A Sad Day in Florida

This is a little off-topic ... but deserves attention, because it's one of the sickest things that the United States of America has ever permitted to occur on its soil.

For those of you not aware of today's news: a judge in Florida has ordered the hospital in which Terri Schindler Schiavo is being treated to execute her by means of starvation, despite objections from the patient's mother and father.

Imagine if this was your daughter, who you saw breathing, blinking, looking back at you with obvious emotion, and even occasionally smiling. Now imagine that your daughter who was very sick married a guy who didn't care about her life. He was more interested in "moving on" than the welfare of your daughter. Now imagine that this man is with a new woman - and fights vigorously for the state to sanction the killing of your daughter.

How would you feel watching her die of starvation and dehydration?

One can only wonder how a single judge can order the execution of a woman who committed no crime. One can only wonder how our country can allow this to happen.

Peggy Noonan summed it up best (as she usually does) in the Wall Street Journal today:

But in the end, it comes down to this: Why kill her? What is gained? What is good about it? Ronald Reagan used to say, in the early days of the abortion debate, when people would argue that the fetus may not really be a person, he'd say, "Well, if you come across a paper bag in the gutter and it seems something's in it and you don't know if it's alive, you don't kick it, do you?" No, you don't.

Today, a judge in Florida kicked the bag. And the sad thing is that no one has succeeded in stopping him.

Which is where you come in.

If you are disgusted by this story - and you think that the starvation death sentence issued to Terri is cruel and unusual punishment for a woman who committed no crime, then please visit this site to send a message to the Florida State Legislature encouraging them to stop this madness.

Also, you may want to visit these sites to learn more about Terri's plight:
terrisfight.org
saveterri.com
conservativealerts.com



Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schindler Family.
UPDATE 3/19/2005 7:00PM EST: Congress Moves Again to Keep Fla. Woman Alive

In an effort to intervene to keep alive a severely brain-damaged Florida woman, federal lawmakers agreed on Saturday on a compromise bill aimed at restoring her feeding tube and pushing the right-to-die case back into court.

The deal was reached just 24 hours after doctors acting on a Florida court order removed the feeding tube that has kept Terri Schiavo alive for the past 15 years.

"We are confident that this compromise addresses everyone's concerns," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican, told a news conference. "We are confident it will ... restore nutrition and hydration" to Schiavo.

The House will meet on Sunday afternoon in a special session to consider limited legislation passed by the Senate that would allow a federal judge to rule on whether withholding food and water from Schiavo violates her constitutional rights.

UPDATE: 3/20/2005 10:00AM EST: Bush Returning to Washington Over Schiavo

President Bush is changing his schedule to return to the White House on Sunday to be in place to sign emergency legislation that would shift the case of a brain-damaged Florida woman to federal courts, the White House said Saturday.

UPDATE 3/20/2005 9:00PM EST: Senate Passes Legislation on Schiavo Case

The Senate passed a bill that could prolong Terri Schiavo's life while House Republicans, stalled by Democrats, scrambled to bring enough lawmakers back to the Capitol for an emergency vote early Monday.

[...]

"We ought to err on the side of life in a case like this," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

UPDATE: 3/21/2005 12:01AM EST: House Passes Schiavo Bill

[T]he US House of Representatives passed SB686 (203 - 58) on a vote that suspended the rules of House and passed the "save Terri Schiavo" bill. Slightly more than half of the members returned for the vote, which took place just after midnight on 21 March. Voting for the bill were 155 Republicans and 47 Democrats; voting against were 5 Republicans and 53 Democrats. Had the Democrats voted the party line, the bill would not have passed because the rule suspension required a two-thirds majority. Missing from the vote were 71 Republicans, 102 Democrats and 1 Independent.

UPDATE: 3/21/2005 1:30AM EST: Bush Signs Emergency Schiavo Legislation

"Today, I signed into law a bill that will allow federal courts to hear a claim by or on behalf of Terri Schiavo for violation of her rights relating to the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain her life," Bush said in a written statement.

"In cases like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. This presumption is especially critical for those like Terri Schiavo who live at the mercy of others," he said.

UPDATE: 3/22/2005 4:00PM U.S. Judge Rejects Resumed Feeding in Schiavo Case

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request from the parents of brain-damaged Florida woman Terri Schiavo to order her feeding tube reinserted, dealing a blow to attempts by the U.S. Congress and the White House to prolong her life.

UPDATE: 3/22/2005 7:00PM Schiavo's Parents Appeal to Restore Feeding Tube

Terri Schiavo's parents filed an appeal with a federal court Tuesday afternoon to order their severely brain-damaged daughter's feeding tube reconnected.

"Where, as here, death is imminent, it is hard to imagine more critical and exigent circumstances," David Gibbs III, attorney for Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, told the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta in the electronically filed appeal. "Terri is fading quickly and her parents reasonably fear that her death is imminent."

UPDATE: 3/23/2005 11:00AM Was Terri Abused?

The state Department of Children and Families seeks access to sealed Probate Court records pertaining to financial records in the Schiavo case. The department contends that the records are needed as part of its investigation into allegations of abuse.

UPDATE: 3/23/2005 6:00PM Appeals Court Rebuffs Schiavo Parents

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday twice rebuffed a bid by the parents of brain-damaged Florida woman Terri Schiavo to have her feeding tube restored, putting the highly charged case on a path to the highest court in the land.

UPDATE: 3/23/2005 6:30 State officials may place Schiavo under protective custody

Now, state officials said, they might attempt to place the brain-damaged woman under protective custody so her feeding tube can be reinserted. As a possible precursor of that event, they filed a new motion in state court in Tampa.

[...]

Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings and the director of the state social services agency confirmed they were considering an intervention in the controversial and increasingly tangled case -- based on calls alleging that Schiavo is being abused in her hospice.