Terri Schiavo, the severely brain damaged Florida woman who became the subject of an intense legal and political battle that drew responses from the White House to Congress to the Vatican, died today, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed on the order of a state court judge.
Let’s hope Terri’s family (both sides of it), and the many people who have been passionately drawn into her story, find some peace.
Rest in peace indeed.
Having entered into this women and her familys plight through the lens of the media, I feel a certain kinship to her.
May she find a peace in death, that she may not have known in life.
Terri has been resting in peace.
Let her Mother and Father Now L.I.P (live in peace)
The bitterness against Michael Schiavo is absolutely astonishing. I think we need to demand the same standard be applied to those who demand such saintlike perfection of him. It’s only fair, right?
Michael Schiavo is in my prayers today.
Judge Greer is also in my prayers.
Does anyone know definitively what religious observance (if any) there will be before the interment of Terri Schiavo’s ashes? Also, who would have made that decision, Michael Schiavo or Judge Greer?
Now that Ms. Schiavo is dead, perhaps we might wish to see whether the fighting that took place will soon abate (there are ashes to fight over) before we decide to view any of the principals in a more sympathetic light.
I agree with “ginmar” above. We witnessed people that felt the intense need to impose their views of morality upon others. The State of Florida has laws that deal with the Terri case, and fortunately the courts did not let anyone take away the rights of Terri and her husband. It is the right of her husband that prevailed – against the President, the Congress, and everyone else that had their own agenda to exploit Terri with.
Anyone ever notice that is was her husband that always kept this a private issue between him and his wife and doctors? I heard that while his in-laws were always making grand public displays going in and out of that facility her husband tried to stay private – going in and out the back doors (although once her tube was removed he stayed present practically full time – day and night).
So much hate was generated by those in-laws. So many rumors against the poor husband. Now the morbid crowd demands this woman be chopped up in an autopsy, demanding their right to know the results. A frenzy of hate – and to think some in government (Republican and Democrat) were part of this frenzy to take away the husband’s rights – even to the talk of the State of Florida taking custody away from the husband. All a very scary rights issue. I’m actually surprised the laws remained intact over the power of certain groups and individuals.
Personally I think Terri – the person, the soul – died over a decade ago. Only the body died today. I’ve seen the CT head scan and the huge amount of structure gone. Brain tissue does not grow back.
I understand the Catholic Church no longer bans cremation.
Skeptic Says:
March 31st, 2005 at 10:49 am
Now that Ms. Schiavo is dead, perhaps we might wish to see whether the fighting that took place will soon abate (there are ashes to fight over) before we decide to view any of the principals in a more sympathetic light.
Are you kidding? There are BOOKS to be written and fought over, too! Think of the advance money to be had! And the made-for-TV movie(s), and choosing stars for the big screen production!
I believe creamation is now allowed because there is no room for burial plots in Europe anymore, and the church had to bend.
The funny thing is that if some of these people were in the same spot, they would much rather have their spouse making that choice than their parents.
Very sad case, all around. I’m not sure how to put this, but I am glad she is now gone. I am hoping this will end, but I’m afraid the blusterings of state and federal legislatures have only just begun.
[Attack on Terri’s parents cut out by Amp]
Looks like Tom Delay has some revenge in mind:
Delay
Delay is a wingnut.
I dunno, maybe it’s all the dealings with Fitz in the other thread, but this just pisses me off.
No, no you didn’t. What you felt was an emotional manipulation. Terri Schiavo has no fucking clue who you are, and wouldn’t if she were dead, brain dead, or living a happy healthy life. This whole thing of people latching onto this woman whose been a vegetable for 15 years as if they were her closest friends, rgh.
Yes Regina, the RC Church no longer forbids cremation, as long as the act of cremation is not intended to repudiate the Church’s teaching re the resurrection of the body.
What I was asking was whether Michael Schiavo or George Greer had made a decision as to whether any type of religious ceremony/graveside service would be permitted prior to burial. To rephrase, does “legal guardianship” end with death? If it does, do the wishes of the blood relatives, or the judge (or the deceased, if she expressed such wishes) count for anything at this point?
If she had a will, then that usually specifies funeral arrangements. If she didn’t, it is the right of her guardian to determine what the arrangements are. And I don’t think Michael Schiavo will make the mistake of asking the courts to help determine what her wishes would be a second time. We all see how well that worked out for all involved last time he did that.
LMA, my understanding is that Michael Schiavo will have the last say on what happens to Terri. He has asked for an autopsy, and then plans to have her cremated and her ashes interred in his family plot outside of Philadelphia, where they both grew up, and incidentally where they met. The parents would have preferred other arrangements — burial in their plot. Obviously, they long ago wrote Michael out of their family, though they continued to retain Terri as part of it.
