Bloggers Best for Terry Schiavo

Wittenberg Gate is hosting a Blogger's Best for Terry Schiavo tomorrow.  If you aren't familiar with Terry, she is the lady in Florida who collapsed in her home in 1990 and suffered severe brain damage.  Terry breathes on her own, and maintains all of her vital signs without assistance, but she isn't able to feed herself and is fed through a tube.

For several years now, her husband has been seeking to have the feeding tube removed, claiming that she is in a persistent vegetative state and also claiming that she would want to have the tube removed.  There are doctors who believe that she is in a persistent vegetative state and with the help of these doctors Terry's husband has been able to convince the courts that she will never recover and that the tube should be removed.  At least twice that I know of, he has been able to get a court order to have the feeding tube removed, but both times this has been stopped and Terry has been allowed to live.

A new deadline is coming up - the last I heard, the tube is scheduled to be removed this Tuesday, February 22. 

So, Dory is seeking to create a blog swarm to prevent Terry's execution.

What Terry's husband isn't telling you and what the media won't tell you is that Terry is not in a persistent vegetative state.  Other doctors have seen her and have concluded that she is not in a persistent vegetative state.  She still responds to stimuli, she shows joy when she is around her mother and has given the family indications that she knows her life is threatened and doesn't want to die.

You can read all about this at the website Terri's Fight.

I haven't had time to compose a lengthy post on this so I simply want to refer you to Wittenberg Gate to read the other posts and also to encourage everyone to show their support for Terri.

I will only say that the Christian view is that we always have a bias toward's life.  Only God is sovereign, and only God has the right to say who lives and who dies.  I do believe that God has given the state the power of the sword, which would include the right to take a life under certain extreme circumstances.

The extreme circumstances which would allow the government to take a life are in the case of war or some type of particularly heinous crime.  I won't get into the capital punishment debate on this, except to point out that where capital punishment is allowed, it is only allowed in cases of the most heinous crime.

In this case, the government is intending to step in take the life of Terry Schiavo.  So the question is "what crime or act of war has she committed to warrant taking her life?"

The sad fact of this case is that the only crime she has committed is the crime of inconveniencing her husband.  This is truly a chilling development and I encourage us all to pray and do what we can to rally for Terry.

You may have heard the story of Sarah Scantlin, who was in a car accident in 1984 and has been in a coma ever since. Sarah has just recently woken up.  She still thinks she is 18, as she was in 1984, but she recognizes friends who have aged 20 years.  We're simply asking that Terry be allowed the same chance that Sarah had.

Joni Eareckson Tada is coming to the aid of Terry and you can find more information on Joni's website.

Comments

[Jim Tweedie]

A blogstorm for Terri Schiavo? Great idea. I posted mine two days ago!
http://tbirdofparadise.blogspot.com/2005/02/terri-schindler-schiavo-why-do-people.html

May God have mercy on us all. Jim Tweedie aka Bird of Paradise

[Joel Thomas]

Terry's husband has been demonized, slandered and libeled in ways so extreme as to make honest dialogue on his actions almost impossible.

[Catez]

A spot on post David. It is astounding me that this case has not been picked up by the MSM - the ones who cover the executions of those on death row and all the ins-and-outs of those cases. And here is this innocent woman sentenced to death and nary a sound from the Pilates who woulsd simply wash their hands.
As for Michael Schiavo - I have the impression he was never open to dialogue. May God coninue to work on his conscience. Mr. Schiavo has been supressing the truth for 11 years. See Romans.

[supercat]

Joel Thomas: Should a married man be allowed to father two children by another woman, move in with her, and promise to marry her, without forfeiting any and all authority he might have as husband to his wife?

Michael Schiavo has openly stated that he wants to marry live-in mistress Jodi Centonze by whom he has fathered to children. What reason is there for believing he still holds any loyalty to his wife?

Does a man who loves his wife melt down her jewelry and kill her cats?

Does a man who is concerned about his wife's privacy talk about her gynecological exams on national television?

If Michael would just divorce Terri and let her parents care for her, I would wish him well in his new life. But Michael wants her dead. He's openly said as much.

If describing Michael Schiavo's overt actions constitutes "demonization", so be it. I don't think there's much to negotiate anyway.

[Joel Thomas]

I gather that some Christians would oppose removing the feeding tube even if Terri had left written instructions and even if the doctors agreed that she was in a persistent vegetative state. That's where I definitely part company.

Terri's husband didn't try to make the decision unilaterally, but used the due process of the court, the exact procedure that the legislature provided for, which allowed Terri's parents to present their case as well. That case was decided exactly in compliance with Florida law.

[shannon]

Thanks for posting the information about Terry. In all the reports I've read about her, I had never, before now, heard about her ability to express herself or respond to stimuli.

