Statement of the Schindler Family (courtesy of Blogs for Terri):

Pinellas Park, FL – As you are aware, Terri is now with God and she has been released from all earthly burdens. After these recent years of neglect at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and care for her, she is finally at peace with God for eternity. We are speaking on behalf of our entire family this evening as we share some thoughts and messages to the world regarding our sister and the courageous battle that was waged to save her life from starvation and dehydration.

We have a message for the volunteers that have helped our family:

Thank you for all that you’ve done for our family. Thank you to the hundreds of doctors who volunteered to help Terri. Thank you to the fifty doctors who provided statements under oath to help Terri. Thank you to the lawyers who stood for Terri’s life in the courtrooms of our nation. From running our family’s website, to driving us around, to making meals, to serving in so many ways—thank you to all of the volunteers who have been so kind to our family through all of this.

We have a message for the supporters and people praying worldwide:

Please continue to pray that God gives grace to our family as we go through this very difficult time. We know that many of you never had the privilege to personally know our wonderful sister, Terri, but we assure you that you can be proud of this remarkable woman who has captured the attention of the world. Following the example of the Lord Jesus, our family abhors any violence or any threats of violence. Threatening words dishonor our faith, our family, and our sister, Terri. We would ask that all those who support our family be completely kind in their words and deeds toward others.

We have a message to the media:

We appreciate your taking Terri’s case to the nation. Please afford our family privacy to grieve at this time.The patience and graciousness of the on-site media here at hospice has been deeply appreciated by our family.

We have a message to the many government officials who tried to help Terri:

Thank you for all that you’ve done. Our family will be forever grateful to all of the outstanding public servants who have tried to save Terri.

We have a message to all of the religious leaders who tried to help Terri:

Thank you to all people of faith who demonstrated love for Terri and strength of conviction to defend the sacredness of all human life as a precious gift from God.

Our family is highly honored that the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, would speak out so boldly on behalf of our sister, Terri.

We have a message of forgiveness:

Throughout this ordeal, we are reminded of the words of Jesus on the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Our family seeks forgiveness for anything that we have done in standing for Terri’s life that has not demonstrated the love and compassion required of us by our faith.

We have a message to parents worldwide:

Our family would encourage parents to spend time with their children and to cherish each and every moment of each and every day with them as a precious gift from God.

We have a message to Terri from her family:

As a member of our family unable to speak for yourself, you spoke loudly. As a member of our family unable to stand under your own power, you stood with a grace and a dignity that made your family proud. Terri, we love you dearly, but we know that God loves you more than we do. We must accept your untimely death as God’s will.

Terri, your life and legacy will continue to live on, as the nation is now awakened to the plight of thousands of voiceless people with disabilities that were previously unnoticed. Your family intends to stand up for the other “Terri’s” around this nation and we will do all that we can to change the law so others won’t face the same fate that has befallen you.

We have a final thought to share:

Our family had hoped this day would never come, but as it has now arrived, we ask ourselves a question in these incredibly sad circumstances: What would the Lord Jesus ask us to do in a moment like this? In John’s Gospel, Jesus responded to the questions of the rabbis, who asked why a man had been born blind. He said: “it is so that the works of God might be made manifest through him.”

God’s plan for Terri is unfolding before our eyes. Our prayer at this time is that our Nation will remember the plight of persons with disabilities and commit within our hearts to defend their lives and their dignity for many generations to come.

Scott Ott, of Scrappleface (a satire blog) is reporting that Paul Wolfowitz, almost certainly to soon be the head of the World Bank has decided that they should stop giving funding to poor countries:

“I look at some of these impoverished people and think, ‘I wouldn’t want to live that way’,” said Mr. Wolfowitz. “The most merciful thing to do is cut their funding and let these people slip into a peaceful, euphoric state through dehydration and starvation.”…

Read the rest of the article here.

I can’t really find words to adequately express my grief at what has happened, but the words of Father Frank Pavone (the National director of Priests for Life) is basically also what I feel, so I will quote him:

“This is not only a death, with all the sadness that brings, but this is a killing, and for that we not only grieve that Terri has passed but we grieve that our nation has allowed such an atrocity as this and we pray that it will never happen again.”

I believe The Political Teen has a video of him saying this, though it’s in wmv format, and I (w/ Linux) have not been able to view it yet.

