Terri's Day': We Must Mourn, Pray and Act. Terri Schiavo, Martyr of the Culture of Death

Catholic Online ^ | 3/31/10 | Deacon Keith Fournier

[tcg]

....Terri was not dying. She was not receiving any "extraordinary medical treatment." She was being fed and given water, as many disabled people are at this very moment, with assistance. She had trouble swallowing because she was disabled by damage to her brain. She would have lived for many, many years, bringing great joy to her family and changing the world. But she was killed by the complete abject failure of a system that has lost its soul.

The Greek word for "witness" is "martyrion". In our use of the word over centuries of Christian history, we have emphasized those who shed their blood for the faith. However, there is also a tradition of "white martyrs", those who live sacrificial lives that change the world. That is what Terri did. None of us will forget her smile. We all adopted her beautiful family. We must mourn her loss and keep her memory alive. We must rekindle the righteous outrage we felt at the sheer evil of that killing and we must act.

Terri Schiavo was a martyr. ...Terri was killed while "the law" was unwilling to intervene. Her death stripped away the veneer of civility painted on the face of the culture of death. It was a diabolical event, plain and simple. The rejection of the inherent value of every human life as a foundation of our understanding of ordered liberty is a clear and present danger. We face a risk to both life and liberty when reference to the truth is removed as the measuring stick for our behavior. Authentic freedom has been replaced by a counterfeit. The very moral foundation of our social order is being shaken.

[tcg]

I remember that dark day, March 31, 2005. The news out of Pinellas Park, Florida broke the hearts of all decent people. It shook us to the core. Terri Schiavo was dead, intentionally deprived of food and water, with the force of the raw power of government holding the hands of the executioners.She was killed deliberately, by starvation and dehydration. No Court, Legislative body or Chief Executive had the courage to stop this killing. She was deprived of her substantive due process rights by every branch of government.

[Republic]

"... It was a diabolical event, plain and simple..."

Yes. It was. It was horrific. Thirteen days of total helplessness in the face of brutal and cold people who decided to believe a monster with NO SUBSTANTIATED PROOF and plenty, and I mean PLENTY of evidence to the contrary regarding Terri's will to live and her faith structure.

I will forever despise judge greer, the monster michael schiavo, the hospice vampire george felos, Mary the killer from Woodside Hospice and charley crist who did what he could to not get involved with the saving of Terri. All of them, criminals, imo.

[isthisnickcool]

...Terri was killed while "the law" (Jeb Bush) was unwilling to intervene...

[mquinn]

Didn’t the autopsy put this stuff to rest? Her brain was half the size of a normal woman’s, was was essentially mush.

[peter the great]

Should anyone want to honor and fight for the Terri's or today and tomorrow, I am in the fox hole right along side you. However, the one thing that I disagree with is how to honor Terri. I simply feel that euthanasia is always wrong. Here in New Jersey what seems like a few years back we had a similar case known as the Karen Anne Quinlan case and what happened soon after that case came to light is that it became criminal to withhold food and water from anyone.

[Republic]

Jeb did intervene. Charlie Crist, his AG REFUSED to help. Period. He did not respond to pleas. Our President intervened and so did a few congressmen. The courts REFUSED to go after greer’s judgement as the SHOULD HAVE DONE and everyone else was afraid to break the law. Cowards all.

[Nextrush]

My moderate Republican RINO congressman calls politics the “art of the possible.”

I’m not going to get angry but I believe more could have been done and would have been done if we had been able to marshal an enormous presence outside the hospice where Terri was killed.

Politicians of either party need a crowd to nudge them in the right direction.

[Grunthor]

“Didn’t the autopsy put this stuff to rest? Her brain was half the size of a normal woman’s, was was essentially mush.”

This is why a living will is a smart idea. If she had clearly written legally enforcable instructions, this would have never been an issue.

[isthisnickcool]

Jeb Bush could have done much more. He is a wimp.

A pox on the whole Bush family, they have mostly been nothing more than leeches who have enriched themselves off the taxpayers backs.

[Republic]

I will challenge your pox with prayer.

We had a good man as President under GW Bush and were lucky to have him.

