Having problems with message search?
I was surprised and glad to see that someone in the news media (Canada Free Press) has written about the fact
that the court order that killed Terri Schiavo did not mention feeding
tubes. If anybody knows of other news articles that mention this basic
truth, please let me know. http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover032305.htm It is hard to think of a situation in recent times, with the
exception of the events of September 11, 2001, that has drawn as much
attention as the plight of 41-year-old Terri Schiavo. At the time of
this writing, the appellate court in Atlanta, by a vote of 2 to 1,
voted not to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, and the family is
moving to appeal that decision to the supreme court. In the current round of legal proceedings, constant references are
being made, both by the media and others, about the "feeding tube" that
was keeping her alive. It is constantly being said that the feeding
tube has been removed and the argument, both in Congress and the courts
is whether or not the tube should be reinserted to allow Schiavo to
continue to live. But none of the decisions of the courts make any mention of "a
feeding tube". For example, the last decision that was made by Judge
George W. Greer of the Circuit Court of Pinellas County, Florida, on
February 25 that led to the last removal of Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube,
read in part as follows: "Therefore it is… ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that absent a stay from the
appellate courts, the guardian, MICHAEL SCHIAVO, shall cause the removal of nutrition and hydration from the ward, THERESA SCHIAVO, at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2005." [Emphasis added] The court order doesn't just require that the feeding tube be
removed — it orders that Terri Schiavo be deprived of all food and
water. The decision of the Florida court is not the equivalent of "pulling
the plug". If someone needs mechanical assistance to breathe and the
ventilator is removed, it is not unusual for some patients to start to
breathe on their own. To compare the situation that Terri Schiavo is in
with someone who is on a ventilator would be the equivalent of the
ventilator being removed, the person starting to breathe on their own
and then requiring that they be smothered because the court has ordered
that they not be given any air. What is truly amazing is that there has
been virtually no mention in the massive media coverage about the
prohibition against all food and water. All that is discussed is the
feeding tube. Newsmax.com reported earlier this week about a nurse, Heidi
Law, who swore an affidavit back in 1997. Law, a certified nursing
assistant who had been one of Schiavo's caregivers, swore under oath
that on occasion Terri could swallow water and eat small amounts of
Jell-o. Law also swore that Schiavo used to respond positively when ice
cubes or juice was put on a washcloth and held over her lips. The
nursing assistant also stated that these "feedings" of Terri had to be
done surreptitiously and infrequently because Michael Schiavo would not
allow it if he knew about it. Either Terri Schiavo can eat and drink or she can't. If she can,
then she really isn't in any different position than a quadriplegic who
can eat but needs assistance to get the food and water into their
mouth. And if she really cannot eat and drink enough to keep her alive,
what possible harm could be done by allowing little bits of soft food
and water into her mouth? This case goes a lot further than situations where people are being
kept alive by mechanical means and those means are disconnected,
allowing the person to die a natural death. The Florida court's order
that all nutrition and hydration be removed from Terri Schiavo is
nothing short of barbaric. Arthur Weinreb
is an author, columnist and Associate Editor of Canada Free Press. His
work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Men's News Daily, Drudge Report,
Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck and The Rant. Arthur can be reached at: aweinreb@... Lisa's articles about this are here: http://libertytothecaptives.net/terri_died_illegal_court_order.htmlSchiavo court orders don't mention "feeding tubes"
by Arthur Weinreb, Associate Editor,
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
http://www.libertytothecaptives.net
--
Offline 
Send Email