /
Seattle Times editorial columnist
Terri
Schiavo's Unstudied Life
The Woman Who Is Now
a Symbol And a Cause Hated the Spotlight
By Jennifer Frey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Bigotry
and the Murder of Terri Schiavo
by Joe Ford
The Harvard Crimson
Schiavo's
Health Wanes As Parents Appeal
Schiavo Shows Signs
of Dehydration As Parents Appeal Again After Judge Refuses to Reinsert
Tube
by Mike Schneider
The Associated Press
ABC News
Weight
of law favors husband in Schiavo case
by Colleen McCain Nelson
Dallas Morning News
March 24, 2005
Legal
options nearly exhausted in Schiavo case
CTV.ca News Staff
Terri
Schiavo is not a legislative issue
Congress's actions are
out of line
by Alexander Gold
Terri
Schiavo: Death Be Not Proud
by Frank Salvato
Bush
errs, but not on the side of life
by Scott Piatkowski
rabble.ca
Friends
say Schiavo's husband definitely has a motive: Loyalty
He wants to honor pledge
to his wife
by Sandy Bauers
What
drives Terri Schiavo’s husband?
Views of Michael Schiavo
vary widely amid life-or-death case
By Chris O'meara / AP file
World
divided on ethics of Terri Schiavo case
by Peter Ford
Christian Science Monitor
U.S.
Supreme Court Rejects Schiavo Case
Reuters
ABC Online
Schiavo
Case a Study in Judicial Review
Emotion Aside, Case Focused on Narrow Legal Issues
by Annie Chiappetta
ABC Online
Schiavo
Dilemma: Brain Death vs. Physical Life
By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay Reporter
Forbes.com
The
Schiavo case: A political victory that wasn't
by Andrew Kohut, The New York Times
International Heralk Tribune - IHT Online
Legal
options running out in Schiavo case
CTV.ca News Staff
Schiavo
Tragedy Taking on Political Tone (07:49
EST)
by David Espo, AP Special
Correspondent
Schiavo's
parents appeal to US Supreme Court
Reporter: Karen Percy
House
postpones Good Friday hearing at Schiavo's hospice
by Tamara Lytle, Washington
Bureau Chief
Orlando Sentinel
Schiavo's
Parents Seek Help From U.S. Supreme Court (07:49
EST)
Bloomberg.com
March 23, 2005
This
tragic case will end badly
Toronto Sun Editotial
Key
point missed in Schiavo case
by Licia Corbella
Calgary Sun
Appeals
court turns back bid by Schiavo's parents to have tube re-inserted
(6:34 pm EST)
by Eliott C. McLaughlin
/ AP
CBC News
Doctors-R-Us
Congress members give their medical opinions on Terri Schiavo
by James Ridgeway with Nicole Duarte
The Village Voice
Florida
officials move again to intervene in Schiavo case (5:01 pm EST)
CNN
Gov.
Bush Seeks to Take Custody of Schiavo
Gov. Bush Seeks to Take Custody of Schiavo After Parents' Setbacks
in Courts, Fla. Legislature
by Jill Barton, The Associated Press
ABC News
Outside
View: Why the furor over Schiavo?
by Jane M. Orient
India News
Political
Fallout Over Schiavo Law
CBS News
In
fight over life, it's Schiavo who has blood on his hands
by Rosie DiManno
Toronto Star