by David Bay Director of Cutting Edge Ministry

There is no doubting that the state of Florida has deliberately carried out a contrived killing, for state officials had many other options. Since Terri's parents firmly believed she was capable of being rehabilitated, they repeatedly asked the state to transfer her legal guardianship to them. They were prepared to take care of her, trying to improve her situation, so the state would not be unduly burdened.

Furthermore, testimonies abound from nurses that Terri was not in a permanent vegetative state. This testimony gives additional weight to the arguments from Terri's parents. But, the state of Florida persisted in holding Terri in their death grip, unwilling to allow any change which might be beneficial to either Terri or her husband; this stubborn persistence speaks volumes to the reality that Terri's plight was being manipulated by an unseen higher hand to achieve some larger purpose. That larger purpose was to force Adult Euthanasia through Federal Courts, getting a precedent whereby governments can kill persons under their control.

When the High Court refuses to hear a case, they effectually establish the lower court's decision to become the final ruling. In this terrible tragedy, the Supreme Court ratified the refusal of the 11th Circuit Court which had refused to overrule a Florida State decision to keep the feeding tube disconnected.

Thus, America apparently has a nationwide court ruling similar to the Roe vs Wade decision which allowed Abortion On Demand. If this is the case, then this country stands at the cusp of the legalization of the Adult Euthanasia which has been occurring for two decades under the surface -- just as Dr. Wolfensberger writes in "The New Genocide" .

You see, Terri's condition made her a "Devalued Person", a term used repeatedly by Dr. Wolfensberger. We shall see more and more "Terri Schiavo's" being legally killed, threatening many people with other disabilities. In fact, people who are paralyzed, brain damaged, ill with terminal conditions, retarded, with Down Syndrome, very elderly -- all have reason to fear. I believe that fear has already started to grow in the minds and hearts of millions of such afflicted people. No longer does society recognize that a person has an inherent spiritual worth bestowed upon them by their Creator -- the traditional Christian stance. Now, a person's worth is pragmatically calculated by how much that person is contributing to society and, conversely, by how much of a "drain" that person represents.

Since the battle over Terri Schiavo has been continuing for 15 long years, Americans have had the opportunity to be conditioned to the values of the "Right To Die" movement. Has this conditioning taken effect? Has it moved large numbers of citizens of Western countries to the belief of the Hemlock Society, that a person has a "right" to determine how and when they will die, and an "obligation" to do so? Be prepared to be shocked.