"WE LOVE OUR TUBES!!"

THANK YOU DIANE COLEMAN & STEPHEN DRAKE! FROM:
CHERYL FORD RN FIGHT4TERRI@AOL.COM



For Immediate Release: March 26, 2005

DISABILITY ACTIVISTS RETURNING TO PINELLAS PARK, FL
"WE LOVE OUR TUBES!!"

CONTACTS:

NDY National-Stephen Drake and Diane Coleman
(708) 209-1500 ext 11 & 29, (708) 420-0539 BOSTON NDY,
John Kelly (617) 536-5140

IN FLORIDA:

Disabled Queers in Action-Zan Thornton (678) 358-9540 Rochester ADAPT/NDY,
Bruce Darling 585 370-6690 Zen Garcia Atlanta 678 770 1125
Michele Steger St. Louis ADAPT/NDY 314 229 7435

Schiavo Case: Disability Rights Issue! Let People With Disabilities be Heard
"WE LOVE OUR TUBES!" Disabled Activists are Demonstrating in Florida.

Disability activists are returning to Florida to tell the simple truths about tubes,
feeding tubes, breathing tubes, peeing tubes and other tubes we need and love.
Disabled people in wheelchairs will demonstrate and explain the realities of
everyday life with tubes, confronting society's obvious horror and revulsion with our dignity and disability pride.

Terri's feeding tube is the central issue. This is the reason she is being killed.
Disability activists must express our ridicule for the pathetic response of the
nondisabled majority to these simple pieces of latex rubber. This case hinges
on the fact that Terri uses a feeding tube, which to disabled people is no big
deal - it's just another piece of adaptive equipment.

"Right now the case is settled, people are thrown back on their own beliefs,
while "experts" continue to present the story as a misbegotten political intervention
in a private matter," said John Kelly of Boston Not Dead Yet, "a tragic medical case in which doctors are united in their certain diagnosis that nothing is going on inside her head , and a tragic family matter in which her "husband" really does want the best for her, which is death. And people agree -- and this is absolutely crucial -- because THEY THEMSELVES would rather be dead than like Terri Schiavo.

"We have been trained, over and over again, that if we only concealed our differences, tucked that legbag tube - for draining urine - under the pants leg, never talked about incontinence, that we could be (at least partially) accepted," Kelly continued.
"But the shame that we are meant to bear keeps us down more effectively
than anything that anyone could do to us."

"It's time for the press to talk to the real experts on the Schiavo case - the disability rights movement", declared Diane Coleman, president and founder of Not Dead Yet leading the disability community's opposition to non-voluntary euthanasia for a decade.

"That's why 26 national disability rights organizations, including groups like Not Dead Yet, and CIL's, DQIA, and others have adopted a position in support of Terri Schiavo's right to continue to receive food and water," affirmed Stephen Drake, research analyst for NDY. "People on the right are killing us slowly with cuts to the budget and Medicaid while the people on the left kill us quickly and call it 'compassion' - either way we end up dead - AND WE OBJECT."

Not Dead Yet is a national disability rights organization that leads the disability
community's efforts to oppose legalization of assisted suicide, euthanasia and
other forms of medical killing.

Website: http://www.notdeadyet.org



Fight4Terri @aol.com
www.fight4terri.blogspot.com
Visit Terri's site: www.terrisfight.org

Cheryl Ford, RN (Fight4Terri@aol.com) is not affiliated with any other group and works as an independent volunteer promoting the protection of Florida's disabled community.

TERRI SCHIAVO CASE Police 'showdown' averted

Posted on Sat, Mar. 26, 2005

TERRI SCHIAVO CASE Police 'showdown' averted

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER cmarbin@herald.com

Hours after a judge ordered that Terri Schiavo was not to be removed from her hospice,
a team of state agents were en route to seize her and have her feeding tube reinserted -- but
they stopped short when local police told them they would enforce the judge's order,
The Herald has learned.

Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told police in Pinellas Park, the
small town where Schiavo lies at Hospice Woodside, on Thursday that they were on the
way to take her to a hospital to resume her feeding.

For a brief period, local police, who have officers at the hospice to keep protesters out,
prepared for what sources called ``a showdown.''

In the end, the squad from the FDLE and the Department of Children & Families backed
down, apparently concerned about confronting local police outside the hospice.

''We told them that unless they had the judge with them when they came, they were not
going to get in,'' said a source with the local police.

''The FDLE called to say they were en route to the scene,'' said an official with the city
police who requested anonymity. ``When the sheriff's department and our department
told them they could not enforce their order, they backed off.''

The incident,known only to a few and related to The Herald by three different sources
involved in Thursday's events, underscores the intense emotion and murky legal terrain
that the Schiavo case has created. It also shows that agencies answering directly to
Gov. Jeb Bush had planned to use a wrinkle in Florida law that would have allowed
them to legally get around the judge's order. The exception in the law allows public
agencies to freeze a judge's order whenever an agency appeals it.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

Participants in the high-stakes test of wills, who spoke with The Herald on the condition
of anonymity, said they believed the standoff could ultimately have led to a constitutional
crisis and a confrontation between dueling lawmen.

''There were two sets of law enforcement officers facing off, waiting for the other to blink,''
said one official with knowledge of Thursday morning's activities.

In jest, one official said local police discussed ``whether we had enough officers to hold
off the National Guard.''

''It was kind of a showdown on the part of the locals and the state police,'' the official said.
`It it was not too long after that Jeb Bush was on TV saying that, evidently, he doesn't have
as much authority as people think.''

State officials on Friday vigorously denied the notion that any ''showdown'' occurred.

''DCF directed no such action,'' said agency spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez.

Said Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre: ``There was no showdown. We were ready to go.
We didn't want to break the law. There was a process in place and we were following the
process. The judge had an order and we were following the order.''

Tim Caddell, a spokesman for the city of Pinellas Park, declined to discuss Thursday's
events.

SHELTER FOR SCHIAVO

The developments that set Thursday morning's events in motion began the previous
afternoon, when the governor and DCF chief Lucy Hadi held an impromptu news conference
to announce they were considering sheltering Schiavo under the state's adult protection law.
DCF has been besieged, officials say, by thousands of calls alleging Schiavo is the victim of abuse or neglect.

Alerted by the Bush administration that Schiavo might be on her way to their facility, officials
at Morton Plant Hospital went to court themselves Wednesday, asking Circuit Judge George
Greer, who ordered the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube last week, what to do.

''It's an extraordinary situation,'' said Beth Hardy, a hospital spokeswoman. ``I don't think
any of us has seen anything like it. Ever.''

