Posted on 03/31/2005 7:22:52 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (Reuters) - Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of a wrenching dispute over her fate that drew in the Congress and President Bush, died on Thursday, a spokesman for the parents said.
"She's just died," said Brother Paul O'Donnell, a Franciscan monk and spiritual adviser to the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, who fought a seven-year legal battle to keep their daughter alive.
Schiavo, 41, died 13 days after her tube feeding was halted under order from a state court.
She had been in what courts ruled was a "persistent vegetative state" since her heart briefly stopped in 1990, depriving her brain of oxygen. Courts had long sided with her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, in ruling she would not have wanted to live like this and should be allowed to die.
But the Schindlers fought in courts to prolong their daughter's life and won support from an array of conservative Christians and right-to-life and anti-abortion activists.
The Republican-controlled Congress rushed through a special law after Schiavo's feeding was halted on March 18 to allow the parents to take their case from state courts into federal courts.
But the effort, which opinion polls showed was unpopular with most Americans, failed when federal judges refused the parents' request to order feeding resumed. The latest rebuff, from the U.S. Supreme Court, came late on Wednesday night.
No, Gov. Bush didn't murder her.
He allowed others to murder her.
What a crock of crap! Someone has just died. Put to death by your precious twisted view of the Constitution. You sicken me. You strain out a knat to be sure your precious rules are followed, and then swallow a camel by killing a young woman. It's sickening.
http://www.theempirejournal.com/0115056_sheriff_hired_michael_sc.htm
© The Empire Journal Exclusive
Four days before joining Florida's House of Representatives in November, 2004, Everett Rice left the office of Pinellas County Sheriff, a position he had held since 1988 and after 33 years in the sheriff's department.
But before he left office he hired Michael Schiavo, estranged husband and guardian of Terri Schiavo.
The Empire Journal has learned that days before leaving office as Pinellas County sheriff, Rice hired Schiavo, a registered nurse, to work in the Inmates Medical Care Division of the Pinellas County Jail.
The relationship of Rice and Schiavo raises grave questions of alleged impropriety in the Terri Schiavo case and ongoing allegations of conspiracy, collusion and cover-up which have resulted in calls for Gov. Jeb Bush to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the matter and the impaneling of Grand Jury.
Rice's hire of Schiavo came at the same time contentious guardianship proceedings were proceeding in the courtroom of his long-time friend, Sixth Circuit Court Judge George W. Greer where Schiavo was seeking to end the life of his wife by court order of Greer.
And after Rice had repeatedly refused to investigate allegations of abuse against Schiavo.
According to informed sources, neither Schiavo nor his attorney, George Felos, disclosed to the court or attorneys for Terri's parents, Mary and Robert Schindler Sr., of Schiavo's change in employment, particularly in light of the disclosure Feb. 23 that the state's Department of Children and Families has opened an investigation into some 30 allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of Terri Schiavo.
According to pleadings filed before Greer by DCF attorneys, Michael Schiavo is the suspected abuser.
The Empire Journal has also confirmed that the mother of Jodi Centonze, Schiavo's live-in girlfriend and fiance with whom he has two children was employed in the civil division of the sheriff's department from June 18, 1979 until June 25, 1999, some 11 years while Rice was sheriff and at the same time her son-in-law had petitioned Rice's good friend Judge Greer to end her daughter-in-law's life.
Rice's employment of Michael Schiavo came just weeks after Rice had allegedly unlawfully lent the prestige of his office and the resources of the sheriff's office in endorsement of the reelection of Greer in a televised political advertisement.
Although prohibited by Florida Statutes, Rice and other Pinellas county public officers including state attorney Bernie McCabe public defender Bob Dillinger, allowed employees of their offices to appear in a campaign commercial for Greer which inferred that Greer was "tough on crime" although Greer is a administrative probate judge. http://www.theempirejournal.com/02230590_schiavo_judge_tv_commer.htm
According to a sheriff's employee, Sheriff Rice had authorized the use of the county-owned sheriff's car and the appearance of the uniformed deputy in Greer's TV commercial. State law prohibits the same.
In 2003, Rice became the center of controversy in the Terri Schiavo case when Patricia Anderson, then attorney for the Schindlers, filed a motion asking Greer to recuse himself for alleged violations of judicial canons and bias. Greer has controlled the Schiavo case since 1998.
