#19505: — 03/23  at  08:14 AM
Last night on talk radio, I listened to a nurse who had cared for Terri Schiavo who has made a sworn statement that Michael Schiavo kept asking, "When is the bitch going to die?" Does that sound like a loving husband to you? He is the ONLY person who stands to gain by Terri's death - by receiving money from her life insurance. He also told this nurse about all the ways he was going to spend the insurance money, if only Terri would go ahead and die. He has already broken his marriage vows to love Terri in sickness and in health by fathering two children with another woman. Why would he not divorce Terri and let her parents, who love her, assume responsibility for her care? Why would he refuse $1 million from a California businessman to turn Terri's care over to her parents? Because if Terri dies, Michael gets the insurance money, free and clear. But if he takes the $1 million and turns Terri's care over to her parents, who would see to it that she gets therapy, there is a slight chance Terri might recover enough to tell the world what really happened to her. The interviewed nurse told about how Michael would lock himself up with Terri and later the nurse would find bruises in Terri's armpits and groin and under her breasts. The nurse said she suspected Terri had received injections in these locations, and that it might have been insulin. Doesn't this strike anyone as the least bit suspicious? This nurse said she went to the police and they asked her if she actually witnessed Michael Schiavo injecting his wife with anything, and the nurse had to answer "no." Thirty-three (33)doctors have said there is a possibility that Terry could be rehabilitated to a degree. Did you know that she was actually walking and learning to feed herself at one point, but Michael Schiavo discontinued her therapy? He did not want her to get better. Let's face it folks, the law is assisting a man in getting rid of his helpless wife, and it seems he is going to get away with this crime and get some money out of it to boot. I find it very pathetic that our courts will not intercede and protect the rights and the life of a helpless woman who cannot speak for herself. Too many people are calling this woman a vegetable. I have watched her on video, and she does not appear to be a vegetable to me. You all better pray you never wind up in Terri's condition, because this could happen to you, too.

#19507: PZ Myers — 03/23  at  08:52 AM
This slandering nurse is a fraud.

Your claims are ridiculous and false.

I think that one thing that thoroughly discredits the Schindler's case is the way people are swallowing these outright lies so readily.

#19508: Chris Clarke — 03/23  at  09:02 AM
I'm finding a fair amount of hope in the fact that a significant majority of Americans seem to be thinking more critically about this than the lunatic talk-radio parroting above would seem to imply. I think Delay done went and stumbled onto a wedge issue to peel regular folks away from the Talibaptists.

In other words, I find it useful to watch who's swallowing the lies. It's a diagnostic. People like Radford above are probably beyond help, but there seems still to be hope for most of us.

#19512: — 03/23  at  10:01 AM
Kathleen Radford, you are seriously misinformed.

Everything you heard on the radio and repeated in your posting was false, with most of it a flat out lie, pushed by those whose beliefs are more important than the facts. Your repeating them compounds the lies. Let me give you a little guidance:

To wit the nurse you heard on the radio was Carla Sauer Iyer, who in 2003, seven years after she had cared for Terri Schiavo, submitted an affidavit to the court loaded with inflammatory accusations against Michael Schiavo. Judge George W. Greer, the Florida circuit judge (incidentally he’s a Republican Baptist who had to resign from his long time family church because of harassment by his fellow parishioners) who has presided over the Schiavo case, dismissed Iyer's allegations as "incredible" and noted in a September 17, 2003, order that not even Terri Schiavo's parents sought her testimony in the case. He further noted that "…neither in the testimony nor in the medical records is there support for these affidavits as they purport to detail activities and responses of Terri Schiavo."

In his decision Judge Greer wrote

The remaining affidavits [including one from anther nurse, Heidi Law] deal exclusively with events which allegedly occurred in the 1995-1997 time frame. The court feels constrained to discuss them. They are incredible to say the least. Ms. Iyer details what amounts to a 15-month cover-up which would include the staff of Palm Garden of Lago Convalescent Center, the Guardian of the Person, the Guardian ad Litem, the medical professionals, the police and, believe it or not, Mr. and Mrs. Schindler. Her affidavit clearly states that she would "call them (Mr. and Mrs. Schindler) anyway because I thought they should know about their daughter." The affidavit of Ms. Law speaks of Terri responding on a constant basis. Neither in the testimony nor in the medical records is there support for these affidavits as they purport to detail activities and responses of Terri Schiavo. It is impossible to believe that Mr. and Mrs. Schindler would not have subpoenaed Ms. Iyer for the January 2000 evidentiary hearing had she contacted them as her affidavit alleges.

Judge Greer’s determination of Iyer’s veracity is almost certainly accurate.

Furthermore, you should read a detailed chronology of the case and the voluminous court decisions and briefs on the case. For that go to Abstract Appeal. You will find that far more informative than a political radio show that specializes in misinformation and propaganda.

And, if you’d like to know who the real villains in this public tragedy are ,visit the web site of The American Journal of Bioethics where you can find a run down of the multimillion dollar campaign by right wing ideologues to break Michael Schiavo, a lone individual trying to do right by his wife.

And for a briefer but informed discussion of the facts concerning Terri Schiavo go to Majikthise.

Or go to Respectful of Others a website run by a clinical psychologist for an analysis of assorted medical opinions offered by the Schindlers in their court filings. Especially read his entry Friday, March 18th Terry Schiavo, Part I: The Medical Post."

Ms. Radford, read all those references and you may come to a decidedly different conclusion, provided you’re open minded and not an ideologue like the political forces who are trying to score political points at the expense of all concerned. It would also behoove you to be skeptical when listening to right wing pundits on the air and do a little digging before opining on a situation about which you know precious little.

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