Update: (1.55PM ET) I rebooted the computer to my windows side, and have been able to watch the video. Here is a transcript:

David Gibbs (lead attorney for Schindler family): …would never arrive is here. Terri Schiavo has passed, has stepped into eternity, at 9.05 this morning. Bob Schindler, her father, and Mary Schindler, her mother asked for us to let you know that, and that they will be grieving personally today, and that Bob will be speaking on behalf of the family later this afternoon. Bobby Schindler junior (Terri’s brother), Susie, and Father Pavone were with Terri up until 10 minutes before she passed, they had the opportunity to be in the room, to be with her up until that point, and again, while they are heartsick, this is indeed a sad day for the nation, this is a sad day for the family, their faith in God remains consistent and strong. They are absolutely convinced that God loves Terri more then they do, they believe that Terri is now ultimately at peace with God himself, and they intend to comfort themselves with their faith and with their family at this time. We would ask respectfully that the media allows them privacy at there home to grieve as you can imagine as a Mom and Dad. This is a very difficult day.

Reporter: Was Micheal Schiavo with Terri when she died?

David Gibbs: I don’t know. Father Pavone is going to give a very brief statement as well as he was in the room with Bobbie and with Suzanne, and Father, if you’d address.

Father Pavone: Thank you. We were, as David said, in Terri’s room about 10 or 15 minutes before she died, all the prayers of the church were offered for her, and the concern of millions of people around this country was expressed to her in no uncertain terms. She felt the solidarity that all of you who have been praying for her, and writing to the family, and asking what you could do. All of that sacrifice, all of that concern was conveyed to Terri by caresses on her hair, holding of her hand, and praying with her right up until her very last moments. Unfortunately, just 10 or so minutes before she died we were told that we had to leave the room because their would be an assessment of her condition, and then a visitation by Michael. Bobby Schindler, her brother said “we want to be in the room when she dies”, Michael Schiavo said no, you cannot. And so his heartless cruelty continues until this very last moment. At the same time, once she did pass away, we were called back into the room, and at that point only the immediate family was able to go in to give her their final embraces. I stood at the doorway and offered the prayers of the church for those who have just died. As has been said, we will have further comments later in the day, let me just one more thing, that this is not only a death, with all the sadness that brings, but this is a killing, and for that we not only grieve that Terri has passed but we grieve that our nation has allowed such an atrocity as this and we pray that it will never happen again. Thank you all.

Reporter: Was Michael in the room when they went in for that last time?

Father Pavone: I did not see him at that point, in fact when I went in, after it was announced that she had died, my first question was “Where’s Michael?”. He was nowhere to be seen.

Reporter: What kind of last embrace was given to Terri

Father Pavone: A embrace with tears and with great grief.

Then lot’s of talk, and questions, as Father Pavone leaves. In the part I can decipher, he tells his name, and in an answer to a reporters question, said that her eyes were open till the last moment he was in.

In one of the many articles leading up to Terri’s death, a student from Stanford wrote these words on the importance of fearing God in the Torah:

In these troubled times, I cling to moral clarity. In the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible, the words “You shall fear God” are used no fewer than 36 times. In every one of these incidents, the fear of God is elicited to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. As a society therefore, we will ultimately be judged by the vigor with which we defend the most weak and defenseless among us.

Where is the fear of God in our land now?

Terri Schiavo died this morning at 9:05 AM. Her husband refused to allow the Schindlers in the room during her last moments. From CNS News (they have the time wrong):

After 14 days without food or water, Terri Schiavo died around 9:50 Thursday morning - shortly after her parents issued an emotional plea to be at her hospice bedside in her final moments of life.

Terri’s husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, denied the Schindler family’s final request to be with Terri as she took her last breath.

But they saw her later: “Bobby, Suzanne, Mary and Bob are in there now at Terri’s bedside. They were denied access at the moment of her death,” said a family spokesman.

It was one of many requests denied the family in a two-week flurry of legal motions, all aimed at keeping Terri alive.

The case has galvanized national debate about end-of-life issues and constitutional issues involving the legislative and judicial branches.

The Schindler family will make a statement later today, Brother Paul O’Donnell told a somber crowd gathered outside the hospice.

It is very sad time, and a black moment in the history of the United States of America. May God bring justice to Greer, Micheal Schiavo, George Fellos, the appeals court, the Supreme Court, and all those who have been involved in this murder.

Terri Schiavo is in her thirteenth day of dehydration, and so far her hopes look dim. The eleventh appeals court, which had decided to hear her case again, once again rejected it.