Greer signed an order Wednesday afternoon forbidding DCF from ''taking possession
of Theresa Marie Schiavo or removing her'' from the hospice. He directed ''each and
every and singular sheriff of the state of Florida'' to enforce his order.

But Thursday, at 8:15 a.m., DCF lawyers appealed Greer's order to judges at the
Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland.

That created the window of time to seize Schiavo. When DCF filed its appeal, it effectively
froze the judge's Wednesday order. It took nearly three hours before the judge found out
and canceled the automatic stay, shortly before 11 a.m.

Administrators of the 72-bed hospice, who have endured a withering siege of their facility
by protesters since Greer ordered Schiavo's feeding tube removed on March 18, declined
to discuss Thursday morning's events in any detail.

''I don't really know, or pretend to know, the specifics of what is going on behind the scenes,
'' said Mike Bell, a spokesman for Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, which operates Woodside.

DCF INTENTIONS

According to sources, DCF intended to take Schiavo to Morton Plant Hospital, where her
feeding tube had been reinserted in 2003 following a previous judicial order allowing its
removal. But hospice officials were aware that the hospital was not likely to perform surgery
to reinsert the tube without an order from Greer.

''People knew that taking [Schiavo] did not equate with immediate reinsertion of the feeding
tube,'' a source said. ``Hospital officials were working with their legal counsel and their
advisors, trying to figure out which order superseded which, and what action they should take.''

Hardy, the hospital spokeswoman, said she does not believe the hospital was made aware Thursday morning that DCF and state police planned to bring Schiavo in. ''We were not
aware of that three-hour period,'' she said. ``It's not a discussion we even had, really.''

George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney, said he does not think DCF officials knew of
the window of opportunity they had created until well after they filed their appeal.

''Frankly, I don't believe when they filed their notice of appeal they realized that that gave
them an automatic stay,'' Felos said. ``When we filed our motion to vacate the automatic
stay . . . they realized they had a short window of opportunity and they wanted to extend
that as long as they could.

``I believe that as soon as DCF knew they had an opportunity, they were mobilizing to take advantage of it, without a doubt.''

Herald staff writers Phil Long and Marc Caputo contributed to this story.



© 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com

CNN asks the question....

CNN asks the question.... Is it better to err on the side of life?

If you feel inclined, please email them your answer.........

daybreak@cnn.com



Fight4Terri @aol.com
www.fight4terri.blogspot.com
Visit Terri's site:
www.terrisfight.org

Cheryl Ford, RN (Fight4Terri@aol.com) is not affiliated with any other
group and works as an independent volunteer promoting the protection
of Florida's disabled community.




This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Whose Law?

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD ."


"The Rule of Law, they cried, while Terri died"

The eyes of the world watched,
As one more judge ruled for death over life

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

Who is this one who cannot speak?
She is a vegetable, of no use in this worldof power and utility

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

Forget the smile; it has no productive value,
disregard the mothers'plea, misguided sentiment

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

The one on the bench, the blind guide leading the blind,
has the power now in this brave new world unanchored from truth;
his word is the sword

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

All this talk of religion and solidarity be damned,
let the one who cast the bride aside decide

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

The triumph of the Will ascends,
the meek and the weak shudder,
the reign of lawlessness begins

The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died

("The Rule of Law they cried...while Terri Died"
By Deacon Keith Fournier CThird Millennium, LLC)

+ + + + + + + + +

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work..."
St Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians

When I was Hungry By Deacon Keith Fournier

When I was Hungry

3/18/2005 - 1:35 PM PST
By Deacon Keith Fournier
© Third Millennium, LLC
Catholic Online

__________________

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25

___________________

Terri Schiavo is communicating with her family - and with the world- on a daily basis. We all know that. Her smile has been embedded in our National conscience. That is, if we still have one. She is a lovely, disabled woman who her estranged husband wants to kill by starvation and dehydration. Terri Schiavo is not dying. For convenience and proper care, she is being fed at meal times through a feeding tube. There is medical evidence that, with proper care, Terri could be fed in the future with a spoon.

Terri is not in a “Persistent Vegetative State” Though I find the term repugnant (because a person can never be a vegetable), under Florida Law a “Persistent Vegetative State” is defined as a “permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is: (a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of ANY kind. (b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment.” (Florida Statute 765.101) Terri communicates through her face, her movement and even verbally. She laughs and cries around those whom she loves. Terri is simply limited in her communications. So are millions of other disabled people.

Terri has needs and rights. She has a right to rehabilitation under any interpretation of the law. She is being denied that right. Florida law ( Florida Statute 744.3215) codifies the “Rights of Persons Determined Incapacitated”:(1) A person who has been determined to be incapacitated retains the right. (i) To receive necessary services and rehabilitation.

This is a personal right that cannot be taken away, even by a guardian. What is being attempted in Florida, with the approval of a Judge who has set himself above the law, is the killing, by starvation and dehydration, of Terri Schaivo. This is illegal and unconscionable.

Here is the truth, Terri Schiavo suffered brain damage. Her communications skills were altered as a result of the injury. She is a disabled American woman. She is also a daughter to two wonderful parents who have lovingly cared for her and communicate with her regularly. In order to facilitate easier feeding of Terri, a so called “feeding tube” is being used. This does not constitute the use of “extraordinary medical means” by any stretch of that term, under any definition. This is not “prolonging the dying process” within any moral analysis, because Terri is not dying. However, if things continue without intervention, she will be killed.

Today, March 18, 2005 a judge’s order staying Terri’s execution expires. I use that expression with intentionality. She is under a stay of execution from this Judge. Hopefully, the Congress of the United States will put Terri ahead of their Spring vacation and act to stop this impending murder. Terri Schiavo is a human person and a United States citizen. As far as her potential to improve her communications skills goes, there is medical evidence that she could make substantial improvement. That is, if she is not executed. We all remember the wonderful story of Sarah Scantlin of Hutchinson, Kansas, who, after an accident twenty years ago, who began to speak. I am sure that her mother is watching the events in Dunedin, Florida today!

The whole world is watching the events in Florida.

Terri Schiavo must not be killed. To do so would be to sanction a new, profane “right” to exercise raw power over disabled people who are hungry and thirsty. That is precisely what is being claimed as a “right” by Michael Schiavo. You cannot have a “right” to do what is wrong. I have practiced law for twenty five years. There is absolutely no verifiable evidence that Terri desired to be killed by starvation and dehydration! That is still illegal in America. This is a contrived claim, advanced by an estranged husband, backed by a lawyer who should be disbarred, and funded by culture of death activists.

