The battle that is being played out in Florida should be of concern to every believing Christian, no matter what the denomination. This is a matter of physical life and death for Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Sadly, it is also a matter of spiritual life and death for the people who are attempting to end her life by causing her to starve to death. There is no other way to describe what is being played out in the Florida courtroom of Judge George Greer than as very wicked. If Terri's parents lose this final battle, then the way will be opened for millions of defenceless human beings to be put down for no other reason than that they have suffered a brain injury that has caused incapacity, or they have been going senile because of age. At risk are all the disabled men, women and children, especially those who rely upon some kind of physical means, such as kidney dialysis, to keep them alive. The implications of this case are so wide ranging that the alarm bells should be ringing all around the world.
However, it is sad to admit that the case is not getting any form of attention in the main stream media. It is yet another case of the media not caring about a defenceless disabled woman who has for the last 15 years suffered from the manipulative abuse at the hands of her husband. Terri Schiavo-Schindler has become the face of all of the disabled who are meeting the every day challenge of overcoming discrimination from their able-bodied counterparts. She is the face of the brain injured who are fighting for recognition of their difficulties in functioning on the same levels that they once enjoyed. Terri is the face of the defenceless disabled who are not able to speak up for themselves regarding matters of life and death.
The insertion of a feeding tube is not a method of life support. When the feeding tube is removed the person will not automatically die, because the tube is not essential to the sustaining of everyday life. It is essential to prevent starvation and dehydration. It is interesting to note that Michael Schiavo did not make his request to have the tube removed until after legislation was passed in Florida stating that a feeding tube constituted the same form of life support as a dialysis machine. This is a bad law and it needs to be overturned, if not by the courts, then by the legislature or the executive arm of government.
There is no justification for the request that was originally made by Michael Schiavo to end the life of his wife Theresa. She was being rehabilitated until Michael won his lawsuit and then it seems that Theresa was no longer necessary, and that is when he started abusing his wife by withdrawing all forms of rehabilitation and doing things such as banning her from having medication for infections as well as a series of other actions that should have been investigated and as a result of such investigation Michael Shicavo should have been removed as Terri's legal guardian. The evidence strongly suggests that Michael Schiavo does not have the interests of his wife at heart, and any tears that might be shed are those of crocodile tears.
The unscrupulous behaviour of Michael Schiavo is a symptom of where society is heading unless of course the brakes are applied, forcing a reassessment of one's moral ideals. This case bears a lot of similarities with the case of Roe vs. Wade. The victim in that case was an unborn child. The woman at the centre of the case was used by the pro-choice people so that they could get legalized abortion by stealth. The pro-abortion lobby had a victory because the judge on the bench was willing to listen and attempt to change the law against abortion by the use of a judicial decision. The pro-euthanasia lobby is using Terri Schiavo in the same way as the abortion lobby used the unborn child in Roe vs. Wade. The Florida judge wants the fame of the moment by endorsing the slow death of a disabled woman because her husband wants her dead. No matter how one looks at this case, there is bias against what is the right thing for the daughter. Yet, the most sinister aspect about this case is the way in which Terri was removed from the rehabilitation centre and placed in a hospice where George Felos had served as chairman, and at the time when he was the chairman of the board of the hospital.
The order by Greer that the tube is to be removed on March 18 2005 is an order that must send shudders down the spine of those who are physically or mentally disabled. A physically handicapped person has the disadvantage of not always being able to help him/herself. A stroke victim, for example needs a high level of intervention, depending upon the actual physical and mental incapacities that was sustained as a result of the stroke. However, a stroke victim can be rehabilitated and there have been a lot of advances in the methods that are available to help those who have disability as a result of brain injury. Michael Schiavo and George Greer have denied Terri the right to have any rehabilitation given to her. The cover up in this case is the myth that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state. This is the story that is spread to the mainstream media. The idea that someone can persist in a lie about the condition of a disabled person in a court of law is something that I abhor.
How many other people all around the world are in a far worse condition than Terri Schiavo? What will be the result if the judgement of George Greer is allowed to stand? The disabled are not able to defend themselves from the tyranny of those who in fact want them to either be permanently out of the way or just plain dead because they are considered to be a reliability and not an asset to their families. It is like going back to the days when the children with cerebral palsy was sent to schools for the spastic. Some profoundly disabled girls and boys were institutionalized and the parents never bothered to visit them. They were neglected in those days. Many of them did not receive any treatment and they were left on their beds and in dormitories. The conditions of these hostels were quite horrendous.
Since the introduction of the compulsory wearing seat belts there has been a steady increase in the number of people suffering from injury as a result of whiplash. In the worst cases a person can be left paralyzed. Is that life to be considered as worthless? Should a person who has suffered brain injury be categorized as having a life that is not worth living? How devastating it must be for someone who is facing a life as a paraplegic or even a quadraplegic, when confronted with the do not care attitude of the pro euthanasia lobby.
Severely disabled people are entitled to have the knowledge that no matter what their physical condition that they are still loved. However, if the pro euthanasia lobby gets its way and manages to change the law within the USA then the pressure that will be placed upon the severely disabled amongst us will have increased to a new and unacceptable level.
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