While Legislators Hem and Haw, an American Man Takes Action

Bo Gritz issues a Citizen's Arrest Warrant in an effort to save Terri Schiavo.

You may not remember, but James "Bo" Gritz was instrumental in helping end the seige in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and got what remained of the Weaver family off the hill without further bloodshed. His methods have been criticized as being unorthodox, but I see a man who has principles and stands for them.

Here's the text of the warrant:

CITIZEN’S ARREST NOTICE

I, James G. “Bo” Gritz, a private citizen, being an American by birth in Enid, Oklahoma, on 18 January 1939, and possessing personal knowledge (reasonable cause) that certain individuals and agencies in and around Pinellas Park, Florida have committed, or will soon commit, specific felony violation of U.S. and Florida State laws, do hereby issue and publish this Citizen’s Arrest Notice requesting government agencies responsible for enforcement, including the Pinellas County Sheriff, Florida Attorney General, State Police, FBI, district attorneys and local police departments arrest the identified person(s) for crimes already committed and restrain them from committing further violations identified in this document.

The focus of this action is to secure the personal safety of Theresa “Terri” Marie Schindler-Schiavo, a natural-born U.S. Citizen currently being held in the Woodside Hospice (727-541-4199) at 6774 102 nd Avenue N in Pinellas Park, FL 33782-2909 (Scott Kistler, Vice President of Operations, 727-586-4432). Terri is paralyzed and in need of care by the Woodside staff – specifically the provision of nourishment and hydration at meal times through a feeding tube.
The specific threat is the wrongful withholding of nourishment from Terri Schiavo beginning at 1:00 p.m. local-time on 18 March 2005 with the specific purpose of her death through starvation and dehydration, as ordered by Circuit Judge George W. Greer (727-464-3933) in the Probate Division of the Circuit Court for Pinellas County, Florida at 2:50 p.m. on 25 February 2005; to be executed by Michael Schiavo (Marrie Ct, Clearwater, FL). This is a felony conspiracy to cause the wrongful death of an innocent person. The conspiracy will become a homicide if carried through to completion.

With the exception of the feeding tube at meal time, Terri Schiavo is on no other form of life support-system. She is not in a comma – she opens and moves her eyes; she is aware, recognizes and reacts to people and other stimuli. She is paralyzed, but more than 17 physicians and medical specialists have signed affidavits believing her condition will improve with proper therapy. Nobel Prize nominee Dr. William Hammesfahr has examined Terri and states her injury is a type of stroke that he treats everyday with success. Terri’s parents, Robert and Mary Schindler are prepared to assume responsibility for continued care of their daughter. The American people, the U.S. Congress, Florida Legislature, Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Department of Children and Families, the Vatican, numerous public interest groups, and luminary Americans are making public their adamant interest sustaining Terri’s life.

As an American, Terri Schindler-Schiavo is protected under both U.S. Constitutional Laws and Florida Statutes which have been over-ridden by Judge George Greer. The 8th Amendment forbids cruel and unusual punishment. Not even the most heinous criminals are starved to death! The 14th Amendment protects her human rights as an American.

Florida Statute 744.3215 (Rights of Persons Determined Incapacitated) forbids depriving Terri of food and water, a felony.

Florida Statute 765.404 requires the diagnosis of “persistent vegetative state” be determined as “permanent” prior to withdrawal of life prolonging means. Judge Greer has refused any further definitive tests (MRI) to ascertain Terri’s current status.

Florida Statute 765.309 prevents mercy killing and assisted suicide.

Florida Statute 765.404 calls for clear and convincing evidence of a ward’s intent concerning life and death medical decisions. Terri is a Catholic (suicide and assisted termination not an option); Judge Greer ruled-out pro-life testimony and accepted instead Michael Schivo’s self-serving hearsay that he had heard Terri refer to ceasing life-support on one occasion (violation of FL Statute 90.602).

This Citizen’s Arrest Warrant becomes null and void upon transfer of guardianship for Terri Schindler-Schiavo to her mother and father, or the Florida Department of Children & Families, prior to 1:00 p.m. on 18 March 2005.

As the plaintiff, I will physically be present in Pinellas Park at the Woodside Hospice. I am causing this complaint to be widely distributed so appropriate officials are made aware and may act to prevent this cruel death. As previously stated: The sole purpose of this document and resulting action(s) is to safeguard a helpless Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Any action that accomplishes this objective satisfies this Citizen’s Arrest Notice.

Sworn to and Certified before a Notary Public on this date

I am James G. “Bo” Gritz, a Private Person and U.S. Citizen,
resident address: HC-37, Box 472, Sandy Valley, NV 89019.

I hope and pray this is effective. In other news, Republican leaders are working to move the federal legislation to extend habeus corpus protection to Terri and others like her. (Note the reporter's mis-report of PVS. Isn't the MSM listening? Wait. Strike that. I already know the answer.)

Michael Schiavo was on Nightline last night. Here's the transcript.

Michael asserts: "Terry will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away."

Just how, precisely, is that not starvation?

Michael went on to say, "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."

Bull. For those who aren't aware of it, here is a graphic description of what happens to people when they are starved and dehydrated:

"...According to medical experts, after her feeding tube is removed, Mrs. Schiavo will experience extreme pain and significant psychological distress during the two weeks that her starvation-execution is expected to take.

Her skin, tongue and lips will crack due to dehydration. Schiavo will likely suffer chronic nosebleeds as mucous membranes dry out, followed by heaving and vomiting as the stomach lining dries out.

Her mouth is expected to develop painful ulcers. As Schiavo's brain is deprived of fluid, she is expected to suffer grand mal seizures."

Let's also check out the firsthand testimony of Kate Adamson, who is a mother who suffered a double brain stem stroke and was in a coma for 70 days. She was diagnosed with PVS, and had her feeding tube pulled for eight days. She miraculously survived, and healed. In 2003, she provided the following testomony on the O'Reilly factor (partial transcript here):

O'REILLY: When they took the feeding tube out, what went through your mind?

ADAMSON: When the feeding tube was turned off for eight days, I thought I was going insane. I was screaming out in my mind, "Don't you know I need to eat?" And even up until that point, I had been having a bagful of Ensure as my nourishment that was going through the feeding tube. At that point, it sounded pretty good. I just wanted something. The fact that I had nothing, the hunger pains overrode every thought I had.

Horrifying. Criminal. Wrong. It is morally wrong to starve the disabled to death. Let men like George Felos and Michael Schiavo try to prettify and rationalize the hard reality away. Greer, Felos, and Schiavo want to STARVE an innocent woman to death. Michael can claim that Terri "said" she "wouldn't want to live like that" all he wants. I say rehabilitate her, and let her speak for herself.

Without a Living Will to the contrary, we as civilized people must believe that she wants to live.

I hope that other good men like Bo Gritz will saddle up to help protect people like Terri Schiavo, and I am hoping and praying with every fiber of my being that our legislators will do the right thing and make absolutely certain that Terri and people like her have their best interests and basic rights served.

posted by Linda on March 16, 2005 11:13 PM

» Myopic Zeal links with: Dr. Hammesfahr, "Terri Can Eat and Swallow."