WASHINGTON, March 4, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A US congressman is preparing to introduce a bill that would provide incapacitated persons such as Terri Schiavo a complete review of their cases in federal court.
The bill provides hope to her parents and other pro-lifers who are fighting to keep her alive, although there is some question as to whether it can pass Congress in time. It is scheduled to be introduced the week of March 6, while her feeding tube is scheduled to be removed March 18. The bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate.
The bill by Rep. Dave Weldon, R.-Fla., would provide Schiavo and other similarly incapacitated persons all the legal protections often associated with death row inmates, such as the right to a “de novo review”– that is, a review by another court of all the evidence.
The bill, dubbed the Incapacitated Persons Legal Protection Act, would apply to disabled persons like Schiavo who are facing a court-ordered death. If her feeding tube is removed, she will die of starvation and dehydration within a matter of days.
“Terri has never been afforded independent counsel in a matter that will result in her life or death,” Weldon said on the House floor March 3. “Terri has had no voice of her own in these legal proceedings … The case of Terri Schiavo deserves a second look by an objective court.”
Weldon, a medical doctor, discounted assertions that Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state. “Evidence exists to the contrary,” he said, noting that Schiavo can smile and cry. “Terri is not in a coma as I would define it, and I am a physician. She is not on a respirator or other 24-hour-a-day medical equipment.”
Weldon said it is a “travesty” that Schiavo may be put to death simply “because she is not able to speak.”
“The [bill] simply provides a final avenue for review of the case to ensure that an incapacitated person’s constitutional rights of due process are maintained and that justice is done,” the congressman said.
Meanwhile, US Senator Sam Brownback also weighed in on the issue Thursday, calling for compassion to be shown to Terri. “Make no mistake, [Greer’s] ruling didn’t simply allow for the removal of her feeding tubes keeping Terri alive, it mandated that removal. The fact that Terri can process food should, by itself, be enough to prove that she is alive. As a society, we must protect and show compassion for those who need it most, and Terri needs our help.”
In addition, a “Prayer Vigil and Rally for Life-Truth-Justice” is planned for Saturday, March 12 at 2 pm, to be held in front of the hospice where Terri Schiavo lives, the Woodside Hospice, 6770 102nd Avenue, Pinellas Park, Florida. “Pro-life individuals will come together to pray, fast, and PROCLAIM THE TRUTH!” a release announcing the vigil stated.
BlogsforTerri is also preparing to place an ad in the “USA Today” for Friday, March 15, to draw attention to Terri’s plight. The Fransican Brothers of Peace have established a fund to pay for the news advertising campaign at: www.blogsforterri.com or https://www.blogsforterri.com/pledge.php
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