Jesse Jackson visited Schindler’s and called Terri’s starvation immoral and inhumane, proving again that Terri’s case transcends old political rivalries. At first there was hope that Jackson would be able to sway some senators to change their minds. In the end however, even his influence wasn’t able to get enough Florida senators to consider a revote.

As always, go to Blogs for Terri for all the latest.

Happy Easter! As we meditate on Jesus’s death and resurrection and as we advocate for Terri’s life let us remember that in the end our Lord has conquered death. Because of what happened on Easter morning, death has truly lost it’s sting.

Michelle Malkin has a good round up on all the latest posts on Terri Schiavo. Judge Greer predictably has ruled against the Terri’s parents in their last appeal where they gave sworn testimony that Terri tried to say that she wanted to live. There is nothing more they can do federally. They have appealed Greer’s decision today to Florida’s Supreme Court — but having already rejected earlier appeals there’s not much hope that the court will change their minds.

Meanwhile Terri, still fighting hard, is near her last moments. Already her tongue and eyes have started to bleed as her body shuts down. We’re rightly worried about suffering animals, but our justice system seems to have failed if it has no sympathy for a starving woman.

Michelle writes: “Now it’s time to pray. Just pray.” In light of that I thought the following words were in order:

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. . . .

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

In an earlier post, we mentioned that consumer advocate and Green party presidential nominee Ralph Nader had been uncomfortable with letting Terri die. Now he has called upon President Bush to use all legal means to help Terri Schiavo. According to his press release:

“A profound injustice is being inflicted on Terri Schiavo,” Nader and Smith asserted today. “Worse, this slow death by dehydration is being imposed upon her under the color of law, in proceedings in which every benefit of the doubt-and there are many doubts in this case-has been given to her death, rather than her continued life.”

Among the many injustices in this case, Nader and Smith point to the following:

The courts not only are refusing her tube feeding, but have ordered that no attempts be made to provide her water or food by mouth. Terri swallows her own saliva. 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 assert.

The medical and rehabilitation experts are split on whether Terri is in a persistent vegetative state or whether Terri can be improved with therapy. There is only one way to know for sure- permit the therapy. That is the only way to resolve all doubts.

The court is imposing process over justice. After the first trial in this case, much evidence has been produced that should allow for a new trial-which was the point of the hasty federal legislation. If this were a death penalty case, this evidence would demand reconsideration. Yet, an innocent disabled woman is receiving less justice.

The federal and state governments are spending billions on what we are told will become miracle medical cures for people with all sorts of degenerative conditions, including brain damage. If this is so, why not permit Terri’s parents and siblings who want to care for her do so in the hope that such cures are discovered?

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.

I disagree with Nader on many issues, but I’ve always admired him for standing up to his principles even when it’s very unpopular for him to do so. He’s never afraid to call things what they are. (Thanks to Katheryn from the Corner.)

Cornell University’s beautiful “Fall Creek Trail”–as of 6:15 AM yesterday morning. I thought that spring was coming, but I might have been deceived.

In his recent article Robert Novak give some good instances when Democrats and liberals have joined hands with conservatives in trying to save Terri’s life. He writes about the vote on Capitol Hill where 47 Democrats voted for Terri’s law, and 53 against:

It was significant that Chet Edwards was one of the 47. Although he calls himself a “moderate,” his liberal voting record (as measured by Americans for Democratic Action) is usually around 80 percent.

He is a partisan Democrat who last year narrowly escaped Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s Texas redistricting.

While 102 House Democrats did not find their way back, Edwards made sure he got there.

Finding all seats filled on Continental and United planes from Houston to Washington, he managed to get a seat on a Southwest flight to Baltimore. When he listened to the debate, he was struck that Republicans seemed to be pleading for help for the unfortunate while Democrats were arguing legalisms.

“It was difficult,” Edwards told me, “but if we had to err, it would be better to err to keep her alive.”

Nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus agreed. So did such tried-and-true Democratic stalwarts as James Oberstar of Minnesota, Dale Kildee of Michigan and Jose Serrano of New York.

However, it was not only congressman who realized this was more than a political issue. As Novak continues:

On Monday night, Ralph Nader was substituting as left-wing host on CNN’s “Crossfire” and seemed uncomfortable grilling Republican Rep. David Dreier of California.

After the show, the old reformer noted to me that it was illegal to starve a dog to death but it was being done to Terri Schiavo.

