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| Ralph Nader: Save Terri |
| Friday, March 25, 2005 |
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader says a "profound injustice is being inflicted on Terri Schiavo," and he is urging the Florida courts, Gov. Jeb Bush and concerned citizens to take any legal action available to let the brain-damaged woman live.
In a joint statement, Nader and Wesley J. Smith, author of the book "Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America," enumerated what they see as the many injustices in the Schiavo case. They said the courts, under "color of law," have imposed a slow death by dehydration on Terri, giving every benefit of the doubt to her death, rather than her continued life.
Not only has Terri's feeding tube been removed - but no attempt has been made to let her try drinking by mouth.
"Terri swallows her own saliva," Nader and Smith said. "Spoon-feeding is not medical treatment. This outrageous order proves that the courts are not merely permitting medical treatment to be withheld, it has ordered her to be made dead," Nader and Smith said.
They also noted that experts are split on whether Terri is in a persistent vegetative state or whether she can improve with therapy. "There is only one way to know for sure - permit the therapy," they said.
Nader and Smith said the court is imposing "process over justice." They said new evidence should allow for a new trial - which was the point of the federal legislation.
With the government spending billions on cures for people with all sorts of degenerative conditions, isn't it possible that a cure may be developed for people like Terri? they asked. The possibility demands that Terri's parents be granted their wish to take care of her, they said.
"Benefits of doubts should be given to life, not hastened death. This case is rife with doubt. Justice demands that Terri be permitted to live," Nader and Smith concluded.
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posted by J.R. @ 2:47:00 PM   |
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