JUSTICE FOR TERRI SCHIAVO

 

by Janice Sanford

justice1949@aol.com 

 

Michael Schiavo didn't have to have his brain injured wife Terri  killed.Her "family" would have taken care of her.

 

If Michael Schiavo had not went through the Greer Court  in Pinellas County Florida and gotten 'permission' to end  his wife's life, and had he (Michael schiavo) deprived Terri of food and water until she starved to death he would have been charged with murder, under Florida State law.

 

On March 31, 2005, Terri Schiavo did die as a direct result of being starved and dehydrated to death. The feeding tube which she had used as an alternative to eating by mouth was removed on March 18. For thirteen days Terri helplessly lay. Those who would have wet her mouth were not allowed too. Those who attempted to go in where she lay with a cup of water were arrested. Schiavo allowed his blood family (brothers) to be with Terri when she took her last breath but he would not allow any of Terri's blood relatives in the room.  

 

Think about it. Here we have a woman who, like thousands of other disabled Americans, depended on others for total care put to death on court order because a probate judge ruled 'she wouldn't want to live.' She wouldn't want to live! How many people with disabilities do you know who would "want" their life ended prematurely because of his/her disability?

 

This past July 4, 2006 the United States of America celebrated her 230th Birthday. Two hundred -thirty years ago the Declaration of Independence, one of our most cherished documents, declared to the world  that:

 

 "We (Americans) hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, depriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

 

When Terri Schiavo's fate was being decided by those called upon to decide her fate Judge James Whittemore made it crystal clear that he didn't care what those who "empowered"him thought. In fact lawyers from all over the country defended the judges(Judge George Greer, Judge James Whittimore, and Judge W.Douglas Baird) responible for Terri Schiavo's death as some sort of "you scratch my back I'll scratch your" pact. Those attoneys didn't care about the facts in the Terri Schiavo Case. They did not care that the judges were involved on a personal bases, or that one of the judges, Judge Douglas Baird, had given the disabled Terri's husband a "Plenary Letter of Guardianship" in July 1990, over a decade earlier.Or that Judge Greer was the judge handling or family business for Michael Schiavo and Jodi Centonze during the time the Terri Schiavo case was before him.

 

Talk about ethics! We have heard people say things like "what so different about the Terri Schiavo case? They starve people to death every day in nursing homes and hospices." 

 

As an American, and one (of many) who was actively involved in the Terri Schiavo case, I can tell you why I think people have gotten by with euthanizing helpless human beings in nursing homes and hospices. The American people never heard of "killing Americans because of their quality of life." The reporting in the Schiavo case is a good example of to what extent some reporters will to distort the news that gets out to the public.

 

Some media sources continue to spread the lie that Terri had a heart attack.
Some media sources continue to spread the lie that Terri Schiavo was brain dead.
Some media sources continue to spread the lie that Brian Schiavo is Michael Schiavo's father (Brian is Michael's brother)
Some media sources continue to spread a picture of Brian Schiavo with Michael schiavo's name attached to it.

 

The judges in the Terri Schiavo Case, for whatever reason used the judicial system to rob a disabled woman of her "inalienable" right to her life. It doesn't matter what they believed about the quality of Theresa 'Terri' Schiavo's life. They, singularly and jointly, used the "power" entrusted to them to strip a disabled American of equal protection of the law. There is no excuse!

 

Judge Greer, Judge Whittemore and Chuck Baumberger each have made significant contributions to the betterment of Florida’s trial system, not just this year, but throughout their careers,” said Herman Russomanno, president of FLABOTA. “They each have made a profound impact in Florida’s courts, with their peers, and in their respective communities.” http://www.abota.org/chapters/default.asp?statechapter=2&chaptername=FLABOTA

Interesting that the FLABOTA president would says Judge Greer and Judge Wittemore "made a profound impact in Florida's courts, with their peers, and in their respective communities" What about the "impact" their ruling had own the nation, and the rest of the State of Florida?