In her affidavit, Anderson said that Rice had told her that he and Greer had discussed the Schiavo case at a ball game the night previous with Rice without other parties to the matter being present. Greer refused to recuse himself and Rice later denied that he had made the comments to Anderson. John Carassas, an assistant attorney general in the office of Charlie Crist, was also involved in the controversy. http://www.cnsnews.com/pdf/2003/motion091003.pdf . http://www.cnsnews.com/pdf/2003/flaffa.pdf . Crist had previously denied that his office had ever received any allegations of abuse involving Terri Schiavo.
Rice, as well as McCabe, has been directly involved in the Schiavo case, steadfastly denying requests to conduct alleged criminal investigations of criminal wrongdoing in the matter by Michael Schiavo.
Rice and Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, have also served on the board of directors of the Hospice of Florida Suncoast, the corporation which operates the Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park where Terri Schiavo is a residence.
Felos failed to disclose his affiliation with the Hospice at the time in April, 2000 when he and Michael Schiavo moved Terri to the Hospice. However, it has since been learned by The Empire Journal that the proper certification for Terri's admittance to the Hospice was never completed and that she was not legally designated as terminal, a requirement to be admitted to a hospice and for her care to be paid for by Medicare. The federal government has initiated collection procedures against the Hospice of Florida Suncoast to recover some $14.8 million which they say was unlawfully paid to the hospice as a result of fraudulent claims made for Medicare reimbursement for patients that were not terminally ill and therefore not eligible for hospice care, allegedly at a time when both Rice and Felos were members of the Hospice board of directors.
But, Jeb;s career is dead. And GW's not standing as tall as he once did.
This is a lot more serious than you know and ALL those here and there were many who supported her murder have shown us a lot.
Don't complain anymore.
I agree.
A mindset is a terrible thing to waste.
I agree, completely.
Terri's husband killed her.
And Michael Schiavo also ordered her family
out of the room, at the time of Terri's death.
That last moment reveals the complete truth.
Poor Terri. Her husband is a evil, spiteful fraud
who used his power to be disrespectful to her family.
If anyone is married to a cad like that,
get divorced as quick as you can.
It is also time for every single American to spell out his or her wishes in a living will.
NOW! Not later.
I agree. He should have risked going to jail for contempt of court. He needed to take a stand up for the sanctity of human life. And President Bush should have been there to pardon him if needed. I've lost faith in President Bush and Jeb Bush. And I hope that the next republican leader has some guts.
“This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast-man's laws, not God's-and if you cut them down-and you're just the man to do it-d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.”
Nobody here supported Terri Schiavo's murder.
The problem is that they did not save her.
Jeb Bush better polish up his resume and find a job more fitting with his lack of backbone. Because he has no future in politics. If I was a voter in Florida I'd be calling for his resignation or removal from office.
Earthly justice having failed, Terri is now finally receiving a de novo review in the Highest Court before an incorruptible and compassionate Judge.
And someday, to face the Same Judge, will be Michael Schiavo, George Felos, the judges whose egos grew impatient and intolerant with questioners of their infallibility, the passive and active medical neglecters and accomplices in her nursing home and hospice imprisonment and torture, the indifferent police and social service agencies who ignored evidence of abuse and neglect- and everyone else who treated Terri as secondary to their own needs and egos -
GodSpeed and Good Night, Sweet Lady. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. And Thank You for the difference your life is certain to make, for the better, in our society.
The Lord is Terri's Shepherd --- That's Relationship !!!
She shall not want --- That's Supply !!!
He maketh her to lie down in green pastures --- That's Rest !!!
He leadeth her beside the still waters --- That's Refreshment !!!
He restoreth her soul --- That's Healing !!!
He leadeth her in the paths of righteousness --- That's Guidance !!!
For His name sake --- That's Purpose !!!
Yea, though Terri walks through the valley of the shadow of death --- That's Testing !!!
She will fear no evil --- That's Protection !!!
For Thou art with her --- That's Faithfulness !!!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort her --- That's Discipline !!!
Thou preparest a table before Terri in the presence of her enemies--- That's Hope !!!
Thou annointest her head with oil --- That's Consecration !!!
Her cup runneth over --- That's Abundance !!!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow Terri all the days of her life --- That's Blessing !!!
And she will dwell in the house of the Lord --- That's Security!!!
Forever --- That's Eternity !!!
.
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