Bob and Mary Schindler Prolong the Pain
Bob and Mary Schindler, Terri Shiavo’s parents, seem to have no respect for the truth or the rights of others.
This is a common trait among religious fanatics.
Three days ago, it was reported that Mr. and Mrs. Schindler were giving up their fifteen year legal battle to keep their daughter on a feeding tube. Today we learn that another appeal was filed and that a federal appeals court has agreed to grant them a new hearing.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that this move comes after Michael Schiavo announced that an autopsy would be performed on his wife’s body after she dies. The autopsy would lay to rest any doubts about the amount of brain damage she suffered after her heart attack and confirm what doctors have said all along–that she is in a persistent vegetative state and has no chance of recovery.
It would also prove that the Schindler’s and their religious fanatic allies have mercilessly force-fed Terri Schiavo for their own personal aggrandizement.
The force-feed-Terri-Schiavo camp has never produced any scientific evidence that Terri has the capacity to be aware or to recover. They have engaged in this fantasy for fifteen years, even though every credible neurologist who has studied Terri Schiavo’s CAT scan says that the higher centers of her brain are completely destroyed and that she has no change of recovery.
The let-Terri-die-in-peace camp has provided evidence for their position and are willing to allow an autopsy to confirm their diagnosis after she is dead.
If the Schindler’s win this 11th-hour appeal the tube could be reinserted, prolonging Terri’s persistent vegetative state for an indefinite amount of time. It will also allow the religious fanatics in our country to claim and that there has been a miracle and their prayers have been answered. It will also mean that the confirmation of the scientifically-based diagnosis cannot be confirmed.
It will provide another opportunity for President George W. Bush, Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., and Sen. Tom DeLay to play to their political base which is largely comprised of religious fanatics.
Bush frustrated efforts to get to the truth that all of his reasons for invading Iraq were bogus. We should not be surprised if they frustrate all efforts to confirm the truth about Terri Schiavo’s diagnosis.
After all, if the Terri Schiavo diagnosis is confirmed by autopsy, Bush and his allies will once again be exposed for the liar that they are.
That would provide even more evidence, as if their wasn’t enough already, that Bush is a born-again Christian in name only, that he carries that cross for political purposes, and that religion is being used to manipulate large segments of the U.S. population.
As if to further illustrate my point, now Rev. Jesse Jackson, has added his name to the long list of those using this tragedy for their own personal aggrandizement. I’m surprised it took him so long to join the party.
UPDATE 3/30/05pm: This latest appeal was rejected. However, the Schindlers have vowed to keep fighting.
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April 5th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
What a sad day and price the parents paid for allowing themselves to be supported by these right wing colation groups. These groups use cases such as this only as a platform and really show no real concern for those involved. What a sad case of a so called spiritual adviser they had. No matter what Michael did or didn’t do nothing would ever be good enough for these people. The courts spoke and he chose to take the high-road and stayed out of blame and monkey jumping in front of the media. Think about it: In LIFE Terri deprived herself of food and nurishment and IN the end her life ended the same way. When the parents chose to dance with the “devil” (the colations groups)they needed to realize they get what they paid for “nothing” but a lot of heartache. If they are such christian people where is the compassion in their hearts. All they ever demonstrated was blame, hate and bittnerness. May we all pray that some day their hearts will soften and they will learn to let go of control when the courts rule over and over and over against them.