Just When You Think You've Heard Everything...

Just before the November 9 gubernatorial election in Virginia, I mentioned in this space that Michael Schiavo had endorsed the Democratic candidate, Tim Kaine, over the Republican Jerry Kilgore. Schiavo is the husband of the late Terri Schindler-Schiavo, a man who succeeded after years of trying to have his wife's feeding tube removed. Terri died March 31, after nearly 14 days without food or fluids.

According to the November 3 Associated Press story that accompanied Schiavo's involvement, Schiavo "based his endorsement on responses from Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore during their Oct. 9 televised debate when asked if governors should intervene in disputes within families over discontinuing life support for a loved one." I suspected at the time that we had not heard the last of Michael Schiavo.

And sure enough, this week he announced the formation of a political action committee. Employing the services of something called The November Group (a self-described "full-service progressive campaign management, political consulting and project coordination company"), he named his new organization "TerriPAC," "after his wife."

What is the PAC going to do? "It will raise and spend funds to educate voters on where their elected officials stood when they had a choice between individual freedom and personal privacy and overreaching government action," according to www.terripac.org. "TerriPAC is a federal political action committee and will be able to endorse or oppose candidates for federal office – including members of Congress."

Speaking in the third person, he wrote the following:

"The easiest thing would be to move on and let the headlines fade," Schiavo said. "But my experience with our political leaders has opened my eyes to just how easily the private wishes of normal Americans like me and Terri can be cast aside in the destructive game of political pandering. The best way to hold them accountable is to make sure voters know where the candidates stand when they come looking for votes next November."

What to say? Well, there were thousands and thousands of people--led by Terri's parents, her brother, and her sister--who tried ceaselessly to save a helpless, severely brain-injured woman from a grotesque death. They thought of themselves as "normal people." But they lost. Terri lost. Our nation lost.

If you believe Mr. Schiavo, the courageous bi-partisan efforts in Congress to find a way for her parents to intervene in the federal courts was nothing but an exercise in "shameless exploitation." In Mr. Schiavo's words, the frantic, eleventh hour campaign to save Terri meant that "Those politicians [had] lost a basic respect for marriage, family and personal privacy."

Lest we forget, the other key actor in the long, long battle over Terri was Pinellas County Probate Court Judge George W. Greer. Without Greer's utter determination (and stream of one-siding rulings) to thwart all efforts--whether by the family, the state legislature, the governor, or Congress--Terri might well be still alive.

As it happens, Greer will be recognized tonight by the Pinellas County [Florida] chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He'll receive the Gardner W. Beckett Civil Liberties Award at the group's "Bill of Rights Banquet." It's one of those birds-of-a-feather, mutual pats-on-the-back situations. The ACLU worked overtime to facilitation the starvation and dehydration of Terri.

What to say about this? Actually, the web page of the Pinellas County chapter says it all in just two statements.

l. "The Pinellas County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union confers this honor upon individuals who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to basic civil liberties, principles, and values inherent in the Bill of Rights. In the footsteps of Gardner Beckett, these recipients exemplify an unflinching commitment to the defense of our constitution and its guarantees of equal protection, due process, and simple justice."

And who could doubt that in dehydrating Terri to death, Greer demonstrated "an unflinching commitment to the defense of our constitution and its guarantees of equal protection, due process, and simple justice"? Certainly no "normal people."

2. The menu. We learn that the honoree and attendees will dine on "Baked Salmon in a dill sauce, or Chicken Basilica, (The above is accompanied by Red Bliss potatoes, Stir-fried vegetables)" or "a Vegetarian Platter." All come with rolls and butter. And there's plenty of "Iced tea, fresh-brewed coffee, decaf." to go with the scrumptious dessert of Carrot Cake.

No doubt it would be an egregious breach of etiquette (especially at a dinner!) to politely remind these distinguished defenders of liberty about cracked sin, nosebleeds, and heaving and vomiting which are characteristics of someone being started and dehydrated to death.

What a delicious irony, no doubt lost on those who will dine tonight. A gourmet meal to honor a judge who refused a single drop of water to a woman dying a death we would all be incensed about were the victim a dog.

Doesn't it just make you want to just take out your checkbook and contribute to the ACLU and Judge Greer's next re-election campaign?