Quote:
Originally posted by Gattigap
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The circus is coming to Florida.
- Former Green Beret Commander Bo Gritz is trying to conduct a citizen's arrest of Terri Schiavo's husband and the judge who ordered the brain-damaged Florida woman's feeding tube removed so she can be legally starved.
The 66-year-old retired Army Lt. Colonel with his wife, Judy, arrived in Florida from their home in Nevada yesterday with the intent of arresting anyone involved in removing the life-sustaining tube.
Gritz came bearing a notarized "citizen's arrest warrant" addressed to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Attorney General Charlie Crist.
His intent is to "paper" state and federal law enforcement offices with his warrant today – one day before Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer's deadline to begin denial of food and water to Terri Schiavo.
Nice. I almost hope this guy decides to take the law into his own hands and apprehends Schiavo, or a nurse, or a judge. It'll give us something to watch besides the Jackson trial.
- Citing his officer's oath of allegiance to "defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic," Gritz says while he doesn't know Terri Schiavo personally, she nevertheless represents an American in danger of citizen-rights abuse, and he feels an obligation to act while she remains alive.
There are no similar cases between Nevada and Florida, with citizens whose rights are endangered? Odd, that.
- Besides a "Terri Bill" under consideration in the U.S. Congress, the Florida Legislature votes tomorrow on a modified measure to keep Schiavo's life support in place. A previous Florida bill allowing Gov. Bush to intervene was ruled unconstitutional.
This part I don't get. Why is this case different than any other number of similar cases around the country where relatives want to end life support for patients in a vegetative state? I mean, having the opportunity to be arrested by Rambo must be something special.
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Two days ago,
Texas Children's Hospital in Houston removed a baby from life support contrary to the mom's wishes. The baby was born with a type of dwarfism where his lungs and heart weren't going to grow, and he was on artificial breathing for six months. According to the hospital, his death was only a matter of time, and there was nothing anyone could do for him. Everything was done in accordance with Texas law (finding that treatment is inappropriate by a physician, careful review and agreement by the facility ethics committee), and the mom had ten days to find alternate care for him. Apparently she contacted 40 neonatal units and no one would take him.
The case brought a lot of attention to local media, but I didn't really see any national coverage, which sort of surprised me in light of the Shavio case. Poor baby.
ETA: I always find an interesting dichotomy between the right-to-life and right-to-healthcare. No one ever talks about how much it costs to keep the life support systems going, and yet losing the cuts on Medicaid was a major hit to the Republicans today.
