Posted on 03/25/2005 7:23:25 AM PST by Barney Gumble
With judge after judge deciding against Terri, it seems that she is out of options and will soon die of starvation. Can Jeb Bush intervene? Some say he can. It dumbfounds me to think that he, as governor, could pardon a murderer against the wishes of the victim’s family, the jury, and judge, but he is powerless to feed a starving brain damaged woman. Regardless, it would need a great act of courage by Jeb Bush to save Terri.
Sometimes we hear a story about a man rushing into a burning building to save a child. The mother is outside screaming for someone to save her daughter. People gather around and put forth a litany of excuses as to why they cannot help. It’s too hot in there. We’ll both be killed. She’ll be dead by the time I get there. However, one man doesn’t hesitate and rushes in.
We are proud of our soldiers. In Fallujah, a marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta rolled onto a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. We ask our soldiers to put their lives on the line for us back home. Is it unreasonable of us to ask an elected official to put his political career on the line to help a brain damaged woman? Isn’t it time we had hero in our office?
In June 1939, President Roosevelt turned away the St. Louis, a ship filled with 900 Jewish refugees. It was politically risky. The ship was forced to return to Europe. We’ve all thought that if we live in Germany in the 1930s, we would have helped the Jews or if we lived in the South in the 1850s we would have helped the slaves. We’ve all thought that somehow if we were in a situation like that we would have the courage to do what is right. I know one day, I will be in a contentious situation, and I pray that I will have the courage no matter the consequences. In the meantime, I, instead, pray for Jeb Bush.
Perhaps Jeb will play it safe and go on to have a successful political career. Perhaps he will be 90 someday, sitting and reflecting on his life, wishing that he could go back to today and put in all on the line for one chance to save Terri.
The court, in 1997 when Michael announced he was'engaged' should have immediately conducted a guardianship hearing and transfered Terri to State guardianship. Because of this failure, we are in the present situation.
Questions to consider:
(1) Why did Michael choose to 'ignore' her wishes for nearly 7 years until 1997 when he announced he was'engaged' to Jodi Centonze and 'suddenly' remembered the conversation about life support with Terri from years before?
Michael Schiavo answer would probably rationalize that it took that long before he realized there was 'no hope for recovery...'
(2) However, the 1992 malpractice suit for $20 million was based on the premise/conclusion that Terri would NOT recover and she would require constant medical care for the remainder of her life estimated by Michael Shiavo and his laywers to be 51 years(which is the normal life expectancey)...Where were her WISHES at that time?
(3) The court, in 1997 when Michael announced he was'engaged' should have immediately conducted a guardianship hearing and transfered Terri to State guardianship, at a minimum because of the obvious conflict of interest on the part of Michael Shiavo.
The court system failed to act at that point, and that is a major factor on why we are at the point we are today.
Guardianship, by law and practice, is determined to be given to that person who is most heavily 'biased' in favor of the disabled person. Under most conditions this would be the spouse. However, most prudent courts, if during the guardianship period, the appointed guardian by circumstances or accident tilts the 'bias' away from the interest of the person so guarded, would conduct an immediate review, and at a minimum, transfer guardianship to the appropriate State agency.
An additional thought, as I presented it to my class at the university yesterday and I posed the question to the students:
If Terri Schiavo's medical condition, feeding tube et al, was exactly the same as it is, age 25, etc. with the single exception that she was not 'mentally' disabled but had all other functions; and she expressed a desire to have the feeding tube removed and wanted to die, what would we do?
Of course the answer is clear, she would not be allowed to make that 'choice' and would be sent for counselling, etc.
Van & Katherine Jenerette
North Myrtle Beach, SC Professor, Political Science, SCC Associate, Sociology, Coastal Carolina University, South Carolina
Good post. I too pray for Jeb Bush. This could bring on the political death of Gov. Bush. I and I think many others would find it hard to vote for him if he lets this one slide. More and more I see the political fight as one of the "Right" and the wrong. The secular culture is racing toward extreme evil. At what point will be any different than the NAZI's. It is hard to tell these days.
I do not like the suspicions this invites about what I've been saying about Pinellas County for the last 10 of the 18 years that I lived there; about the influence of Scientology on both the county and the Republican party, and about the souls of politicians.
There is something momentous and divine about the testimony of Terri Schiavo. She is in a place of honor, we are in a place of disgrace.
Prayers for Bush to do what is right.
It seems odd that GW Bush could send troops to Iraq and Jeb Bush could pardon anyone for any reason, but everyone is powerless, held hostage by a couple of judges.
Does Greer have the authority to pardon those who are killing Terri? From a legal point of view, what prevents the county or state from prosecuting hospice workers for murdering Terri? And Mike and Greer for conspiracy to commit murder?
That'll never happen.
I dont know why Jeb went to Greer to seek custody. He must have known the answer. He, as governor, needed to ask permission?
I won't happen because to do so would be to admit the police and the DA stood by while the murder happened.
Jeb went to Greer as part of his washing his hands of the matter, ala Pontius Pilate.
My original question is an attempt to have someone with some legal knowledge explain why starving a healthy person to death is not considered murder, and what has Greer done that pardons the hospice workers for the murder of Terry. I'm not interested in the rants of the "Kill Terri" crowd.
ATTENTION ALL FREEPERS
This just in from theSarce a H.O.T. chapter freeper.
PING ALL YOUR LISTS.
TheSarce headed for Florida and is at the Governors office and Mansion.
50 people gathered for a vigil @ the Governor's mansion in Tallahassie last night.
Governor Phones didn't stop ringing yesterday. Thank you.
BUT
Call Governor now. Fax now.
Calls have slowed down for Good Friday
But office is open till 5pm they need to hear from you all day.
Phone
850-488-4441
fax 850-487-0801
Tell Gov. Jeb Bush to rescue Terri Schiavo.
AND THIS ADDED BY THE BAT LADY
I got thru on this one
1-850-487-1111 but I think it was not the Gov. office. Family care, maybe?
The 14th amendment to the Constitution was ratified 7/9/1868
It Says.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of LIFE, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
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