Editor's note. Few cases have captured the imagination of pro-lifers the way Terri Schindler-Schiavo's struggle for life has. This brain-injured woman is caught in the middle of a titanic struggle between her husband, who wishes to remove her feeding tube, and her parents, who want their daughter not only to be fed and hydrated, but also given vigorous therapy.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been a stalwart ally to the Schindler family. Unfortunately, last month, the 2nd District Court of Appeals granted a motion from Terri's husband to send her case directly to the Florida Supreme Court, bypassing a lower-court review.
At NRLC 2004, Bobby Schindler, Jr., Terri's brother, delivered a moving testimony to her family's utter dedication to Terri. The following is an excerpt from his remarks at the July 2 Prayer Breakfast.
It wasn't until this experience with my sister, Terri and seeing firsthand the unrelenting determination to make sure that she is killed, that my family realized just how insidiously these death groups operate. ... Personally, before this began with Terri, when I would think of this pro-death movement, the first thing that would come to my mind would be abortion. I never gave much thought to euthanasia. Euthanasia was a word that I recognized and, I think, most of the public associated with Nazi Germany, never thinking that killing those deemed "less-worthy" this could ever happen again, let alone in our country.
There have really only been very few who have been outspoken and warned us about the dangers of how euthanasia is once again threatening our culture and the most vulnerable persons among us. Even with that, I don't think many of us were listening.
Mr. Wesley Smith is one person that comes to mind, warning us for many years of the dangers posed by this "right-to-die" movement. I remember him saying, specifically about my sister, that they are going to do everything they can to represent Terri as a non-person.
And listen to what [former Surgeon General] C. Everett Koop, M.D.,
stated in 1990 about euthanasia. His words are haunting.
"While the terror of state-sponsored euthanasia may never grip America as it once did Germany, it is possible that the terror of the euthanasia ethic - - tolerated by medicine and an indifferent public and practiced by a few physicians - - may grip many invisible and vulnerable Americans. Over fifty years ago, German doctors and courts collaborated to identify millions of people who were labeled 'devoid of value'. Some Americans are labeled the same today: members of a racial or ethnic 'underclass', a sidewalk screamer ... an illegal alien ... a nursing home resident with Alzheimer's disease ... an abandoned migrant worker ... or anyone too old or weak or poor to help himself or herself."
...Terri's case is one the few times that we have had the opportunity to expose how sinisterly "Right to Die" groups conduct themselves. ... They are clever, manipulative, and dangerously deceptive. They purposefully use language to deceive the public into believing that they are acting in [a patient's] best interest, or that it is something that is a personal choice. All this is done to hide what these people are, in fact, doing - - killing human beings.
...There is not a doctor on this planet that will ever convince me that Terri is unaware, or that her responses are just reflexes. All you have to do is walk into Terri's room and watch when my mom leans over and greets Terri with, "Hi honey - - mommy's here." Just watch as the huge smile appears on Terri face. It breaks my heart that we can't do a thing to help her.
These death merchants can rationalize what they are doing as much as they want. But whether it is killing an unborn baby, or slowly killing those with severe disabilities, it only represents one thing: killing human life.
But I am here today to bring a message of hope. I have a tremendous amount of hope that we will someday change the laws regarding abortion and euthanasia, by changing peoples hearts, all motivated by the love we all share for God's greatest gift - - human life.
We must continue to pray. We can't lose faith. God brings us all together, as we are today [to remind us] that we [should] never stop speaking for those who are unable to speak and fight for themselves.
We know that we have God standing right here with us.