Re: Tom Delay Quotes
I guess the moral of the story there is do as Tom does and not as he says at your own peril.
Rest In Peace, Terri.
I guess what I find amazing in all of this, is how Michael Schiavo could speak for Terri so definitively when the people that raised her were willing to care for her. In the end, it’s the need to be right that supercedes wisdom and judgement. It is no small thing for a parent to lose a child, and being prideful and stubborn in the face of people who are hurting over the loss of a child, is still disgusting no matter which side you’re on.
I’m pretty sure this matter has already been decided by the courts and is not up for debate. The court already ordered that Michael Shiavo’s wishes for her to be cremated and buried in Pennsylvania be granted, and you cannot go against a court order, AFAIK.
The media, however, will be unlikely to say any of this. They’d much rather paint Michael Shiavo as someone who “STILL won’t let Terri’s parents get their way with anything, etc.”
As for Tom Delay, he has a hell of a lot of nerve. He pulled the plug on his own father (there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s comparable to this case) AND he’s currently being investigated for several ethics violations. Judge not, lest ye be judged?
I have read that Michael Schiavo will have Terri’s ashes buried in an undisclosed location to prevent graveside visits by her parents and siblings . Echoing Kat’s post above (no. 4), Michael Schiavo is more in need of prayer than any of us could have imagined.
Oh yes, Delay is from Texas too. As well as having been in this situation himself, his state is the one with the law that lets hospitals pull the plug AGAINST the family’s wishes, if family can’t pay for it and it’s determined to be terminal. Where was he for Baby Hudson? Also that quote about the Judiciary (thumbing its nose at Congress and President) is sickening, as it basically disregards the fact that it is a seperate branch of government, not an offshoot to be strong-armed by the other two. Raving like that about the judges is like the pot calling the apple black in this scenario. Besides which, the bill that he championed last weekend is not only contitutionally questionable, but it was– by no means– anywhere near the will of the people, liberal, conservative, or otherwise. Any poll can attest to that.
What is really bugging me is that on the news, they are still portraying it as if the entire country were rallying around Terri against the evil judges and her asshole husband. I don’t get that. All they talk about are the protesters: getting arrested, crying, threatening violence, etc. They are an extremely vocal minority, yet there has been virtually NO news (except brief end-of-article mentions) about the fact that most of the country (in fact, the majority in every demographic) supports her husband. Why is that? They are acting as if it were a national outrage. The people interviewed are all pro-Schindler; in fact I think the members of Congress featured in the CNN article were all major backers of the bill.
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Welcome to the SCLM (So Called Liberal Media), Monica. CNN has its point of view and it will not let facts get in its way. Same for Fox and MSNBC. So many of us rely on a comedy show for the tv news because there is no longer an impartial source to go to. From Woodward and Bernstein to this.
A travesty.
According to the AP, what he actually said is that he was burying her in an undisclosed location to prevent her parents from turning her resting place into a media circus. (The story I read makes it unclear if Michael actually said this, or if someone else, like Felos, said it.)
Regina, of course The Daily Show is the only news worth watching. Like all cable news, it’s fake. But unlike any other cable news, it admits being fake.
They’re already making a TV movie about the story, with Keri Russell and Dean Cain.
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43617
[Sean Sirrine posted the full text of a post on his blog. I think that’s a bit much – the comments here are for interactive discussion, not for just posting things written for other areas, without any comments at all relating to what other folks here have said.
So, anyway, Sean’s blog is named “Objective Justice,” and the post he wanted folks to read is named Tom DeLay, Go Home. The theme of Sean’s post is a comparison of Terri Schiavo’s tragedy, Sun Hudson’s tragedy, and Tom DeLay’s reaction to each. Go check it out, if you’d like to.
And Sean – if you’re looking for more readers, here’s my advice to you. –Amp]
Sorry about my previous post, I was in a hurry and was being inconsiderate.
Maddie Dog writes:
The rights of the husband weren’t at issue in this case. It was the right of Terri herself to have her wishes fulfilled in an end of life scenario. Judge Greer actually took away the husband’s right to decide and made the decision himself. Yes, he took into consideration the husband’s side of the story, but it was no longer Michael’s decision to make.
I am proud of the judiciary that was involved in this case, as it was one of the hardest decisions that a judge has to make. I hope that the country sees how valuable our judiciary is in protecting our rights when we can’t protect them ourselves.
Hopefully our country will also learn how arrogant their elected representatives are. I can’t imagine why such a small group of people believe that they have the right answer and are willing to go to any lengths to get there. The rule of law was established to protect us from those that would abuse their powers. It protected Terri from the personal wishes of her husband and it also protected her from the personal wishes of Congress.
Terri Schiavo, R.I.P.