Pro-Lifers Urge Bush to Press Harder for Terri Schiavo
Pro-lifers across the nation applauded yesterday’s decision to extend an emergency stay preventing the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube until Friday, but agreed that the real battle is yet to come.
Pro-lifers across the nation applauded yesterday’s decision to extend an emergency stay preventing the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube until Friday, but agreed that the real battle is yet to come.
“Today a crisis has been averted, but only for 48 hours,” said Dr. James C. Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family. “This decision is not overly comforting since Florida Circuit Judge George Greer has consistently proven himself to be no friend of Terri Schiavo, her family or of human life when you consider his history of rulings in this case.”
However, Dobson added, “Thankfully, he has today seen fit to give her more time to live and her parents more time to defend her right to life.”
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"The courts, including Judge Greer's, have no moral authority to cause a vulnerable, disabled person like Mrs. Schiavo to die due to dehydration - which will be the result if her feeding tube is removed,” said Dobson.
Greer was the same judge who in 2000 ruled Terri’s feeding tube to be removed upon the request of her legal guardian and husband Michael Schiavo.
Since then, Terri’s case has gone back and forth from Greer’s court to the 2nd District Court of Appeal in a clutter of legal arguments and decisions.
In one of the most critical points of Terri’s case, Greer’s order to remove Terri’s tube in October 2003 was carried out – but only briefly. With the help of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Terri’s parents, the Schindlers, successfully reinserted the tube six days later.
However, Bush’s law ordering Terri’s tube to be reinserted was deemed unconstitutional by the both the circuit court and the Florida Supreme Court. Bush’s role in the critical case came to an end late last month when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on the Florida Supreme Court ruling.
Nonetheless, Gov. Bush told Terri’s supporters that he will “do whatever I can within the means, within the laws of our state to protect this woman’s life,” after yesterday’s victory.
"People with deep faith and big hearts are concerned, as I am about the circumstance that Ms. Schiavo is in," the governor said. "I want them to know I will do what I can, but there are limits to what any particular person — irrespective of the title they currently hold — can do."
Dobson applauded Bush for his dedication and promise.
“Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is to be applauded for his promise to defend Mrs. Schiavo's life. We pray that he, and those who stand with him, will be successful,” said Dobson.
However, Mary Ann Kreitzer, president of the Catholic Media Coalition, said much more could, and should be done by Gov. Bush.
“We hear statements that you have done everything under the law, but that is simply not true,” said Kreitzer, in a statement released on Wednesday.
Kreitzer listed four points of action Gov. Bush has not yet pursued: Ordering a criminal investigation into the night of the incident that left Terri disabled; ordered the department of social services to begin legal action to remove Michael as a guardian for failing to fulfill the duties of guardianship under Florida state law; brought charges against Michael for negligence/abuse of a disabled individual under Florida law defending the rights of the handicapped; used influence in the legislature to get a better law defending the rights of those who become disabled.
"God may have placed you in your position of authority at this time in history for the one purpose of impeding the inexorable push in this country toward the murder of the innocent handicapped/disabled,” she added.
“Please don't go down in history as the man who could have saved Terri Schiavo, but didn't out of concern for your political career.”
The same ethical challenge was presented to Judge Greer as well.
"Judge Greer's decision to delay the removal of the feeding tube upon which Terri life depends is in keeping with the foundational principles of medical bioethics; autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice,” said Rev. Dr. David Anderson, senior pastor of the Faith Baptist Church of Sarasota and past chair of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Bioethics Committee.
“These principles have been established to protect the welfare of the patient, to evaluate substituted judgment, and to prevent decisions from being made without the consideration of all pertinent information,” he explained. “If no convincing evidence has been presented that Terri would want to have her feeding tube removed, then the judge must presume that she has the will and right to live.
“His decision on Friday should show the same respect for human dignity."