(Emphasis mine.)

George Greer seems to think that he is the High King, and everybody must obey his every word. He does not seem to realize that their is a difference between his position, and that of the Turkmenbashi (of Turkmenistan, of course he realizes that he has a different jurisdiction). Thus he struts about, ordering people to be starved to death, and law enforcement officers not to intervene.

If he was a simple justice, his duty would be to interpret the law, and to defend it, but he seems to think that his duty is to make it, and to tell all other leaders to obey.

According to the Florida State Constitution, Article I Section 2 (courtesy of Blogs for Terri):

All natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty. No person shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability.

It seems to me that the decrees of “his majesty” are completely ordered without the law in mind, but most certainly not as a justice, interpreting what that means.

A terrible thing about this situation, is that powerful people like Gov. Jeb Bush, and law enforcement like the Department of Children and Families are actually listening to him, and afraid to make any move to save life, and to uphold the constitution. Jeb Bush should completely disregard the decrees of “High King Greer”, and should order the National Guard, or the Police force to come in and rescue Terri by force, and he should also order the arrest of this dangerous man.

From the last reports that I’ve heard, there are now 18 students from Harvard who are on hunger strike (no food, only basic drinks) in protest of the starvation of Terri Schiavo. Although it is difficult for students from Cornell, as they are now on spring-break, with their parents looking after them, besides myself there are two members of CCFL (The Cornell Coalition for Life) who following the example of their comrades in Harvard, have gone on hunger strike. Students from Cornell University are doing a slightly different version of the strike, they’ve decided not even to drink basic liquids, but only plain water. Another student from Cornell, although at home she can’t go on hunger strike yet, has pledged to join us when she comes back to campus Friday evening, if Terri has not been started to be fed yet.

The Corner has a copy of the original letter that the Harvard students signed, and The Cornell Coalition For Life blog has a small post about their strike here. The Harvard Crimson published an article about the Harvard students strike.

Protestors have taken control of the main government buildings in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, including the presidential palace. President Akayev has fled, some say by helicopter to Kazakstan.

Hat tip: Registan

Update (by Coyote): Actually, it seems President Akayev has resigned, at least according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.

Also, Publius Pundit has a neat survey of the last month’s revolutions in flowers.

Update (Coyote again): According to the Argus, Akayev has not yet resigned, although much of his cabinet has.

The Supreme Court refused this morning to order reinsertion of Terri’s feeding tube.

Judge Greer also refused a request from Florida’s Department of Children and Families to get involved, and laid a injunction forbidding both the DFC and Gov. Bush to take her into protective custody until at least noon today.

For the latest, go to Blogs for Terri.

A three person panel from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to overturn the lower court’s decision not to reinsert Terri’s feeding tube. The vote was 2-1. The Schindlers (Terri’s parents) are appealing to the Supreme Court. So far the Supreme Court has refused to get involved.

That’s the latest news from Fox News:

A federal judge early Tuesday morning refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube, leaving the fate of the severely brain-damaged Florida woman unresolved.

U.S. District Judge James Whittemore said the 41-year-old woman’s parents had not established a “substantial likelihood of success” at trial on the merits of their arguments.

Schiavo’s tube was removed Friday after the appeals of her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, to keep the tube in failed in state court. Tuesday marked the fourth day without her feeding tube.

The Schindlers are immediately appealing:

Rex Sparklin, an attorney with the law firm representing the Schindlers, said lawyers were immediately appealing to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to “save Terri’s life.”

That court was already considering an appeal on whether Terri Schiavo’s right to due process had been violated.

Does anyone know the makeup of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals? I believe Bush’s conservative appointee, Judge Pryor is on that bench.

Update: How Appealing has a link to the judge’s decision.

Update: Here is the list and short biographies of the judges sitting on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

For many years Kyrgyzstan has been a forgotten corner of the world. Wedged in beside Kazakstan and China, this small, mountainous country– the Switzerland of Central Asia– has been content to go about its business peacefully, living in the shadow of its larger neighbors.

But now, with all the force of a democratic revolution, Kyrgyzstan is thrusting itself on the world stage. After the fifteen-year president, Askar Akayev, rigged the election to get a third term, protests erupted on the streets throughout the country and a popular revolt is taking over major cities in a movement modeled after the orange revolution.

