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Terri Got the Short Shrift -- but not from the Judge!

by John F. Tamburo, Editor in Chief, Publisher
Originally Posted: 3/22/2005 2:38:28 PM

The Congress and our President passed a law giving Terri Schiavo’s parents the right to go to Federal Court and argue for her life.  Instead of getting to the gist of the matter, namely that hearsay ought never be adequate to support a decision to withhold food and water from a disabled person, and furthermore that Terri’s condition was never properly diagnosed, their attorneys argued circles around Constitutional issues, and left the Judge Whittemore of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida with no choice but to deny the motion for a Temporary restraining order.

"Terri Schiavo does not have the time for these attorneys to pussyfoot around procedural issues.  She’s starving to death while attorneys engage in sophistry!"

Terri Schiavo does not have the time for these attorneys to pussyfoot around procedural issues.  She is starving to death while attorneys engage in sophistry!  Their argument should be simple:  Terri is not in a vegetative state and is conscious and aware, and is capable of communicating her wishes to the world.  They then have the grounds to vacate her "husband’s" guardianship by simply videotaping Terri making her wishes known.  Just because her disability left her mute, if certain third party affidavits are to be believed, does not mean that she is not aware and communicative.

The federal case is not dismissed.  The Restraining order was denied.  There is nothing prohibiting the attorneys from coming in with this evidence, which completely kills the case.  Forget about what the Florida judge did or said and why Michael Schiavo is doing what he’s doing.  This is neither the time nor the place!  Concentrate on this.  If this one nurse’s testimony is true, then Terri has already said, in essence, "I want to live!"  That rescinds the hearsay "living will" supposedly uttered by Terri to Michael in passing while watching TV.  That’s all you need.

"To the Florida legislature: get off your fat, pampered, overpaid keesters and pass the law that makes it a crime to withhold food and water from someone unless there is a written and witnessed living will.  You know that Jeb Bush will sign it immediately."

To the Florida legislature: get off your fat, pampered, overpaid keesters and pass the law that makes it a crime to withhold food and water from someone unless there is a written and witnessed living will.  You know that Jeb Bush will sign it immediately.  That will save Terri’s life permanently.  Time is running out.  Patience and deliberation have no place in this urgent issue.  We need to act before this woman dies in agony!