MH - Schiavo a Case of "Abuse of the Disabled"

So points out Ut Unum Sint in an excellent link from the story in The Tampa Tribune:

Filed with Greer on Feb. 23, the DCF [Department of Children and Families] petition states the agency received "30 detailed allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation in a 34 page document received by the DCF hotline'' Feb. 18 and Feb. 21, "whereupon an investigation has been commenced.'' ...

Read the whole story here. It may seem as if we're stating the obvious through these posts, or just rehashing news, but my thinking on it is this: blogs like ours are intended to inform and educate as well as just put forth our thoughts. If there's one person out there who learns something new, or one talking point that someone uses in conversation with another, then we've done our job.

You may ask what difference it makes if your next-door neighbor suddenly sees the light thanks to something you point out. Well, it can make a big difference - that person's letter, or prayer, or sacrifice, could be what tips the scales in Terri's favor. But what else could it do for that other person, your next-door neighbor? It could influence them to change their own plans, or to make them better-known to their loved-ones, perhaps by making a Loving Will, courtesy of the American Life League. It could be the beginning of a rebirth in that person's spiritual life - maybe they'll go to Mass on Sunday for the first time in a while, or offer up an extra prayer.

The point is, we don't know. What we do know is that with God, nothing is impossible. At that, why not just do the right thing and leave the rest to Him?

UPDATE: It also helps if you have accurate information. Here are two links, from Cruxnews and Insight Scoop, on the statement by Bishop Lynch of St. Petersburg, Terri's bishop. Both point out how ridiculous the statement is - urging both sides to "talk things out," and suggesting that both sides represent extreme positions. Yes, if you consider trying to save someone's life "extreme," than I suppose he's right. Point is, as Mark at Insight makes, the Bishop's statements are fine if you're talking about the terminally ill, but Terri isn't dying - "she is slated to die from intentional starvation." In other words, if the judge's ruling goes through, she's going to be killed. Big difference. And it might make a difference when you're talking to someone, if they may have read the Bishop's remarks, to point this out. It never, ever, hurts to have truth on your side.