Picture of the children arresting for trying to bring Terry [Schiavo] water (God Bless Them!)

US News ^ | 3/23/05

[areafiftyone]

Pinellas Park police Lt. Kevin Riley, standing upper right, prepares to arrest members of the Keys family as they were attempting to bring Terri Schiavo water Wednesday morning, March 23, 2005 outside the Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park, Fla. The Keys family, of Burnet, Tex., kneeling, from left, Josie, 14, Gabriel, 10, Chris, the children's father, and Cameron 12, were all taken into custody. Galen Keys, upper left, the children's mother looks on, but was not arrested.The mother insists it was the children's idea: "I am proud of them," said the boys' mother Geilen Keys from Texas, who was not arrested. "They are very mature and they said 'we want to go and offer some water to Terri'."

Pinellas Park police Lt. Kevin Riley, second from left, handcuffs 14-year-old Josie Keys, left, while Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies place her father Chris in the back of a van after arresting members of the family for trespassing Wednesday morning March 23, 2005 outside the Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park, Fla. The family members were attempting to bring Terri Schiavo a cup of water.

Gabriel Keys (foreground) is arrested by police officers for trespassing in Pinellas Park, Florida, March 23, 2005. The young protester attempted to take a glass of water into the Woodside Hospice for the brain-damaged Terri Schiavo. A federal judge rejected a request from the parents of Schiavo to order her feeding tube reinserted, dealing a blow to attempts by the U.S. Congress and the White House to prolong her life.

[MTMS]

Ha, I hear you on this subject. My girls all have a 'younger than they are' look to them and my 19 year old is always being told she doesn't even look 15. It drives her nuts and she wishes she looked older, but I know it is because of their innocence and kind-heartedness. It just radiates to the outside.

My 17 year old looks his age, I think, but he is known in our little town as one of the most respectful boys around.

God bless those children and their parents. I have been moved to tears...again.

[Palladin]

Cops could've called in sick today. They knew what they were going to have to do...arrest people trying to bring water to Terri.

What a distasteful duty!

[zboa]

your right they are "just doing there jobs"
just like the nazis did.
oh look how well they do it too.
A little kid can stand up for what is right, but not these officers, they are just doing there job.
sleep well.

[The Grim Freeper]

"So why are they not at home being schooled or is this spring break?"

Why do people keep asking that? These kids are getting an education in this event. They are taking a moral stand and are suffering for it. God bless them. By the way, where I live, the public schooled kids start at 9:00am and get out at 2:15pm. My home schooled daughter starts at 7:30am and finishes at about 5:30 or 6:00pm, with two half-hour breaks. My daughter got to go to China with her grandparents during a school week. It was educational. These forays are one of the perks of home schooling.

[Petronski]

These kids in these cuffs are very mature.

[Palladin]

The charges will be dropped at a later date. No police record for these kids.

You don't know how it works.

Been there, done that, in the front lines against abortion.

Brave and thoughtful children...God bless them.

[Horatio Gates]

Same here. I've run the scenario through my head many times mostly involving Abortion Mill protesters

[jjmcgo]

Maybe regulations don't require them to handcuff everyone arrested but they knew how bad the pictures would look and this is the cops' way of protesting, by making things look as bad as possible.
Imagine dedicating yourself to public safety and being used this way.
It's surprising blue flu hasn't hit the whole department.

[Long Cut]

Get this straight, Pal, those kids are being arrested because their parents put them up to it for a cheapo publicity stunt. The cops are doing their jobs, moreover, they are getting the kids to safety. They know that trouble is probably not far away, given all the insane rants the zealots have oinked out.

Those kids were USED, and for cheap propaganda. So take your oh-so-often-used-it's-boring Nazi crap and chew on it.

[Darnright]

>Will Mr. Schiavo be arrested for committing a misdemeanor of the second degree, that being living in open adultery, when he shows up? <

Hmmm. There's something called a "mandamas" (or however it's spelled). It has to do with bringing action to force the government to carry out the law of the land.

Pity, if it was used against Michael and squeeze...

[TexasCajun]

Don't feel sorry for the kids, be outraged their parents are using them as pawns in this travesty!

[expatguy]

And you have absolutely no idea how low you now are.

The world's superpower and most vocal nation on support for human rights around the world is starving and dehydrating a disabled woman to death and children are being arrested for bringing her water.

The shame of it all

Don't ever think to lecture ANYONE in the world on human rights. Not China, Not Saudi Arabia, Not India, Not anyone.

So what if Indonesia has 6 year olds sewing soccer balls, at least they don't starve and dehydrate to death disabled people.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[Diogenesis]

Cops could've called in sick today. They knew what they were going to have to do...arrest people trying to bring water to Terri. What a distasteful duty!

They chose. All have chosen.
Terri Shiavo's denial of treatment for years
and her denial of water and food now
have taken every American to the wall.
Like slavery, there will be two sides. This is highly polarizing - and all will choose.

[d-informed-1]

no, i have no doubt. i'm just flabbergasted by the over-zealousness of some people. i hope no one starts shooting at judges and hospice doctors over this.

[txradioguy]

Some of the schools in Texas are on Spring Break this week.

Plus I have a hunch these kids are home schooled. WHich means they were working on their lesson plans on the trip from Texas to Florida.

[506trooper]

"If those police officers and sheriff's deputies had even a shred of decency in their character, they should turn in their badges and guns rather than be the guardians of the Terri Schiavo death chamber.

Most police officers swear an oath like this or very similar to this.

"I,__________, do solemnly swear, that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of _______ against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance, to the Constitution of the State Of _______; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties, of the office of Police Officer of the City of ______, acting to the best of my ability."

Nowhere does it state "except for laws I don't believe in, or if I feel like it."

Could I have handcuffed those kids? No.

But a LEO isn't supposed to choose (hypothetically) which law to enforce nor do they get to pick where their post is. Unfortunately, it is rule of law that put them there. It is not their choice as to what the law is.

Don't blame them, blame the people who made the law....better yet, blame the people who elected/appointed/confirmed the lawmakers/interpretors.

[MizSterious]

The only thing I see that's "cheap" around here are the cheap shots you and some others are taking. These are courageous people of principle--something, by the way, many here seem to lack.

[the Deejay]

Consider it an educational field trip, that teaches far more than a day working in workbooks and listening to teachers.

Amazing, isn't it? The mindset of some these days.

(Hanging head in shame.)

[expatguy]

Highly polarizing? What an understatement.

Starving and dehydrating to death a disabled person???!!!

And you have absolutely no idea how low you now are.

The world's superpower and most vocal nation and champion on support for human rights around the world is starving and dehydrating a disabled woman to death and children are being arrested for bringing her water.

The shame of it all

Don't ever think to lecture ANYONE in the world on human rights. Not China, Not Saudi Arabia, Not India, Not anyone.

So what if Indonesia has 6 year olds sewing soccer balls, at least they don't starve and dehydrate to death disabled people.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[northernlightsII]

Very good analysis.