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

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - After losing two consecutive appeals in federal court, Terri Schiavo’s parents vowed Wednesday to take their fight to the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) as their severely brain-damaged daughter began her fifth full day without the feeding tube that has kept her alive for more than a decade.

In a 2-1 ruling early Wednesday, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the parents “failed to demonstrate a substantial case on the merits of any of their claims” that Terri’s feeding tube should be reinserted immediately.

“There is no denying the absolute tragedy that has befallen Mrs. Schiavo,” the ruling said. “We all have our own family, our own loved ones, and our own children. However, we are called upon to make a collective, objective decision concerning a question of law.”

There’s nothing I can say about this that I haven’t already said.

Congratulations go to Michael Schiavo for making this all possible. Now you can shack up comfortably with your common-law wife and kids.

Now pay attention all you constitutional purist idiots who think that this is merely some legal issue like the right to marry your gay lover or some far-right obsession that amounts to religious advocacy. Pay attention to how incredibly quickly he wants the body cremated. I know. Those were her wishes, also. I mean, we know what she wanted in case she was incapacitated and she never wrote that, so I’m sure we can just read the mind we all claim she can’t use again and figure out how she’d like to be buried.

Just ponder, for a moment, the strong christian faith of her family and ask yourself, if you have the intelligence, if cremation makes sense coming from a devoutly christian family. Of course, some of you will just dismiss this, some of you will roll your eyes, and some will brag about how you’ve had a living will since you were 23 and how damned tootin’ smart you are for doing so as if it has any impact on this case.

Some of you are going to bring up where you work, who you work for and all the people you’ve seen die

A few of you are going to call it a witch hunt and make vulgar references to God, Jesus and the like.

But for all the brilliance coming out of the “let the bitch die” crowd, I’ve yet to see one thing, and that’s proof that she wanted to die.

If there were proof I’d drop this case like a hot potato and it wouldn’t be an issue. I’m not automatically anti-right-to-die. I actually think Kevorkian does good work. Someone should be there to help you end your life humanely if you wish. However, Terri made no such request. It doesn’t matter if you have had a living will since you were 23, if you’ve seen all those people die in front of you, or if you think it’s a witch hunt because in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that we know nothing of Terri’s wishes, except for what her husband who, on Friday, admitted that he had no idea what she wanted even after pursuing the case for all these years and refusing treatment for her in the critical hours after her collapse. On no proof and contradicted hearsay, we’ve committed Terri to die in one of the most inhumane ways possible.

Good job.

You won.

Feel better?

Choose life.