Easter 2005- Terri Schiavo's Final Communion?

Having sentenced an innocent woman to the barbarous death of starvation, U.S. Courts will now decide whether or not to allow Terri Schiavo to partake in an additional civil liberty, besides the right to die. Seeking to exercise Terri's freedom of religion, her parents have sought legal permission to give their fading daughter the rite of Easter Communion, while their attorney continues the struggle to save her life.

The end seems near, however, as the U.S. Judiciary continues to play part of the Omnipotent denying appeal after appeal from everyone to Terri's parents, to the President of the United States, to the Pope. In an unprecedent effort to end the life of an ailing woman, the U.S. legal system is once again demonstrating a blatant disregard for the social mores of respect of life and the Judeo-Christian values on which our Nation was founded. Despite the fact that starvation is considered a cruel and unusual punishment, even by third world standards, our Justices and Judges across the country have been un-persuaded by motions to intervene and stop agonizing execution.

There are four more appeals still on the docket- two from Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers, one by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and the final one by Schindler attorny David Gibbs who appealed a court ruling made last Saturday to the FL Supreme Court.

Gibbs closed an AP interview with the following ominous remarks, "Time is moving quickly and it would appear most likely ... that Terri Schiavo will pass the point that she will be able to recover over this Easter weekend," he said.

In a Nation that values diversity, tolerance, and the dignity of every person, it seems terribly ironic that we are disregarding the dignity of a handicapped person by deeming her fit only to die. In so doing, our Nation is both intolerant of her diversity and disregarding of her worth as a person.

In this Easter season, we can all be thankful that a man who died on the cross millennia ago did not engender the same disregard for life the United States legal system does today.