Michael Schaivo on Nightline
Goodness. Michael Schaivo is on Nightline, and he is indignant. He's upset because the Florida legislature is about to pass a bill that would make it illegal to remove a feeding tube or artifical nutrition device from a person unless they leave instructions that such a thing is okay in writing.

The interview was a media suckup. Michael admits he will not benefit financially because there is no money left - he doesn't mention that much of it has been spent trying to kill Terri.

He also is either a liar or severely deluded. Here are a couple of quotes:

Terry will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away. This happens across this country every day.

How does one die, then, if their guardian "[takes away the] nutrition and hydration"? One might attempt to justify the action on the basis that the person is clinically braindead (which Schiavo, of course, does), but to suggest that when nutrition and hydration are denied, the resulting death is caused by anything other than starvation is absurd.

Death through removing somebody's nutrition is very painless. That has been brought to the courts many of times. Doctors have come in and testified. It is a very painless procedure.

He doesn't think it will hurt her, then. Instead, he describes the process as:

she will drift off to a nice little sleep and eventually pass on to be with God.

Right. No starving person to see here, folks -- ignore the man behind the curtain, move along, move along.

More from Michael Schaivo:

And to sit here and be called a murderer and an adulterer by people that don't know me, and a governor stepping into my personal, private life, who doesn't know me either?

Well, technically, it probably is not murder -- unless the law is changed. It appears the Florida legislature is in the process of doing exactly that.

However, Michael, you DO live with another woman, and you DO have two children by that woman -- so yeah, you ARE an adulterer.

Do I know perfectly what to do in this situation? No. But I have significant problems with Michael Schaivo's actions.

One last thing -- there was some publicity about a one million dollar offer for Michael to divorce Terri and relinquish the guardianship. Michael now claims there was an earlier offer of TEN MILLION dollars . . . but it isn't about the money.

Hrm.

Either it really isn't about the money, or something more sinister is going on. I recall rumors about evidence of spousal abuse -- this may or may not be true.

But Michael Schaivo strikes me as trying to hide something. Certainly, his behavior (adultery, prohibiting (for a time) Terri's parents from visiting her, halting all physical and rehabilitative therapy) leaves much to be desired.

And so, we have another showdown on Friday. Who knows what will happen -- but I doubt this case is over by any measure.
- posted by MrSpkr @ 23:02