Terri Schiavo Case: Outrageous Congressional Actions

March 18 2pm Pacific Time: George Felos, the lawyer of Michael Schiavo who is the husband of Terry Schiavo was brilliant today in his presentation to the media after the removal of the feeding tubes from the person of Terry Schiavo who resides in a hospice in Florida. This is the third time the tubes have been removed and hopefully they will not be reinserted as it was reported they were in 2003. The unusual and blatantly political attempt of certain members of Congress to try to intervene in this case was blasted on the media by Atty. Felos. He placed the blame on both the Republicans and certain Democrats who met behind closed doors to craft a deal of some sort to allow the Congress to file federal warnings to delay the withdrawal of the feeding tubes and sent subpoenas to appear before a congressional committee to the interested parties including the dying Terri Schiavo herself as a ploy to keep the removal of the tubes from happening. Felos made the correct point that we all will pay for this kind of action and weakness on the part of the minority party from preventing their intrusion into the private and very sensitive private matter that has already been determined by legal precedent to be allowable and morally justified by the highest courts in the land.

Write your congresspeople and support the right of Michael Schiavos the husband to make this important and serious decision. He waited 8 years by her bedside before making the decision. His interest does not appear selfish at all. He is at her bedside now, prayers were said, and the parents are allowed to be with her at this time. They were not allowed to be there at the time of the removal of tubes. It is a tragic situation and one made worse by the politicalization of the case by right wing zealots and fundamentalists trying to show their muscle in a wholly inappropriate way that interferes with all people rights to make the most humane decision and end of the life of a beloved member of the family when quality of life (persistent vegetative state for years) and brain function (self- awareness) is gone.

If the tube is reinserted again, then I would submit that we have definitely gone down the road to a country run by the lowest of the low who do not respect the basic rights of laws created for the benefit of all people including the weakest of us.
The case also demonstrates what could happen to any one of us if we do not state our wishes by advanced directives in regard to end of life decision.