Press Release
Humanists Defend Schiavo’s Decision
For Immediate Release - Contact: Roy Speckhardt (202) 238-9088
rspeckhardt@americanhumanist.org - www.americanhumanist.org
Jennifer Hancock (941) 721-0933
jen@floridahumanist.org -
http://floridahumanist.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Washington, DC) “End of life decisions are rightfully left to the
individual and courts across America have upheld that position. It’s clear
from the examination by a score of judges that Terri Schiavo did not wish to
live like this,” said Tony Hileman, executive director of the American
Humanist Association.
“Fortunately, Americans are not blind to what’s happening. We watch as
politicians continue to infringe on Terri and Michael Schiavo’s rights in
order to exploit the situation to serve their own interests,” he continued.
Public opinion polls have consistently shown that Americans overwhelmingly
believe Terri Schiavo’s decisions should be respected and that she should be
taken off artificial life support.
The medical facts that Terri Schiavo has already experienced a cortical
death and can never regain capabilities of judgment have been outright
ignored by Florida and U.S. legislatures. The permanent vegetative state in
which she persists is akin to a loss of personhood. “It would be wrong to
say she should be allowed to die, that happened long ago,” Hileman added.
"The courts were dragged into this intimate decision when the family couldn't reconcile their differences and there was no written living will to inform the dispute. "But, those that argue that due process was compromised in this case fundamentally misunderstand how our justice system works," states Jennifer Hancock, executive director of AHA chapter the Humanists of
Florida Association.
The AHA has a long history of protecting individual rights. “Part of
respecting the worth and dignity of life is respecting individual choice. A
responsible society must honor Terri Schiavo’s wishes,” Hileman added.
“We have empathy for those charged with implementing Schiavo’s wishes, and
compassion for those who cling to a hopeless hope of recovery, but even in
this wrenching situation the rights of the individual should be upheld
without unwarranted interference by legislative bodies,” concluded Hileman.
Please see the AHA's statement, A Plea for Beneficent Euthanasia, at
www.americanhumanist.org/about/euthanasia.html
# # #
The American Humanist Association is the oldest and largest Humanist
organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated to ensuring a voice for
those with a positive nontheistic outlook, based on reason and experience,
which embraces all of humanity
.
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