Without Congressional, Presidential or Judicial intervention, a death sentence will be carried out by a Medical Doctor who, in contravention of his oath, will starve a woman to death after having vowed to “do no harm!”

Some in the Press still refer to this entire story as a “right to die” story. This is not about a “right to die”. We all have a “right” to die, that is when it is time and when we are called home. We should be surrounded by love when that time comes. This is not even about “passive” euthanasia, or “active” euthanasia. In fact, it is not about “euthanasia” at all, which must always be resisted as intrinsically evil. This is an effort to create a “right” to starve some disabled people. The story of Terri Schiavo is about the possibility of judicially sanctioned murder by a husband who no longer cares for his brain damaged wife. His will is being forced on her through the efforts of a misguided lawyer. There is absolutely no independent proof whatsoever of Terri’s so called “last wishes” as he claims. That is a subterfuge.

Terri has the real rights here, including a right to live; and a right to be loved and cared for by her parents and all those who have volunteered to serve her. Terri’s rights, authentic justice and our obligations in human solidarity should become the basis for Congressional, Presidential or Judicial intervention, TODAY.

If, God forbid, there is no action by the Congress today, than millions of people should flood the streets around the hospital to stop this killing. We must not allow the killing a disabled woman simply because she cannot communicate in a way that someone else has determined has “value”. It is no wonder that the disabilities community has stood in solidarity with Terri. Will we? Or will we allow a new “triumph of the will” - in this instance the will of an estranged husband who no longer “wants” his wife? If we fail to act we will be allowing him to “dispose’ of his disabled wife with the protection of the State.

Tonight we will either see Congressional action that will allow Terri’s parents to continue their courageous fight for their beloved daughters’ life, or we will witness the beginning of the starvation and dehydration of a beautiful woman named Terri Schiavo.

"Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?”

The answer is clear; in the eyes and the smile of Terri Schiavo.

How will we respond?

___________________

Deacon Keith Fournier is a Deacon of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia who also serves the Melkite Greek Eparchy with permission. He is a human rights lawyer and a public policy advocate.

Contact: Third Millennium, LLC
http://www.catholic.org VA, US
Deacon Keith Fournier - Deacon, 757-546-9580
Keywords: Terri Schiavo

Email from a friend who wrote about Terri

This email came to me awhile back, and I had thought I had put it here, and just found as a draft! It is still timely....

I just sent this letter to my senator:


Regarding Terri Schiavo in Florida.

I'm appalled that the government has largely ignored Terri's situation. From all evidence, Judge Greer has ignored testimony to her wishes (apparently because he mistook the date of a similar case). He has denied her contact with the rites and rituals of her Church, despite evidence that she was actively practicing it.

Now, apparently because of the judgment of "quality of life" Terri Schiavo (and tens of thousands of others) are being subjected eugenics, based on the judgment of persons who can't know what is going on in her mind currently.

At this writing she is being dehydrated to death, without current information. If you and I were in charge of the demolition of a building at 5 am some Sunday morning, would YOU throw the switch after you asked me, "Did you clear all the people from the building?" and I answered, "Well, we checked it 3 years ago." Judge Greer has apparently done the moral equivalent.

Animals cannot be starved or dehydrated in Florida. Death penalty criminals cannot be treated that way.

I'm appalled that the only downtrodden that seem to gain government protections these days, are the ones who can muster campaign funds or large numbers of votes. I don't believe that our government is anywhere near close affording enough protections. It seems that the national wealth is to be preserved by killing off those who can't speak for themselves, but we're willing to commit to more taxes and expenses when the people are voters.

I learned that in the US all men were created equal, that there were unalienable rights to all, not only those with voice.

Scott J

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

PROMISES PROMISES Michael????

I received this email from Cheryl Ford and then did a little of my own searching and figuring. Note the dates on the second set below and then remember that there was a deposition taken from Cindy Shook who said she began dating Michael about one and a half years after Terri collapsed (in what below is described as an 'intimate relationship...he lived with her, killed Terri's cats in order to do so, then later moved out before the malpractice trial Nov 5, 1992).


Oh, by the way, READ his testimony isn't it amazing that this man BELIEVES in his wedding vows, yet has already had at least one affair before this time????

Read excerpts from Cindy Shook's deposition and a written record of a phone conversation with Terri's brother. Figure out the timeline here. And this man MUST keep his 'promise' to Terri NOW?

I have a bridge for you to buy..... it includes a free trip to my mansion on the moon.....

Subject

MICHAEL SCHIAVO

---

Marriage Vows
Testimony of Michael Schiavo November 5, 1992 Medical Malpractice Trial	November 19, 1993 Deposition of Michael Schiavo	Larry King Live aired October 27, 2003
Page 26	Page 3 - 6	KING: True, you have a girlfriend? SCHIAVO: Yes. And I am very fortunate... KING: Does it hurt the situation, do you think, as the way the public might look at you? SCHIAVO: From their side, I'm sure. But you know something? I'm fortunate to have two women in my life that I love very much. My girlfriend right now has done more for Terri than her own mother did. She shopped for her. She washed her clothes. KING: How do you feel about all this? In your gut, how do you feel? You could have walked away, Michael. SCHIAVO: I could have. But I love my wife. And I'm going to follow her wish. And nothing's going to stop me. KING: She mentioned a child. You don't have a child do you? SCHIAVO: Yes, I do. KING: With your girlfriend? SCHIAVO: Yes. KING: I see.
Q. How do you feel about being married to Terri now? SCHIAVO: I feel wonderful. She's my life and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I believe in my - I believe in my wedding vows. Q. What do you mean? You want to take a minute? SCHIAVO: Yeah. Q. If the court would let us take a minute. Q. You okay? SCHIAVO: Yeah, I’m sorry. Q. Have - you said you believe in your wedding vows. What do you mean by that? SCHIAVO: I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that.	Q. Are you presently – you’re married to Terri Schiavo, correct? SCHIAVO: Yes I am. Q. Are you presently involved in a romantic relationship with anyone? SCHIAVO: Yes I am. Q. Are you involved in an intimate relationship with this person. SCHIAVO: Yes I am. Q. Is this the first relationship that you’ve been involved in since your wife has been in a coma? SCHIAVO: No. Q. How many other relationships have you been involved in? SCHIAVO: I was in one other relationship. Q. Was it an intimate relationship? SCHIAVO: Yes.
	Page ???
	Q. What did you do with your wife's jewelry? SCHIAVO: My wife's jewelry? Q. Yeah. SCHIAVO: Um, I think I took her engagement ring and her...what do they call it...diamond wedding band and made a ring for myself.

