Maybe now this family can be left alone

July 8, 2005

Even after congressional intervention, politically-inspired misdiagnoses, and widespread slander, the Terri Schiavo matter lingered on when Florida Gov. Jeb Bush asked a prosecutor to investigate why Schiavo collapsed 15 years ago, under the notion that her husband may have called 911 too slowly. Thankfully, this lunacy came to an end yesterday when the prosecutor told Bush there was nothing more to probe.

Florida’s state attorney said there was no evidence Terri Schiavo’s collapse 15 years ago involved criminal activity, and Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday declared an end to the state’s inquiry.

Bush had asked State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate Schiavo’s case after her autopsy last month. He said he now considers the state’s involvement with the matter finished.

“Based on your conclusions, I will follow your recommendation that the inquiry by the state be closed,” Bush said in a two-sentence letter.

The exploitation of one’s woman’s tragic illness finally appears to be over. Florida’s state attorney proves the far right was wrong. The autopsy proves the far right was wrong. The report from the Florida Department of Children and Families proves the far right was wrong.

And right now, there are quite a few people, if they had any sense of decency, who’d start apologizing for making salacious accusations, including claims of murder, which were completely untrue. I’m not optimistic.

Update: When I said the exploitation is over, I spoke too soon. Again, I misunderestimated the pathology of today’s far-right. Apparently, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) intends to challenge the Schiavo autopsy report. I’m speechless.

Seeking forgiveness and showing some humility would be truly Christian traits, so that’s never going to happen. The “self-made” Christians running this show are playing by their own rules. Too hell with God’s will, it’s their will they want done. Keeps reminding me of the Pharisees on the road…

  • I just can’t wait for the lawsuits.

    Wouldn’t that be nice? Some of the most outragous attacks came by way of David C. Gibbs III, the Florida fundamentalist Christian attorney who represented Terri Schiavo’s parents. But could Michael Schiavo sue? I suppose it comes down to whether he’s a public figure.

    The man probably just wants to get on with his life — who could blame him? — but I have to admit it’d be interesting to see some of his more reckless accusers go to court to defend their slander.

  • It is my understanding that one must voluntarily enter status as “public figure” eg. by running for office or taking a job in a high profile and at least pseudo-public position. Even celebrity status (eg. Jacko or Nicole Kidman) does not necessarily make one a public figure. I do not believe he did anything, other than pursue the proper legal means to enforce his wife’s rights/apparent request and his rights. He is a private citizen, and is allowed the protections that come with that. And any politicial or other figure or individual who falsely stated anything about him can and should be held accountable, in the proper place, a court of law. Florida provides libel and slander protections to private citizens such as this man. Remember, it is one thing to disagree with the man and argue strenuously against the ethics/morality/legality of what he was doing or the actions he was taking, but it is another thing to make false statements about the man himself and to continue to make such statments when they have been proven false time and again. Maliciousness and intent are givens here–all he needs to really prove is the falsity of the statments by folks like the false preachers and false followers of Jesus, as well as by Bill Frist, Tom Delay and Jeb Bush.

  • Can someone tell me just how he plans on challenging these results? Is there some legal case to make or is it pistols at dawn?

  • We should immediately dispatch Jeb Bush to Michigan,
    where he could lead a lynch mob into completing unfinished business in the case of Dr. (Death) Kevorkian.

  • More garbage from the ignorant left that makes me embarrassed to be a liberal.

    You know what, if you know what in the hell you were talking about, it would be a miracle.

    All you care about is the “defeat” of Jeb and the religious nutcases who exploited the Schindlers. Never mind the fact the husband is a sociopath, judging from his outrageous behavior from the time he got the settlement money, when he and his family suddenly “remembered” Terri didn’t “want to live that way,” never mind the fact an ignorant judge sided with this sociopath and ordered a brain-damaged woman KILLED (and upheld by the courts because they had to rule on process and not on finding of fact), which sets a HORRIFIC precedent.

    My objection to the “wonderful husband” had EVERYTHING to do with his complete lack of credibility, and I don’t give a flying shit about Jeb, Randall Terry, or anybody else. I KNOW a bullshit case when I see it. And this guy is a liar, as is his lawyer.

    You know this was NEVER a liberal/conservative matter, as much as both sides exploited it. But the left’s embrace of this despicable husband is the most disgraceful thing I have EVER seen.

    I can’t stand lies, either from the left or the right, but I will let you skate by because you have fallen sucker to the media spin which wanted to paint this as a “culture war” and not about the simple fact that a greedy husband wanted his wife dead as soon as he got the settlement money (oh, and I don’t believe the trust fund is truly depleted, but if it is, he’s out peddling his book to rake in more money off the wife he leeched off of for years and years) and found his brain-damaged wife, who he promised in the malpractice trial he would take care of her for the rest of her life (estimated to be many, many years into the future) an inconvenience.

    It’s not rocket science, guys. Too bad you guys can’t see.

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