More Schiavo

The invective of the radical right, which calls Michael Schiavo the devil, and a murderer, an abuser, an unfit spouse, a spendthrift, neglectful, exploitative, and a monster. The only thing they haven't yet figured out is to label him the antichrist. Methinks they dost protest too much. Did you know that Florida courts appointed a guardian ad litem for her, and that he reluctantly concluded that she has no consciousness at all? And the videos that everyone's seen are very misleading.

"She clearly does not consistently respond to her mother,'' the judge wrote in 2002 after hearing from five doctors with divided opinions. ``The court finds that based on the credible evidence, cognitive function would manifest itself in a constant response to stimuli.''

And the supposed "experts" who have drafted affidavits for Terri's parents & operation rescue are either not experts qualified to opine on this particular issue, or conveniently fail to give any opinion at all.

The conclusion the court came to is that, based on medical testimony and Terri’s CAT scan, her cerebral cortex has basically turned to liquid. The cerebral cortex is the seat of all our higher brain functions. Without a cerebral cortex, it is impossible for a human being to experience thought, emotions, consciousness, pain, pleasure, or anything at all; nor, barring a miracle, is it possible for a patient lacking a cerebral cortex to recover.

In any event, Findlaw has links to all of the primary sources for this story. Most significant of which is the Florida Court's 2003 decision. Read it. They're the only ones that matter in this case. All of the posturing and libel by the National Review, Weekly Standard, Worldnetdaily, CNS News, Rush Limbaugh, Newsmax, etc. means nothing. Where the parents and husband cannot agree on what Terri would have wanted, Florida law requires that a trial judge make a decision that the clear and convincing evidence shows Terri herself would have made. (Clear and convincing evidence is something more than a simple preponderance, and something less than "reasonable doubt.") The courts have had a fair and open hearing on this. All sides were presented and heard. Terri herself had a guardian ad litem to protect her interests, based on the unfounded allegation that her husband had nefarious motives. The federal government has taken Terri Schiavo's choice to die with dignity away from her. They can do the same to you. The federal government has ordered that a plastic tube be shoved into Terri Schiavo to keep her alive pending the outcome of a redundant and unnecessary federal court action. They can do the same to you. The federal government has injected itself into a deeply personal and private issue, mostly thanks to the politicization of the matter by Terri's parents. If politically expedient, they'll do the same to you, too.