Even if that weren't the case, I don't feel that they should be allowed to remove the tube -- but knowing that she's able to express herself makes Tuesday's possibilities even more gruesome.

shannon @ www.windscraps.blogspot.com

[Earl E. Appleby, Jr.]

When a man betrays his marriage vows to have two children by his partner in adultery and carries on a 15 year campaign to murder his wife by starvation, it is not demonization to point out his diabolic deeds. Unless of course, to mention Hitler's role in the holocaust is to demonize him.

Please call on me whenever I may be of help--on or offline.

Earl

Earl E. Appleby, Jr.
Director, Citizens United Resisting Euthanasia (CURE)

[Earl E. Appleby, Jr.]

When a man betrays his marriage vows to have two children by his partner in adultery and carries on a 15 year campaign to murder his wife by starvation, it is not demonization to point out his diabolic deeds. Unless of course, to mention Hitler's role in the holocaust is to demonize him.

Please call on me whenever I may be of help--on or offline.

Earl

Earl E. Appleby, Jr.
Director, Citizens United Resisting Euthanasia (CURE)

[Joel Thomas]

Again, I believe that a person has both a moral and legal right to say that if they are in a permanent vegetative state that they don't want to be fed. The fact remains that a legally appointed court following Florida state law decided that Terri didn't want to be kept artificially alive. Florida legislators could have chosen to require such a directive be in writing, but they didn't.

Mr. Appleby, your comparisons of this situation to Hitler and the Holocaust just convince me that you are self-righteous and little more.

[Catez]

Joel are you reading any of the extensive information on Terri Schiavo provided by the many links on the blogs you have visited - or are you just jumping to a conclusion? It's obvious Terri Schiavo is not in a vegetative state. She communicates verbally and non-verbally, there is medical testimony that she could eat for herself given therapy (which her husband has denied her) and there is nothing to indicate that she would want her life ended. I think you either haven't read the information or are ignoring it for some reason.

[Joel Thomas]

Catez,

You come here rebuking me for my comments and then delete my comments from your site. What a disgrace!

[Jennifer]

I sent an email to the Judge and asked him to reconsider. Please! Do the same!! The informations is:
George W. Greer
Rm. 484, 315 Court Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3933

To send email to the court: [email protected]

The Judge should give Terry's parents custody and let them get her the specialist they say she needs for one year. If there is no improvement, then the judge should be allowed to make his decision and not until then. Until EVERYTHING is tried to help Terry, Michael should not have any right to take her life...legal husband or not, and the Judge should not have the right to play GOD.
Isn't anyone thinking about what will happen if this type of "euthanasia" is allowed? If a person is not "productive", they should be eliminated - yeah, right - wait until it's their time...then the table's will be turned.

[amber lynn]

Joel, I think either you do not fully grasp what is going on here or something much worse. Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

This story is heart wrenching. I don't care if someone is a Christian or not. This woman is very much alive! Take a look at my post and see her videos. She is handicapped, sure. Brain damaged? Yes. But she is not in a coma. Look at the video. Please.

[Joel Thomas]

Amber,

Do you insist on feeding tubes for people who are in vegetative states? The Pope does, insisting on feeding tubes even when there is agreement that someone has no higher brain function. In fact, the Pope very recently said there is a moral obligation to keep someone alive even if a vegetative state is proved. I disagree with that assessment.

I've already said that I'm reserving judgment on the particulars of this case. What I'm doing instead is opposing those who insist that it is always immoral under each and every circumstance to deny food and water to someone. And I'm also pointing out that Terri's husband followed the law. The Florida legislature could have required that a desire not to be kept artificially alive be in writing. Personally, I think such a written requirement would be the wiser course. However, the legislature didn't enact the law that way and Terri's husband followed the law the way it was written.

[Catez]

I didn't rebuke you Joel - I had a different view. I'm not going to discuss what I do on my blog here - this is David's blog. God bless you.

[JOAN MAINO]

TO THE PARENTS OF TERRY SCHIAVO,it is the hand ofgod, that is upholding you.How easily people forget only the Creator has the right to give life and take it back home to Him. What the husband is attempting to do is nothing short of MURDER.We all will answer for our actions on earth.Know that you and Terry are in His Hands.Stay firm .This is your daughter,who is depending on you for love and support.

[JOAN MAINO]

TO THE PARENTS OF TERRY SCHIAVO,it is the hand of god, that is upholding you.How easily people forget only the Creator has the right to give life and take it back home to Him. What the husband is attempting to do is nothing short of MURDER.We all will answer for our actions on earth.Know that you and Terry are in His Hands.Stay firm .This is your daughter,who is depending on you for love and support.

[belle]

The young woman died years ago, life goes on.

