Ten Year Old, Arrested for Giving Food to Terri Schiavo, Apologizes

LifeSite ^ | August 31, 2005

[NYer]

LifeSiteNews.com

Wednesday August 31, 2005

Ten Year Old Arrested for Giving Food to Terri Schiavo Apologizes

TAMPA BAY, August 31, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Ten year-old Joshua Heldreth, the eldest of eight children, was arrested on Good Friday of this year for trespassing while attempting to bring a drink of water to Miss Terri Schaivo.  Days later Schiavo died of intentional dehydration.  In court Joshua pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 hours of community service and ordered to write an apology for his actions.

The boy whose arrest photo was splashed on front pages of newspapers across the nation wrote in his apology letter, "I was arrested on Good Friday for trespassing on the hospice center's property . . . Not giving Mrs. Shiavo (sic) food or water was wrong.  The reason I had to go on your property was because Jesus would do the same thing.  It made me sad that she was so thirsty and it made Jesus sad too.  I knew she would die without water and I am called by Jesus to be a defender of the defenceless.  So I had to go on your property to try to bring her a drink."

Joshua added, "I am sorry that you didn't like that and wouldn't allow me to help save her life and one day you will have to tell God why.  I won't be able to help you then like I tried to help her. I will pray for you every day . . ."

LifeSiteNews.com caught up with Joshua's father Scott Heldreth today.  Scott told LifeSiteNews.com he is very proud of his son.  "My son has amazed me through this whole thing," said Heldreth.  The proud father said it was his son's own initiative to attempt to give the starving woman a glass of water, and despite the warning of his parents that he'd be arrested, the boy insisted.  "He was the one who begged us to go down, because he wanted to give her a glass of water . . . We explained that police will never let you help . . . you'll be arrested, but he went anyways."

Pro-life leader Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America told LifeSiteNews.com that the whole pro-life movement shares Heldreth's pride in his son.  Benham recalls the reaction of Heldreth on Good Friday as he watched his son being arrested: "When that all took place Scott was weeping, this father was weeping tears of joy seeing his son not only talk the Christian talk but walk the walk."

While the apology letter has been submitted, Heldreth told LifeSiteNews.com he's not completely sure it will be accepted.

See Joshua's full handwritten apology letter here:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/JoshuaApolog...

[floriduh voter]

who stopped Terri's rescue??? Mark Reynolds, United States Department of Homeland Security

The day after Easter Sunday. This guy. This is true. I have nothing to hide.

[floriduh voter]

If the MSM was smart, they'd be reading the Terri threads and do some followup.

[T'wit]

I have a superb earlier dictionary that made note that the word "abortion" was itself a euphemism for foeticide. Before this twisting of its meaning, abortion meant only the natural process of a miscarriage.

[BykrBayb]

Can we get some more detail on that bomb shell?

[floriduh voter]

This makes sense. They were going to fly Terri out of Florida instead of the local yokels being involved. They were going to fly Terri away from anyone who could try to harm her. Mark E. Reynolds is Coast Guard, a web site is based in Virginia where I think the rescue was being planned from. Here he is on a list of Commanders. But, he was told to cancel the rescue. If he's a pilot, maybe he was going to fly in to get Terri. But, someone above his pay grade would have told him it was off.

26. CDR REYNOLDS,MARK E. 1063017

This is from a Coast Guard buddy web site. Another way to check is that a Mark E. Reynolds ran Tenncare (the health care plan for Tennessee). He left a few years ago. Is that when he took employment with Homeland Security? And, is the US Coast Guard under Homeland Security?

Freepers, MSM and lurkers, this is a piece of cake. Terri's flight was cancelled. Where's the MSM? HINO's book isn't the truth. What I am posting is. I may have to put the coffee on for guests.

[floriduh voter]

I wish Terri was still alive. She was murdered.

[goldstategop]

Its in an injustice. He shouldn't have apologized and he should have told the court to shove it. Giving food and water to a dying person is a mitzvah. This judge should have no share in the World To Come.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[floriduh voter]

Please ping the list. Terri's flight out of the starvation state was cancelled the day after Easter Sunday.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. I feel sick about a society that prosecutes a little boy for doing the right thing in God's eyes and lets the murderers off scot-free.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[BykrBayb]

Can we get a ping to post 865? There's some digging to do.

[floriduh voter]

Ping to 865. It's up to freepers to make up their own minds. If you disagree w/me, ANYONE, try to refrain from disrupting the thread. There are ways to discuss without destroying the messenger.

[goldstategop]

Its the police and judge Greer and this judge who need to stand in the docket not this child. Standing up for the word of the Lord can cost someone dearly.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[floriduh voter]

My goal is to federalize a ban so no other American can be murdered when the circumstances are MURKY at best and the judges are tyrants. What happened to LIBERTY???

FEDERALIZE A BAN ON STARVATION AND DEHYDRATION OF YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS!

Call the toll free number for Congress which is at the bottom of my web page see tag line.

[floriduh voter]

be back later. stormy weather is here.

[goldstategop]

Political Point? I'm disgusted with your attitude. The prophet Isaiah noted there would be those who would come to see evil as good, darkness as light and salt as sweet. Its a sign of the times that those who believe in God and stand up for what is right are persecuted and the killers are lauded and treated as heroes. If I was arrested for giving food and water to a dying person I would wear my persecution as a badge of honor. God bless this little boy.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

The child had good values. He didn't commit a mortal sin in what he did or commit a crime. Its telling he's the one in the dock while those who watched Terri Schiavo die go free. Tell me, where's the justice in that?

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Yes. And now he wants to tell his side of the story in a book. Making money off his murdered wife. How low can a human being get? Apparently we haven't seen the worst of this scumbag of a human being and his lawyers who fought justice at every turn.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Bravo, my friend. Standing up for justice is hard but necessary. And the law and justice as we have learned this year are not always the same thing.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

My faith tells me the value of a human life is absolute. When God decides to call the spirit of a mortal He created Home, that is His judgment we are bound to accept for God is the true and just judge in the hour of death but we have no right to take a human life for our own convenience.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Hahahaha - an apology "non-apology." I love it and tormentors can shove their moral depravity up their f*ckin' asses!

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)