Posted on 03/31/2005 10:43:08 PM PST by churchillbuff
Every time a rock is lifted in the Terri Schiavo tragedy, another conflict of interest comes slithering out.
The conflict-of-interest potential in the right-to-die connections among current figures involved in the case are only outdone by the Woodside Hospice board of director’s conflict of interest reality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There’s the death-is-beautiful, right-to-die activist Michael Schiavo attorney George Felos.
Don’t make eye contact with Felos, who claims he can ascertain a person’s desire to die by "looking into their eyes" and letting their spirits speak directly to him.
A jumped-up volunteer at Woodside Hospice, Felos became chairman of the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, which runs Woodside, and only came off the board about a year after Michael Schiavo placed his estranged wife there.
Then there’s Dr. Ronald Cranford, handpicked by Michael Schiavo to examine Terri and on whose say-so Terri was categorized in "persistent vegetative state". Cranford is the MD who officially ordered Terri’s feeding tube removed on March 18. A neurologist, Cranford testifies in cases such as Terri’s around the country, always pumping the dehydration and starvation side. He was 1992’s featured speaker for the pro-euthanasia Hemlock Society, which was renamed The Choice in Dying Society. (WorldNetDaily).
Cranford nicknamed himself, "Dr. Humane Death".
A bioethicist, and a pioneer in euthanasia and right-to-die issues, Dr. Humane Death is a fully-fledged member of The Choice in Dying Society.
At least Cranford is not a board member of the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.
Mary Labyak, CEO of Woodside Hospice has direct ties to the Euthanasia Society of America and Hemlock for Hospice, described by Hyscience.com as "an organization that seeks to accelerate the dying process."
Everett Rice, former Pinellas County Sheriff (1988-204) endorsed Judge George Greer for reelection in campaign ads. Rice, a former board member for the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, hired Michael Schiavo while Schiavo’s guardianship proceedings were being heard in the courtroom of his longtime friend, Judge George Greer.
Senator Jim King, who originally upheld the passage of "Terri’s Law", was a board member of Woodside.
Then there’s Gus Michael Bilirikis, Florida State representative 1998-2000 and between 2001-2003, who was on the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast board of directors.
As a county commissioner, Judge Greer was a working colleague of Barbara Sheen Todd (county commissioner) for eight consecutive years. Sheen Todd is also on the board of the hospice where Terri lingers.
Judge Greer’s fellow judge, Judge John Lenderman is the brother of Martha Lenderman, on the same board.
The mainline media has not reported on the myriad conflicts of interest connected to the Terri Schiavo tragedy, although any one interested can read about them on the Internet.
Why was only one man, Judge Greer, the determinant of the facts in Terri's case? In most other cases, it is a jury that determines the facts. Certainly the facts in all capital cases are determined by a jury. Subsequent appeals generally deal with interpretations of the law, rather than redetermining the facts of the case, unless there is new evidence.
Setting aside personalities, as distasteful as they appear to be, having only one person determine the facts seems to be the central failing of the judicial system in Terri's case. For the future, that failing could be solved by legislative action.
ping
A little off the subject: MSM ripped people for thinking Sadam was linked to 9-11 and yet they accept the polls that said people think it was ok to kill Terri. Alot of People did not have the facts in both cases. MSM has failed us and should be disolved.
Apparently, this hospice has been audited in the past for medicaid fraud, something like 14 million dollars worth. And, supposedly a number of people go into that place when they aren't terminal with 6 months to live.
Those intent on committing murder place little importance on conflicts of interest. This includes the MSM.
They got their wish.
Good point.
Top Neurologist's Report on Terri Released: (snip)
http://www.newsmax.com
"Spinal Exam: The patient's exam from a spinal perspective is abnormal. The degree of limitation of range of motion, and of spasms in her neck, is consistent with a neck injury. The abnormal sensory exam, that shows evidence of her hypoxic encephalopathic strokes (right side sensory responses are different from left) also suggests a spinal cord injury at around the level of C4. Her physical exam and videotapes also suggest a spinal cord injury is also present, as she has much better control over he face, head, and neck, than over her arms and legs. This reminds one of a person with a spinal cord injury who has good facial control, but poor use of arms and legs. It is possible that a correctable spinal abnormality such as a herniated disk may be found that could be treated and result in better neurological functioning. This should be looked for, as may be treatable. Thus, there may be an injured disk or spinal cord; the disk injury is more treatable, the spinal cord injury, if present without a disk injury, may be more difficult to treat. A person with a spinal cord injury and hypoxic encephalopathy will need different treatment and rehab recommendations than one who just has a hypoxic encephalopathic.
Interestingly, I have seen this pattern of mixed brain (cerebral) and spinal cord findings in a patient once before, a patient who was asphyxiated."
TERRI HAD A SPINAL INJURY. WE WANT TO KNOW IT HAPPENED.
MSNBC, CNN, CBS, and ABC all ran polls and did not state all of the true facts in this case. They have willfully mislead the public, I believe. They were trying to create polls and that are slanted, and not just report the news.
I will never trust them again to tell the truth, since I have seen this.
It's the media's failure to present both sides of the case to the public that have resulted in the poll numbers that have been released. If and when this case is debated nationally in regard to future legislation, I think the poll numbers will shift about 20%.
Wow, you trusted them before this?
Please forgive the question but are you a young person?
Yes they did. They are disgraceful. I haven't believed them for a many, many years.
Probably because you can buy a whole lot of judge with $14 million in Medicaid funds when you're trying to help the death industry really get rolling in (senior haven) Florida.
Sheesh. Just follow the money people. It ain't that hard.
I still think Saddam is linked to 9/11. Then again I know enough about it to understand the significance of Salman Pak, something your average journalist has probably never heard of.
"seeks to accelerate the dying process."
Gosh, since we are all, in effect, dying, why prosecute homocide at all?
We had a case here, a few years ago, where three punks assaulted a woman. She died as a direct result of those injuries. The problem was that she had a terminal illness. The defense claimed that she was dying anyway and the beating just "accelerated the dying process". The main a**hole got off with 5 years and his accomplices did time served. They are now heroes in their community as "warriors". who beat the system.
Never mind that it was one man....I want to know why a probate court decided this case. Probate courts are for divvying up finances and ruling on estate procedures.
Letting probate judges make life or death decisions makes about as much sense as trying a capital murder case in bankruptcy court.
Sure...maybe a superior court judge would have made the same stupid mistakes that Greer appears to have made but at least there's a chance that experience in life or death cases would make a superior court judge more cautious and sensible.
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.