More relationships
November 19, 1993 Deposition of Michael Schiavo	January 27, 2000 Trial Testimony
Q. Are you presently involved in a romantic relationship with anyone? SCHIAVO: Yes I am. Q. Are you involved in an intimate relationship with this person. SCHIAVO: Yes I am. Q. Is this the first relationship that you’ve been involved in since your wife has been in a coma? SCHIAVO: No. Q. How many other relationships have you been involved in? SCHIAVO: I was in one other relationship. Q. Was it an intimate relationship? SCHIAVO: Yes.	Q: Mr. Schiavo, since Terri’s incident, did you have any intimate relations with another woman? SCHIAVO: Yes, I did. Q: When did that occur? SCHIAVO: Approximately 5 years after the incident. I don’t know the exact dates. Q: How long did this relationship last? SCHIAVO: Approximately 8 months. Q: Do you currently have an intimate relationship with a woman? SCHIAVO: Yes, I do. Q: How long have you known her? SCHIAVO: 5 ½ years.

Fight4Terri @aol.com
www.fight4terri.blogspot.com
Visit Terri's site: www.terrisfight.org

Cheryl Ford, RN (Fight4Terri@aol.com) is not affiliated with any other group and works as an independent volunteer promoting the protection of Florida's disabled community.

We can't stand by and watch her starve to death

I keep hearing on the news that it is the 'right wing religious' that are supporting Terri, (in THEIR words, 'not allowing her to die, ignoring her rights, etc etc etc)

Most times, they are referring to Christians. Wonder if they are aware that we are from all faiths, or non-faiths?

Just read one of the BEST pieces I have read yet from Rabbi Aryeh Spero entitled "We Can't Stand By and Watch Her Starve to Death".

Others, those disabled themselves are supporting Terri's right to LIVE with food and water regardless of how it gets into her body.

And even those who are known to not practice any religion support her right to live.

Nat Hentoff:

11/05/03 Should Terri Schiavo stay alive? A legal answer

11/11/03 New hope for Terri Schiavo

03/03/05 Clint Eastwood's euthanasia movie

Gen X’s Roe vs. Wade

by Pete Vere, JCL Other Articles by Pete Vere, JCL
Gen X’s Roe vs. Wade
03/24/05
		As we commit this reflection to writing, Terri Schindler-Schiavo has spent the past five days without food and water. A federal judge refuses to grant the injunction requested by Terri’s parents. This injunction would see the handicapped woman’s feeding tube reinserted as the federal courts review her case.
Terri’s survival is now a matter of Divine providence. For even if her feeding tube was restored, only a miracle could prevent Terri’s organs from suffering irreversible damage after five days without nutrition and hydration. All of the undersigned are Catholics in full communion with Rome. We denounce this slow and painful execution of Terri Schindler-Schiavo. We denounce this execution as gravely immoral, fundamentally unjust, and a gross violation of the Natural Law. Pope John Paul II stated a little over a year ago that nutrition and hydration, even when administered through medical assistance, remain “a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act.” In short, eating and drinking are common to every living human. “Death by starvation or dehydration is, in fact, the only possible outcome as a result of their withdrawal,” the Holy Father continued. “In this sense it ends up becoming, if done knowingly and willingly, true and proper euthanasia by omission.” Thus we denounce the starvation and dehydration of Terri Schindler-Schiavo as the deliberate euthanasia of a disabled woman. Moreover, we denounce this execution as gravely immoral. The culture of death alleges that Terri is in a persistently vegetative state. We respond with the following proclaimed by the Holy Father: “Even our brothers and sisters who find themselves in the clinical condition of a 'vegetative state' retain their human dignity in all its fullness.” In other words, Terri is a human person. She is part of God’s creation and she enjoys the dignity common to every human person. No human power possesses the moral authority to pass judgment upon Terri’s life. For as the Holy Father reminds us, “The value of a man's life cannot be made subordinate to any judgment of its quality expressed by other men.” Euthanasia is neither a matter of personal choice nor a matter of private morality. “Whatever its motives and means,” article 2277 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “direct euthanasia consists is putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.” To this teaching, the Holy Father adds: “The evaluation of probabilities, founded on waning hopes for recovery when the vegetative state is prolonged beyond a year, cannot ethically justify the cessation or interruption of minimal care for the patient, including nutrition and hydration.” In short, Terri’s disability and medical condition do not negate her essential dignity as a human person. Nor do Terri’s disability and medical condition limit her fundamental right to life. Each of the undersigned was born during the 1970's. As members of Generation-X, each of us survived the abortion holocaust ensuing from Roe vs. Wade. A quarter of our generation did not. In the name of medical privacy and personal choice, a quarter of our generation found itself butchered from the womb. Abortion has claimed more lives among our generation than the combined effort of AIDS, drugs, and gang violence. Yet our blood has not satiated the culture of death. In the name of medical privacy and personal choice, the culture of death now seeks the blood of our elderly, our disabled, and our terminally ill. Like Roe vs. Wade, the execution of Terri Schindler-Schiavo is a defining moment in the culture war. It sets a precedent whereby our society no longer judges our elderly, our disabled, and our terminally ill as fully human. Terri represents every North American with special needs. In allowing an estranged husband to insist upon the execution of his disabled wife, and in allowing an activist judiciary to sanction such an execution because of the woman’s medical condition, we allow society to redefine the essence of our humanity. For society now judges each of us by our perceived productivity; our potential contribution to society must now meet some external quantitative standard. Otherwise society judges our quality of life as unworthy of quantity of life. An old adage comes to mind: Those who fail to understand history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. This mistake is all too reminiscent of German eugenics in 1933, as well as the politics of abortion initiated by Roe vs. Wade in 1973. In our collective arrogance, we as a society refuse to learn from these mistakes. Thus we endanger the ten percent of our population with special needs. And if we may draw a lesson from modern history, what begins as reckless endangerment will soon entrench itself as social obligation. For as Fr. Richard John Neuhaus reminds us, “Where orthodoxy is optional it will soon be prohibited.” Conversely, we have learned from the culture war over abortion and the homosexual agenda that the opposite is also true: Where immorality is tolerated it will soon be imposed. “First you kill those who want to die,” forewarns the American Catholic ecumenist Dr. Bill Cork. “Then you kill those whose family wants them to die, then those where one family member wants them to die, and then those whose families want them to live. Finally, you kill those who want to live but who get in the way of the state.” The starvation and dehydration of Terri Schindler-Schiavo is nothing short of a diabolical attack upon the delicate wonder and beauty inherent in human life. This includes the lives of the elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill. It is a moral catastrophe of which the consequences will equal or exceed Roe vs. Wade. For in as much as we starve Terri of food and water, we starve our society of all that makes us civilized. Pete Vere, JCL Catholic Author and Canonist Matt Abbott Catholic Social and Political Commentator John Pacheco Catholic Author and Activist Michael Trueman, JCL, MDiv Catholic Author and Canonist Shawn Tribe Catholic Author and Social Commentator Aiden Reid Canadian Pro-Life Political Lobbyist I. Shawn McElhinney Catholic Social and Political Commentator Paul Tuns Editor, the Interim Newspaper John-Henry Westen Editor, LifeSiteNews.com © Copyright 2005 Catholic Exchange Pete Vere is a doctoral student with the Faculty of Canon Law at Saint Paul University. He recently co-authored Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions Catholics Ask About Canon Law (Servant Books) with Michael Trueman and More Catholic Than the Pope (Our Sunday Visitor) with Patrick Madrid. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Ottawa, Canada.

