The following e-mail was sent to the Florida Nurses Association by Eleanor White, who is using her Creativity in many ingenious ways, contacting relevant individuals. You may:
1) copy and paste this message on your own mail piece to practice@floridanurse.org OR
2) write your own letter in your own words.
At this point in time we have NOTHING to lose, Terri has EVERYTHING to gain: HER LIFE.
PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CONTACT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD INTERVENE -- BEFORE FRIDAY, MARCH 18TH AT 1PM EASTERN TIME.
Thank you. Bless you.
-- Jackie
Saturday, March 12th, 2005
__________________________________________
----- Original Message -----
From:
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2005 3:07 PM
Subject: Warning about taking part in a felony
Eleanor White
> Eleanor's address and phone deleted to protect her privacy <
Florida Nurses Association - Practice Issue:
At the Woodside Hospice House in Pinellas Park, an illegal act, a murder and torture, is slated to happen this coming Friday, March 18, 2005. It is illegal under Florida law because the victim is fully conscious. The victim is Mrs. Terri Schiavo, and the whole world knows - not guesses - that she is NOT in a permanent vegetative state.
If Judge Greer's order banning display of the video clips of Terri's obviously conscious state is in effect and you can't review them locally, please take advantage of copies posted on my web site:
http://www.raven1.net/terrivids.htm
In Terri's case, under Florida statutes, witholding water (and food) from a conscious, non-vegetative disabled person is a FELONY. Here are the words of Governor Jeb Bush from his amicus brief on behalf of Terri in October, 2003:
"The Governor submits this memorandum to ensure that the Court consider the critical distinction between removing artificial life support and the deliberate killing of a human being by starvation and dehydration.
"These are two different actions. The first is performed according to state law and is allowed under Florida's constitutional right to privacy.
"The second is prohibited by the right to life enshrined in the Florida and federal Constitutions."
The Governor continues:
"As Terri's death may be proximately caused not by the removal of life-prolonging procedures, but the denial of oral sustenance, forbidding the provision of oral sustenance would create an unnecessary conflict with Florida statutory law..."
[Note: actually it is not a 'conflict' with Florida statutory law; it is a violation of Florida Law already on the books. Judge Greer is ordering an outright MURDER - jp]
". . . natural oral feeding is not a life-prolonging procedure under Florida law. An incapacitated person retains certain enumerated rights under Section 744.3215, Florida Statutes (2003).
"That section clearly and separately delineates which rights are retained by the ward [Terri] (Section 744.3215(1));
"which rights may be removed by the court (Section 744.3215(4));
"which rights may be delegated to the guardian (Section 744.3215(3)); and"which rights the guardian may not exercise without first obtaining specific authority from the court (Section 744.325(4)).
That text and more from the amicus brief may be quickly viewed at this web site:
http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/terri/jeb.htm
Since Terri is NOT in a "permanent vegetative state", CLEARLY the law is about to be broken regardless of what a judge or appeals board says. They cannot nullify the law. And if your members participate, THEY ARE TAKING PART IN A FELONY.
As professional nurses, you have a duty to stop this crime, and let the courts sort it out later. You have very little time. I urge every nurse who may be assigned to take part in killing Terri Schiavo by thirst to think long and hard about two things:
- how you would feel if you were denied water for a week
- knowing what going without water is like, how this atrocity will play on your consciences for the rest of your lives, when you had the option of refusing the order.
You can be heroes and stand up and save this innocent woman from the third attempt on her life, by TORTURE, or you can go along with this illegal court order and take part in a murder.
Just know that you will not be able to escape your own conciences if you abdicate your crystal clear duty here.
/s/ Eleanor White