It was a fine hour when he flew through the night from his vacation at home in Texas to sign a rushed bill in favor of Terri Schiavo getting a chance for an appeals court review. I loved him for caring enough about ONE CITIZEN to do this.

Have never heard of another President going that kind of mile. But he knew our hearts and knew it would horrific for our nation to live through the killing of Terri. And he was right.

So you don't like the Bushes. Tough. Join the throngs that agree with you, ESPECIALLY the leftists. They would love your pox talk!

[isthisnickcool]

I was a Bushbot for a long time around here. But that changed once I figured out that none of the Bush family has any regard for the US Treasury. Other than getting their fingers in it if they can. I'm from Houston and know about how rich that family has become off the taxpayer. GW made a mint off the Texas stadium deal. Off the taxpayer. That's a fact. The Harken deal has always stunk too.

I agree that GW is basically a good man but he was no less self-serving than the rest of the Bush clan. It is a natural thing for the entire family. That is the way they were raised. Jeb is a leech who has sucked at the Saudi tit and don't get me started about Neil Bush. Years ago I discussed Silverado Savings and Loan with him personally. He is a punk. Today he has his compamny called ignite and Barbara has been instrumental in strongarming Houston public schools to do business with the company.

The Bush family does deal after deal trading on their name and public connections. Many times taking equity in various firms in return. Without their adhesion to the taxpayer the whole family would have little or nothing in their pockets. They have become very rich off the taxpayer. It's a good deal if you can get it and can you blame them?

They are not saints and that is what I am pointing out. In the case of Jeb and Terri Schiavo a real man would have damned the torpedoes and taken drastic action which all sensible people would have respected. At the end of the day he did nothing and I won't forget that.

I'd say prayer for them is a good thing. Keep praying for them.

[Republic]

I will. GW is a good man. Not responsible for his siblings and has made it clear to this nation that his boss is GOD. I like that in a man. A real man.

And I am glad he had experience in the sports area before becoming your governor (did you like him as your state's leader?)

I respect him deeply, disagreed with his heart for immigrants but know, like he said, that if I were Mexican, I would be looking north as well. That is the truth.

Jeb did what he could for Terri...when troops surrounded the Woodside Hospice ( the police) they were under orders from the local dept. via court orders that Terri would die. Jeb could NOT send in the National Guard to confront the police...get real. Is that what you WANTED HIM TO DO?

[isthisnickcool]

I was one of GW's biggest supporters for a long time. The fact is that he and his siblings have absolutely no respect for money. They never were taught to. Only that they deserved it.

As far as Jeb goes? I wanted him to do what any decent man would have done. And that was whatever it took to keep that girl from being murdered. That is what a "real man" would have done.

[Republic]

Thing is, he had to obey the law.

[isthisnickcool]

Let's see, let a defensless woman die or obey the law. That's a real hard one.

One day Jeb Bush was walking by a lake. There were two children in a canoe in the lake and it tipped over just a few yards away from where Jeb Bush was walking. Both children panicked and were struggling. As they struggled people on the other side of the lake screamed at Jeb Bush. They said "save them! save them!" but Bush did nothing. Both children drowned just feet away from Bush.

Once people had run around the lake to where Bush was standing they asked "why didn't you save them? they were only a few feet away!". In reply Bush pointed to a sign next to the lake that said "No Swimming By Order of The Chief of Police". Bush said "what they were doing is against the law and I did not want to break it either by jumping in the lake to save them!"

There are things higher than the laws men make.

[Republic]

"Let's see, let a defensless woman die or obey the law. That's a real hard one."

It sure is a hard one. But how does a man or woman who has sworn under oath to uphold the law break it because it (in this case a court ruling) seems so drastically unfair?

How does a President, or Governor, or Mayor, or policeman or even a citizen like you or me, break the law because we believe we are doing the right thing?

You see...it truly was a mess.

Go after Judge greer, a genuine murderer who was REWARDED by various legal venues, including scientologists in Tampa for killing Terri.

[Republic]

are we done?

[isthisnickcool]

We are done cuz we have different views about things and won’t be chaging our minds. So why waste the time? Later...