Schiavo effectively being executed, Vatican newspaper says

Schiavo effectively being executed, Vatican newspaper says
Vatican, Mar. 23 (CWNews.com)

Vatican, Mar. 23 (CWNews.com) - The official Vatican newspaper has again decried an American court decision refusing food and water to Terri Schiavo.

The disabled Florida woman is being punished for "the crime of being useless," L'Osservatore Romano observed in its March 23 edition. The newspaper said that federal Judge James Whittemore, who had denied an appeal by Schiavo's parents to reinsert her feeding tube, had declared that the woman's life was not worth living because she could not function normally.

(Judge Whittemore's verdict was upheld on March 23 by a federal appeals court. That court decision came after the appearance of the L'Osservatore article. ) The imminent death of Terri Schiavo is tantamount to a legal execution, the Vatican newspaper observed. Ironically, the decision to cut off her food and water, beginning on March 18, came just as the US bishops' conference announced a new effort to end the use of the death penalty in America.

"But Terri has not committed any crime, except the crime of being useless in the eyes of a society that is incapable of appreciating and defending the right to life," L'Osservatore concluded.

In a separate statement, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, said that removal of a feeding tube is "real and genuine assassination." Speaking to the Italian daily Avvenire , the Cardinal said that the decision to deny food and water to Schiavo was "against the commandment, 'Thou Shalt Not Kill.'" Calling for a "collective mobilization" to save Terri Schiavo's life, he said that the American public should not allow judges to make a decision to end a life--"a right that only belongs to God."

© Copyright 2005 Domus Enterprises. All rights reserved.

From Fr Frank Pavone's Newsletter

Terri Schiavo

[Note: By the time this newsletter goes to print, we do not
know what Terri Schiavo's situation will be. Whatever it is,
however,her life provides a critical test for society -- a
test we cannot afford to fail.]

She is not dying. She is not in a coma. She is not alone, but
rather has loving parents and siblings ready to care for her
or the rest of her life. 
She has not requested death.

Yet a battle rages regarding whether Terri Schiavo should be
starved. She has sustained brain injuries and cannot speak or
eat normally. Nevertheless, the only tube attached to her is
a small, simple, painless feeding tube that provides her
nourishment directly to her digestive system.

Her legal guardian is her husband, who already has another
woman -- by whom he also has children. He wants Terri's
feeding tube removed. Of course, he could simply allow her to
be cared for by her parents and siblings, and get on with his
life, but he refuses.

On February 6, Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests
for Life, visited Terri Schiavo for the second time, spoke with
her and prayed with her. He found her "wide awake, alert, aware,
and responsive." At various times in the visit she tried to
vocalize responses, but otherwise communicated with her eyes
and her smile, and by returning the kisses of her parents.

Terri is not dying. This is not a matter of "letting her go,"
because she isn't "going" anywhere. If, however, she is deprived
of nourishment, then she would slowly die in the same way that
any of us would slowly die if we were deprived of nourishment. 
It is called starvation.

If the courts permit that to happen, then why should that
permission apply only in Terri's case? And where does the
state get the authority to starve people?

For more information on this crucial case, visit our website,
www.priestsforlife.org.
If you want educational cards on Terri's
situation, contact our orders department at
orders@priestsforlife.org,
or by calling
888-PFL-3448, ext. 237,
or by writing
Orders Department, Priests for Life,
PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314.

Schiavo Case Stirs Blog Storm

Schiavo Case Stirs Blog Storm
Wednesday, March 23, 2005

In cyberspace, where anybody who cares to listen can hear you scream, the question of whether Terri Schiavo (search) should live or die has spawned an endless shouting match.

People who are passionate about maintaining Schiavo's life support have set up dozens of Internet sites, and the authors of Web logs dedicated to law, religion, ethics and politics are dissecting every aspect the case.

Blogs themselves are nothing new — the contemporary equivalent of letters to the editor or debates around the office water cooler. But cases like Schiavo's evoke the broadest range of public commentary on the Internet (search).

Some bloggers have a related agenda, such as support for the rights of the disabled or opposition to euthanasia (search). But many more simply want their voices heard in the public realm.

"Terri's situation is important, not only because of her precious life," writes Dory Zinkand, who identifies herself as "a 40-something wife and mother," on her blog, Wittenberg Gate. "The truth is, many people are killed because someone decides their life would not be worth living."

On JollyBlogger (search), maintained by Maryland minister David Wayne, a correspondent who calls himself "Public Theologian" presents a strictly pragmatic view:
"The overwhelming evidence is that she is not going to get any better. This business about her communicating verbally is bunk — her physicians have testified repeatedly that this is not the case. If she could do this there would be no question in the matter — the courts would simply ask her what she wanted. Her husband has the right, as next of kin, to make her health care decisions for her. Tampering with this right by conservatives will undo centuries of legal precedent by taking that out of the hands of families ..."

Some blogs repeat unproven accusations that Michael Schiavo may have caused the injury that put his wife in a vegetative state. Other posts speculate that both sides have financial motives. There is a distinct mistrust of authority in the Schiavo blogosphere.

A blog called "Attempted Murder" is dedicated to "exposing the lies of the media, judges and elected officials who are attempting to cover up the attempted murder of Terri Schiavo."
Meanwhile, the proprietors of "blawgs," so labeled for their legal themes, offer an attorney's viewpoint.

"Trials like this, where someone's life may literally be on the line, are held every day," Florida attorney Matt Conigliaro wrote on his site, Abstract Appeal. Schiavo's husband and the parents made their best case, and the courts determined "the evidence was clear and convincing that Terri would choose not to continue living by the affirmative intervention of modern medicine."
While attorney bloggers generally expect that the trial court decision's to remove her feeding tube will stand, a majority of blog commentators express outrage that society would allow a person to die when medical technology is available to sustain her life.