[kenny thomas]

i wish to show my support to keep terri alive. i wish to appeal to gov. bush and all america to speak out, for this ladys right to live. you can see on tv, that she is very aware and alert. i feel to remove the feeding tube, amounts to murder. thanks, kenny

[Kathy]

We are personally so thrilled you set up this site. This is so out of control that the court now decides if we live or die on "hearsay"....I am sorry Michael Schiavo has not been demonized Michael Schiavo is an arrogant, one sided person. How he could stand by and watch her parents and family suffer like this is beyond me. I cannot even believe that this immoral person who has been with another woman for so many years, fathered two children during all of this can't just move on--trust me there is much more to this story. It is obvious he is a control freak and just won't let go. Interesting thru all of this litigation, fathering two children and an adulterous affair he still won't do the right thing.

I guess when he got married he had much different marriage vows that I did!

[carol]

I am appalled at the low-level of dialogue and analysis of this case by the blogger community. One-sided judgements have been carelessly cast. Opinions formed on "he said, they said" gossip, instead of facts. The ONLY reason Terri is still alive is that her case has come to the limelight and she is now a politcal and legal poster-child. I want to ask anyone reading this why death is so horrible? Why is it that as humans, we consider it "humane" to put down an injured animal but "cruel" to put down a brain-dead human being? Being raised as a Roman Catholic, I was taught that Jesus Christ died for our sins. I was taught to celebrate that death and that to die myself would be the ultimate journey. That to have my life on earth end and be brought to God would be the most exquisite of all life's experiences. Her parents have stated that she is Catholic. So, why is Terri not allowed to take that journey? It is a FACT that she is being kept alive artifically, she absolutely cannot survive on her own on the most basic level. She simply does not have a functioning brain. Why is everyone so bent on defying nature and keeping her body alive at all cost? There is value in life, but there is also value in death. My favorite childhood prayer - "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." - What Terri's parents are definitely missing is the wisdom to know the difference. It is time to let this poor woman go.

[Jean Sullivan]

I understand what the parents of Terry Shiavo is going through. Our son was in an accident in 1989 and was brain damaged - but in worse shape than Terry is. He passed away in 2000 due to respiratory problems.

We took care of him at home as well. He was responsive contrary to what doctor's reports said. One doctor told me I had too much hope. There is something about family and the home environment that stimulates. I understand the parents struggle. I hope they are able to have more support from the medical community to understand their situation. It is not as black and white as the medical community paints it.

You do what you have to do - and caring for a person full time is not something everyone can do. I gave up my life for my son - job, college, and social life disappeared. I would do it again. We took care of our son together as a family. As I said - not everyone can sacrifice as Terry's parents are doing.

Praying for Terry's family.

Jean

[cathy]

God intervened when Terry suffered the hypoxic state that led to the medical intervention of having a feeding tube inserted. The religious right should realize that not everyone considers
this to be a quality of life worth living. The medical community was forced by "the right" to keep her life, as well as many others, artificially maintained. Lets keep everyone alive until the reach the ripe old age of 180 yrs.

[Catherine]

I WANT TO HELP TERRY!!!!!I was in a severe car accident in 1988 I was in the hospital for months and one day two nurses came in and performed a procedure that caused so much pain I screamed. I rememer like it was yesterday when one nurse turned to the other and said "don't worry, she does'nt know what is going on" I am also very concerned about the situation with Mr. Schiavo,after recieving close to a 1 million doller settlement my husband tried to kill me. I think there should be a grand jury investigation into Mr. Schavios motives. Let her parents care for her.Catherine

[Elizabeth]

It may soon become legal to pull feeding tubes from patients in vegetative states causing them to have slow and gruesome deaths.They will have no say at all,in the matter. This act will be labeled as "humane" If someone were to give this very same patient a lethal injection,it would be called "murder".
Just how low has this,one time truly great society of ours sunk,rationalizing & supporting many abhorrant, very evil acts in order to legalize it's current ideaologies??
Killing is murder,no matter by which the manner it is carried out.The Hippocratic Oath, taken by every physician states "Do No Harm". Is murder not the ultimate harm ????
If anyone,having reached the age of reason really thinks that Terri won't suffer as her body slowly starves to death, should take a trip to the Sudan.They could then actually see for themselves just how "painless" it is for a person's body to self digest.Terri will not ever know why she suudenly has such pain,or even it's source,but believe me,she will certainly be able to feel it. What a horrific thought!
Terri is still alive,not in the way our society currently defines life........but very much alive!
No one has the right to take it from her.
Terri has a right to the life God created for her and that He alone can take back. What is happening in our country,is much more disheartening than mere words can even attempt to convey.
I still believe a society is judged by the way it cares for it's weakest members. What is happening in our country now,speaks volumes.I have always believed Americans could always be counted on to guarantee all rights of each and every citizen.Now I am not so sure!
What is now happening in our country,just breaks my heart. Let us pray the "Powers that Be" do the right thing by Terri Schiavo,family & friends. Let us also pray,that we as a just Nation do the right thing,this time for our very own sake.