Due to time constraints, I'm just going to post a few links on Terri Schiavo, must reads for this morning: Blogs for Terri has all the updates on the case and a list of Florida state senators you can contact to make the last-minute plea. Now that the Appeals Court has rejected the Schindlers plea under the clear directives of Congress, Hugh muses if Judge Kennedy will cite the Groningen Protocol as precedent in a potential US Supreme Court decision. Ray, the Informed Christian, reminds us that regardless of the outcome for Terri, we need to take to heart one of the key lessons already learned: get the courts under control! Finally, Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost prompts social conservatives to take a more somber, … [Read more...]

The dialogue continues because the critic continues to raise interesting and worthwhile objections. And I thought I'd use this public space again to address them (his comments in italics): … [Read more...]

I have nothing more directly to say to the critic. Every credible source that challenges his sweeping assertions is, according to him, a "quack" or a liar or showboating. But the hallowed judge in black robes can do no wrong. But I will continue to shine some light on testimonies like this one, from the general counsel for the Counsel on Bioethics O. Carter Snead, thanks to K-Lo at The Corner. Or the sworn affidavit of nurse Carla Iyer, who worked with Terri for 16 months and swore under oath that she was not at all in a vegetative state and that her husband's consistent demeanor and actions did not reflect those of a concerned caregiver. Questions to consider: Just maybe is this woman telling the truth? If this woman has … [Read more...]

I've had a brief e-mail conversation regarding the Terri Schiavo case with a fellow Colorado blogger - who happens to hail from a different part of the country and have a different worldview than I. That's fine. On one of his latest e-mails he invited me to share my public comment. To do so, I am reprinting his words in italics and my response in normal font. One note to share... the "other cases" he refers to can be found here and here. Judge for yourself if they are comparable to Terri's case - the problem hinges on my critic's suggestion that Terri's nourishment constitutes life support in the same way a ventilator keeps a terminally ill patient alive. I'm sure I won't be able to answer all his objections to his satisfaction, for … [Read more...]

A hearty congratulations must be made to the leadership of the United States Congress for hearkening to their constituents' pleas for life and justice: the House and Senate have both delayed their scheduled recesses to pass compromise legislation that will stop the starvation of Terri Schiavo and give her recourse to her constitutional rights. Congressman Bob Beauprez announced the development this during his brief speech at today's State Central Committee Meeting, evoking a grand expression of support from most of the audience members. Only moments before, Congressman Tom Tancredo spoke eloquently in defense of Terri, making some important points: At the least, the assertion that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) is … [Read more...]

This morning I read with care a column in the Dallas Morning News by radio talk show host Mark Davis: "Zeal for 'life' in Schiavo case blinds us to unknown." His basic point - without quoting from the column at length - is that we just don't know what Terri's wishes are, and since we don't know with certainty we should be careful about making any judgments in this case. He asks several questions as well, including: Is it right for us to "err on the side of life"? Could the motives of many fighting for her cause be tainted by a zealous political agenda? Regarding the last question, I find it dangerous to assess the motives of others, but I can honestly say that his description does not fit me. But truly that's beside the point. … [Read more...]

A report today in CNS News indicates that critical testimony in an earlier hearing in the Terri Schiavo case was incorrectly disregarded. The testimony challenges the idea that there is "clear and convincing evidence" of Terri's express wishes to die. One of Terri's close friends testified that she had expressed strong opinions against the removal of life support from comatose Karen Ann Quinlan during a conversation in 1982. The judge ruled that the testimony was mistaken as to when it took place because it couldn't have been discussed in the present tense: he wrote that Quinlan was dead in 1982. But Quinlan didn't die until 1985. Judge Greer, the same man overseeing the case today, asserted that the conversation must have taken … [Read more...]

Seventeen days remain until the blind and barbaric act of removing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube will occur. And Judge George Greer is refusing to accept any motions from the Schindlers - including one to file a divorce for Terri from Michael, who has abandoned her to live with a woman he calls his "fiancee." The only motions Greer will accept, according to Blogs for Terri, are related to the death process. Basically, the judge is going to ignore the serious need to perform medical testing on Terri to determine the true nature of her condition. Instead, he's essentially telling the parents to get used to the fact their daughter is about to be starved to death, but you can pick where and whether they want to watch her slow and agonizing … [Read more...]