That puts them at odds with public opinion surveys conducted over the weekend, which found a majority of Americans opposed federal intervention in the Schiavo case — but, of course, bloggers have a take on that, too.

"Polls by so-called 'polling experts' are almost always biased. I have never and will never participate in such a poll," Rick Allen writes on BlogsforTerri.

Breaking News Appeal again turned down;Gov Bush spoke

Will post more when I get it from Fox News, but on the TV right now, they have made the announcement shortly after Gov Bush began to speak that the Appeals Court has refused to hear the case in front of the entire panel of 12. But Gov Bush has said that another MD has examined the records and has said that TERRI IS MISDIAGNOSED.

He is calling on the Florida congressional branch to pass the legislation currently being debated, and more will be forthcoming....

Dr Hammesfahr's Recommendations from September 12, 2002

Impression:

The patient is not in coma.
She is alert and responsive to her environment. She responds to specific
people best. She tries to please others by doing activities for which she gets verbal
praise. She responds negatively to poor tone of voice. She responds to music.
She differentiates sounds from voices.
She differentiates specific people's voices from others.
She differentiates music from stray sound.
She attempts to verbalize.
She has voluntary control over multiple extremities
She can swallow.
She is partially blind
She is probably aphasic and has a degree of receptive aphasia.
She can feel pain.

On this last point, it is interesting to observe that the records from Hospice
show frequent medication administered for pain by staff.


With respect to specifics and specific recommendations in order to carry out
the instructions of the Second District Court of Appeal:

From a neurological standpoint: The patient appears to be partially blind.
She needs a full opthamological evaluation and visual evoked potentials done to
flash and checkerboard patters. The opthamological examination is to evaluate her
retina and her ophthalmic nerve to try to determine the cause of her visual
limitations and if any treatment exists. The evoked potentials looks at the nerve
between the eye and the visual centers in the brain, to see if there is treatable
damage and the type of damage, if any in these areas. This is important, as for
individuals to interact with her, and possibly teach her better ways of
communicating with others, they must know what sort of limitations she has. This
even extends to whether she can see people or objects in specific areas of her
vision, and what size objects need to be to be accurately seen. Additionally, if one
were to properly examine her, it would help if one knew the full extent of these test
results.

Communication: She can communicate. She needs a Speech Therapist,
Speech Pathologist, and a communications expert to evaluate how to best
communicate with her and to allow her to communicate and for others to
communicate with her. Also, a treatment plan for how to develop better
communication needs to be done.

Rehabilitation Medicine: The patient has severe contractures. She needs a
specialist to evaluate these and develop a treatment plan.

Endocrine: The patient has clinical evidence of an abnormally functioning
endocrine system. Her blood pressure is abnormally low. Many patients with
severe neurological injury have low blood pressure due to an abnormally
functioning endocrine system. The reason for this should be determined and
corrected, as with a more normal blood pressure, she is likely to have even better
neurological functioning. She has facial acne consistent with hormonal
abnormalities.

ENT: The patient can clearly swallow, and is able to swallow approximately
2 liters of water per day (the daily amount of saliva generated). Water is one of the
most difficult things for people to swallow. It is unlikely that she currently needs
the feeding tube. She should be evaluated by an Ear Nose and Throat specialist,
and have a new swallowing exam.

Mammography needs to be performed.

Spinal Exam: The patient's exam from a spinal perspective is abnormal.
The degree of limitation of range of motion, and of spasms in her neck, is consistent
with a neck injury. The abnormal sensory exam, that shows evidence of her
hypoxic encephalopathic strokes (right side sensory responses are different from
left) also suggests a spinal cord injury at around the level of C4. Her physical exam
and videotapes also suggest a spinal cord injury is also present, as she has much
better control over he face, head, and neck, than over her arms and legs. This
reminds one of a person with a spinal cord injury who has good facial control, but
poor use of arms and legs. It is possible that a correctable spinal abnormality such
as a herniated disk may be found that could be treated and result in better
neurological functioning. This should be looked for, as may be treatable. Thus,
there may be an injured disk or spinal cord; the disk injury is more treatable, the
spinal cord injury, if present without a disk injury, may be more difficult to treat. A
person with a spinal cord injury and hypoxic encephalopathy will need different
treatment and rehab recommendations than one who just has a hypoxic
encephalopathic.

Interestingly, I have seen this pattern of mixed brain (cerebral) and spinal cord
findings in a patient once before, a patient who was asphyxiated.

A urological consultation should be obtained: I disagree with Dr.
Gambone's view that the patient's bacteria in the urine may be ignored. In my
experience, colonization of the bladder can very distinctly affect the patient's
neurological status and affect their rehabilitation. The patient needs a urological
consultation both to examine the bladder issue, resolve if there are possibly
colonized and kidney stones (that may be the source of recurring bladder
infections). Also, one significant mechanism of diagnosing and finding and
diagnosing spinal cord injuries is through sophisticated bladder EMG and other
testing. This should be done.

The neurosurgeon who placed the implant should be contacted for
recommendations.

A neurological examination can only be carried out in the context of a complete
understanding of the patient's physiology, including current blood tests. Thus the
tests that Dr. Gambone did months ago, before we had access to the patient, should
immediately be repeated.


EEG: I have reviewed the EEG recently obtained. The EEG has large
amounts of artifact. The technician's attempted to remove artifact by filtering.
Unfortunately, filtering also affects and reduces evident brain electronic activity.
This EEG is not adequate and should be repeated. It should be repeated at the
patient's bedside, with the patient in a non-agitated state.

SPECT scan: A SPECT scan prior to and after several days of Hyperbaric
Trial should be obtained. Such a Hyperbaric Oxygen trial does not constitute
treatment, as the length of time of such hyperbaric is inadequate to render any
treatment. However, it is a useful technique to assess the likelihood of
improvement using hyperbaric oxygen. I would defer to Dr. Maxfield on the
specifics of testing, but believe that it is generally accepted by those in the field who
have experience with hyperbaric treatment, that Dr. Maxfield's recommendations in
this area are accurate.

____________________________
William M. Hammesfahr, M.D.

Public letter to Judge on Fox News

I sat here listening this morning, and I had confirmed what I had suspected. One 'expert' on today's program knows NOTHING about the background of the Terri Schiavo case, yet gives expert comments constantly about it.

Judge, please go to the family website and READ the affidavits there!! The ones that no one seems to pay any attention to, from nurses like Carla Sauer Iyer (filed in Sept of 2003) and caretakers of Terri, from former girl friend of Michael's, etc. Allegations of MISSING documentations from her chart were made. People have been fired for standing up for Terri.

