Newswire

Christians rally at White House

Rally at White House

Christian activists flew to Washington last night to confront legislators over the plight of Terri Schiavo after the disabled woman was given her last rites in an emotional sundown ceremony.

Supporters made one final attempt to save her by appealing to politicians on Capitol Hill to enforce a congressional subpoena which, they say, makes Mrs Schiavo, 41, a legally protected federal witness.

Issued 11 days ago to prevent Mrs Schiavo’s feeding tube from being withdrawn, the subpoena was thrown out by Florida judge George Greer, triggering a politically charged wrangle over the constitutional separation of powers in the US.

“Were the subpoenas a political stunt or do they plan to enforce them?” asked Patrick Mahoney, the director of the Christian Defence Coalition, at a rally outside the White House.

Randall Terry, the president of the Society for Truth and Justice, said: “What in the name of God is going on here, when the entire US Government prostrates itself at the feet of a tinpot judge named Greer?”

Mrs Schiavo’s parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, seemingly resigned to her death as she spent her tenth full day without food or water, pleaded for a late miracle. For 12 years they have battled against their son-in-law’s efforts to let Mrs Schiavo die.

Michael Schiavo argues that his wife, diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state since a heart attack starved her brain of oxygen, would not have wished to stay alive. His home in Clearwater, Florida, which he shares with his girlfriend, Jodi Centonze, and their two children, is protected by armed police patrols and surveillance vans.

Christian activists who laid roses and Easter lilies on the pavement outside defied a torrent of water that suddenly gushed at them as Ms Centonze’s brother, John, switched on the garden sprinklers to try to keep them away.

Mr Centonze scooped up some of the flowers and gave them to a friend to take away. Mr Schiavo, who has maintained a vigil at his wife’s bedside, was “very upset”, he said.

Opposite the Woodside Hospice in nearby Pinellas Park, the Schindlers have taken over a small office building, surrounded by a tented media encampment. Mr Schiavo, who is his wife’s guardian, gives them appointments to visit her at times of his choosing. “Because of the discomfort family members have with Michael, it doesn’t seem a workable situation to have them all in Terri’s room at the same time,” said George Felos, his lawyer.

Bob Schindler ventures out several times a day to thank the hundreds of strangers who have come from across America to support him. They included Maud Scholl, 92, whose son drove her on a 320-mile round trip from north Florida just to give Mr Schindler a hug.

Last night Mr Schindler said after visiting his daughter that she had responded with facial expressions to his hugs and kisses and was “fighting like hell”. “I was frightened to death to go in there and see her for fear of what I would see but she has just incredible strength to live.”


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ar
ticle/0,,11069-1545645,00.html

Posted by Editor at March 28, 2005 05:48 PM