But though their motives may be the same, Kyrgyz are not Ukrainians, and their revolution is a far cry from the friendly camaraderie that characterized the tent city in Kiev. If the Kyrgyz take back their government, it will not be with the good spirits and restrain that Yushchenko’s people showed the world, but in a manner far more warlike.

Two major cities, Osh and Jalalabad, have been taken over by the demonstraters, and at least in Osh the police have sworn allegiance to the popular movement. The streets of Bishkek are as yet untouched.

These photos are from Registan:

More reminiscent of the storming of the Bastille than the smiling faces of Kiev.

Who’s in charge here?

But there is more than one side to the protest– witness this optimistic gathering in Osh.

Writing from that corner of the world, he has all the latest.

Bloomberg has the latest on the Terri’s hearing this afternoon:

U.S. District Judge James Whittemore, after hearing arguments for about two hours in Tampa, gave no indication of how soon he may act on a request by Schiavo’s parents to order the tube inserted. The tubes were removed three days ago, and medical experts said Schiavo may be able to survive for about two weeks without nourishment or water.“I will not tell you when, how or how long it will take” to rule, Whittemore said.

Baylyblog was there in the courtroom and has more with the details of the hearing (via Cornell 4 Life).

I’ve been negligent in posting on Terri Schiavo. . . not because I haven’t been keeping up with every latest update, but because schoolwork has kept me very busy.

It was good though to see that Congress is finally coming through with a bill that they can agree to pass on behalf of Terri. From Katheryn Lopez at the Corner:

(Washington, D.C.) Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist released the following statement today:

“We’re pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement on legislation which provides an opportunity to save Mrs. Schiavo’s life. This legislation will allow a federal district judge to consider a claim by or on behalf of Mrs. Schiavo for alleged violations of Constitutional rights or federal laws relating to the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain her life. We want to thank Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid for working with us towards a legislative solution. The House and Senate will act as quickly as possible to send this legislation to the President for his signature.

“The Senate will meet today at 5:00 p.m. to pass an adjournment. Passing an adjournment resolution will enable us to bring both the House and Senate back into session under our emergency powers. The House will meet at 1:00pm on Sunday, March 20th in the hope of receiving unanimous consent to take up the measure. If unanimous consent cannot be attained, the measure will be considered on the House Suspension Calendar as early as 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 21. The Senate will continue to work through the weekend to ensure the bill can be passed shortly after the House has acted.”

Here are some neat pictures of the Lebanese protests this Monday:

(Via Carpe Bonum.)

The American Enterprise Institute has done an interview with John O’Neill, the leader of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

(Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

A trial judge has struck down the gay marriage ban in California. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:

“It appears that no rational purpose exists for limiting marriage in this state to opposite-sex partners,” Kramer wrote.

The judge directly took on the most common argument against same-sex marriage, one invoked by Attorney General Bill Lockyer in defense of the state law: tradition.

“The state’s protracted denial of equal protection cannot be justified simply because such constitutional violation has become traditional,” he wrote.

If this is decision is upheld when appealed California will become the second state after Massachusetts to have same-sex marriage.

Christian Conservative has more on this. This is also an interesting article on the judge involved in the decision.

Update: Jayson over at Polipundit has a great post on this ruling. As he writes:

Back in year 2000, California voters were asked whether they wanted to affirm a pre-existing ban on gay marriages, and, further, whether they wanted California not to recognize same-sex marriages, or civil unions, that might be issued by other jurisdictions.

Over 7.5 million people voted on that referendum.

And the results?

61.40 percent - voted to ban gay marriages and not to recognize such unions from sister states.

38.60 percent - voted against the anti-gay marriage referendum.

Yet another “slim majority.”

Robert Mayer over at Publius Pundit has a great roundup of the latest news out of Lebanon.
(Hat tip: The Corner)

Joe Carter from Evangelical Outpost has this interesting post on some of the evils of daily news. I’m not sure I agree with all his points, but they definitely are worth reading. According to him, news tends to focus on the inconsequential, the trivial and rarely look at the big picture. As he writes:

Anyone who doubts this should go back and read newspaper articles from Ronald Reagan’s presidency and compare them to the recent remarks made after his death. You won’t find too many clues that the world was getting safer or changing for the better. Instead, you’ll likely find the news stories that, in retrospect, appear remarkably inconsequential. Yet at the time they were considered ‘headline worthy.’ (If you’ve ever read the newspaper from the day you were born you’ve probably had a similar letdown, realizing that nothing really important happened that day.)