People LISTEN to you and to other 'experts' and do NOT check things out for themselves. How can you give any opinion when you do not know the facts?

Mancow knows more than you do. Judge Greer has made decisions that have errors in them. He made his decision that Terri wanted to die based on his erroneous thinking that Karen Anne Quinlan died when taken off the respirator, so therefore, the friend of Terri who testified that TERRI said 'Where there is life there is hope" and would not want to have her food and water stopped was wrong and could not have taken place. This, if in Criminal court would be an error that would mean a new trial possibly.

Read them, Judge. Terri deserves the SAME treatment as any criminal condemned to death.

There ARE reasons for things to be investigated DEEPLY.

These affidavits can be found on the http://www.terrisfight.net/ website UNDER the court documents on the left column then at the end of the list on the RIGHT side of that webpage, the four former caregivers.

TERRI IS NOT IN A PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE!!!!! NOT!


AFFIDAVIT

STATE OF FLORIDA )
COUNTY OF PINELLAS )

BEFORE ME the undersigned authority personally appeared CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N., who being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
1. My name is Carla Sauer Iyer. I am over the age of eighteen and make this statement of my own personal knowledge.
2. I am a registered nurse in the State of Florida, having been licensed continuously in Florida from 1997 to the present. Prior to that I was a Licensed Practical Nurse for about four years.
3. I was employed at Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center in Largo, Florida from April of 1995 to July 1996, while Terri Schiavo was a patient there.
4. It was clear to me at Palm Gardens that all decisions regarding Terri Schiavo were made by Michael Schiavo, with no allowance made for any discussion, debate or normal professional judgment. My initial training there consisted solely of the instruction “Do what Michael Schiavo tells you or you will be terminated.” This struck me as extremely odd.
5. I was very disturbed by the decision making protocol, as no allowance whatsoever was made for professional responsibility. The atmosphere throughout the facility was dominated by Mr. Schiavo’s intimidation. Everyone there, with the exception of several people who seemed to be close to Michael, was intimidated by him. Michael Schiavo always had an overbearing attitude, yelling numerous times such things as “This is my order and you’re going to follow it.” He is very large and uses menacing body language, such as standing too close to you, getting right in your face and practically shouting.
6. To the best of my recollection, rehabilitation had been ordered for Terri, but I never saw any being done or had any reason at all to believe that there was ever any rehab of Terri done at Palm Gardens while I was there. I became concerned because nothing was being done for Terri at all, no antibiotics, no tests, no range of motion therapy, no stimulation, no nothing. Michael said again and again that Terri should NOT get any rehab, that there should be no range of motion whatsoever, or anything else. I and a CNA named Roxy would give Terri range of motion anyway. One time I put a wash cloth in Terri’s hand to keep her fingers from curling together, and Michael saw it and made me take it out, saying that was therapy.
7. Terri’s medical condition was systematically distorted and misrepresented. When I worked with her, she was alert and oriented. Terri spoke on a regular basis while in my presence, saying such things as “mommy,” and “help me.” “Help me” was, in fact, one of her most frequent utterances. I heard her say it hundreds of times. Terri would try to say the word “pain” when she was in discomfort, but it came out more like “pay.” She didn’t say the “n” sound very well. During her menses she would indicate her discomfort by saying “pay” and moving her arms toward her lower abdominal area. Other ways that she would indicate that she was in pain included pursing her lips, grimacing, thrashing in bed, curling her toes or moving her legs around. She would let you know when she had a bowel movement by flipping up the covers and pulling on her diaper.
8. When I came into her room and said “Hi, Terri”, she would always recognize my voice and her name, and would turn her head all the way toward me, saying “Haaaiiiii” sort of, as she did. I recognized this as a “hi”, which is very close to what it sounded like, the whole sound being only a second or two long. When I told her humorous stories about my life or something I read in the paper, Terri would chuckle, sometimes more a giggle or laugh. She would move her whole body, upper and lower. Her legs would sometimes be off the bed, and need to be repositioned. I made numerous entries into the nursing notes in her chart, stating verbatim what she said and her various behaviors, but by my next on-duty shift, the notes would be deleted from her chart. Every time I made a positive entry about any responsiveness of Terri’s, someone would remove it after my shift ended. Michael always demanded to see her chart as soon as he arrived, and would take it in her room with him. I documented Terri’s rehab potential well, writing whole pages about Terri’s responsiveness, but they would always be deleted by the next time I saw her chart. The reason I wrote so much was that everybody else seemed to be afraid to make positive entries for fear of their jobs, but I felt very strongly that a nurses job was to accurately record everything we see and hear that bears on a patients condition and their family. I upheld the Nurses Practice Act, and if it cost me my job, I was willing to accept that.
9. Throughout my time at Palm Gardens, Michael Schiavo was focused on Terri’s death. Michael would say “When is she going to die?,” “Has she died yet?” and “When is that bitch gonna die?” These statements were common knowledge at Palm Gardens, as he would make them casually in passing, without regard even for who he was talking to, as long as it was a staff member. Other statements which I recall him making include “Can’t you do anything to accelerate her death - won’t she ever die?” When she wouldn’t die, Michael would be furious. Michael was also adamant that the family should not be given information. He made numerous statements such as “Make sure the parents aren’t contacted.” I recorded Michael’s statements word for word in Terri’s chart, but these entries were also deleted after the end of my shift. Standing orders were that the family wasn’t to be contacted, in fact, there was a large sign in the front of her chart that said under no circumstances was her family to be called, call Michael immediately, but I would call them, anyway, because I thought they should know about their daughter.
10. Any time Terri would be sick, like with a UTI or fluid buildup in her lungs, colds, pneumonia, Michael would be visibly excited, thrilled even, hoping that she would die. He would call me, as I was the nurse supervisor on the floor, and ask for every little detail about her temperature, blood pressure, etc., and would call back frequently asking if she was dead yet. He would blurt out “I’m going to be rich!,” and would talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died, which included a new car, a new boat, and going to Europe, among other things.
11. When Michael visited Terri, he always came alone and always had the door closed and locked while he was with Terri. He would typically be there about twenty minutes or so. When he left Terri would would be trembling, crying hysterically, and would be very pale and have cold sweats. It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I’d check her blood sugar. The glucometer reading would be so low it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading. I would put dextrose in Terri’s mouth to counteract it. This happened about five times on my shift as I recall. Normally Terri’s blood sugar levels were very stable due to the uniformity of her diet through tube feeding. It is my belief that Michael injected Terri with Regular insulin, which is very fast acting.
12. The longer I was employed at Palm Gardens the more concerned I became about patient care, both relating to Terri Schiavo, for the reasons I’ve said, and other patients, too. There was an LPN named Carolyn Adams, known as “Andy” Adams who was a particular concern. An unusual number of patients seemed to die on her shift, but she was completely unconcerned, making statements such as “They are old - let them die.” I couldn’t believe her attitude or the fact that it didn’t seem to attract any attention. She made many comments about Terri being a waste of money, that she should die. She said it was costing Michael a lot of money to keep her alive, and that he complained about it constantly (I heard him complain about it all the time, too.) Both Michael and Adams said that she would be worth more to him if she were dead. I ultimately called the police relative to this situation, and was terminated the next day. Other reasons were cited, but I was convinced it was because of my “rocking the boat.”
13. Ms. Adams was one of the people who did not seem to be intimidated by Michael. In fact, they seemed to be very close, and Adams would do whatever Michael told her. Michael sometimes called Adams at night and spoke at length. I was not able to hear the content of these phone calls, but I knew it was him talking to her because she would tell me afterward and relay orders from him.
14. While at Palm Gardens, I became fearful for my personal safety. This was due to Michael’s constant intimidation, including his menacing body language, vocal tone and mannerisms.
15. I have contacted the Schindler family because I just couldn’t stand by and let Terri die without the truth being known.
FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.


CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N.

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this _____ day of September, 2003, by CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N., who produced her Florida driver’s license as identification, and who did / did not take an oath.



Notary Public
My commission expires:

More on Terri

Too long to put here in my blog site, but articles that need to be read regardless:


JUDGE WHITTEMORE'S REPREHENSIBLE REFUSAL TO STAY TERRI SCHIAVO'S EXECUTION
By Michael J. Gaynor

Reinsertion of Schiavo Feeding Tube Denied
By MARK LONG
Associated Press Writer

The Conference in New York I attended this past weekend

WONDERFUL!
I have finally unpacked, after being gone to New York for a conference, but I went specifically to get my schedule and to have it handy to remember as I typed this.

The speaker that 'touched' me the most was Roy Shoeman in both of his talks, The Election of the Jews and The Jews and the Second Coming. He sees what I've seen, but he sees it from the perspective of a Jewish Catholic, and he named the demonic forces involved in the warfare going on in Florida surrounding Terri, and all of us (and obviously, through out the world).

I have his book "Salvation is from the Jews", had skimmed it and put it in the 'to read soon' pile that is continually growing here in my home (oh, I tried to tell my kids that I NEED the bookshelves more than a couch... they did not buy it, big sigh, so the couch, etc will come in six weeks, and the books will stay in the boxes .... ) But his book is now on top, and will be read next. He had too much to say to try to put it into capsule form, but shared his conversion story, and a very moving prayer that he askedthat we say for his mother, father and the families of all Jews who enter the Church. As he read it, the words again came from his heart.
That prayer was written by Fr Hermann Cohen, O. C. D.

Fr Joseph Koterski's talks on The Old Covenant; The New Covenant, and The Mystery and Theology of Suffering will be listened to again when my set of tapes from the conference gets here. I think that in order to fully understand his talks I will have to listen again to gain more insight into them. I did not take notes, because I KNEW Iwould be getting the tapes, and wanted to listen while there.

Mark Drogin's talk... on Sat... 'We need Joseph' could be the title. And as one who ended up raising my three essentially alone from ages barely seven years old to ten months old... I can attest... we NEED JOSEPH.
Jesus was not raised by a single mother, an unwed mother. He was raised by a married couple, and Joseph DID have an influence there. Mark's talk was titled on the schedule as being Israel's True Identity andVocation. (He added some words, but I cannot recall them) He talked about Abraham being willing to offer Israel to God in obedience (something that I am not sure I could do...). His reference to Joseph was specially poignant to me.

Ronda Chervin.... such a special woman. I have LITTLE contact with anyone as well educated or published as she is, but she is so sweet, so human,so caring, so honest in her talks. She came from a totally atheistic background, so did not even have her 'Jewish' roots to fall back on in her search for Truth. She learned, as many have, that Truth is a Person.

I am also in awe of Alice von Hildebrand, and she can be very humorous as WELL as direct. I wish that I had an opportunity to speak to her, but she was surrounded by those who did know her. She is also a special person, and I have heard her on EWTN.

David Moss...and Ariela LeGendre.... SUCH a treat to meet them and to hear them speak of so many of the things that they have shared over the years in a forum I met them on since it was begun by David.

Mentioned also by David was how simple things are happening to plant seeds for eventual conversion over in Israel, and I loved this, tremendously! All over Israel as young and old take tours of historical places and learn the story, as they serve as taxi drivers, tour directors, even souvenier salespersons.... they have to know the story of Jesus to tell those of us who go there on pilgrimage, tours, etc...wow, when those seeds take ROOT the explosion will be immense!

Then there are those who were NOT on the program that I met... Janet... a wonderfully funny, down to earth (just as she sounds on her blog!) Athol, (actually not the way I had pictured him to be...grin... was thinking more a 'hermity' look there..) is a warm and interesting person I enjoyed meeting immensely. He will be in Mitch igan (michigan) with David and Kathleen Moss for awhile, then it will be fun to hear his views of our nation as he goes elsewhere til May whenhe returns to Australia.... and James ... also a big 'bear' of a guy with a heart... lol able to talk with anyone there. I often just listened in like a little fly on the wall.

Others, Laureen, Lillian... did not have a chance to talk much to them, but was SO neat to put faces with names! Nona.... what a woman.... did such a good job of putting this together and the food that (oh, man... sorry, I can SEE her, but I can't remember her name... HELP... LouAnn??) And I loved meeting our little priest from Canada whose last name I cannot spell.... lol) If I missed ANYONE... I am sorry.

I loved being there. I see a movement of the Holy Spirit that is NOT GOING TO STOP, but is going to grow beyond exponentially.

January 27-29, 2006, the next Conference will be held in Jacksonville Florida, at St Joseph Church. Its title is A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS
They are hoping for five hundred. I feel in my heart it may be more, as the speakers that will be there already also have their own following:

Fr Mitch Pacwa
Fr Peter Sabbath
Rosalind Moss
Roy Shoeman
Ariela LeGendre
Judith Cabaud (I believe from Canada..and one of her books is on the AHC website)
David Moss
Mark Drogin

So... reserve January 27-29, 2006 for "A Light to the Nations".

"NEXT YEAR IN JACKSONVILLE" (SOME day in JERUSALEM!)

More will be posted as plans are published.