VIA EMMA AT THE AMERICAN STREET, I discovered Abstract Appeal, a blog started by Matt Conigliaro, a lawyer specializing in appeals cases in the state of Florida. Matt has devoted a large part of his blog to the case of Terri Schiavo, and most of the important documents relating to the case are linked there.

One of those documents is the report of Dr. Jay Wolfson, Terri Schiavo's guardian ad litem. Emma quotes a section from this report that presents the Schindlers as so determined to keep their daughter alive at all costs that they expressed willingness to amputate limbs or agree to open heart surgery if she developed infections or secondary medical conditions (such as diabetes, gangrene, or heart disease) that threatened her survival. The Schindlers later said that they were misunderstood, but they did not deny having made these statements. Another section of the report describes the Schindlers as not only disputing the diagnosis that their daughter is in a persistent vegetative state, but also apparently saying they don't believe such a condition even exists.

If Wolfson's report is accurate about the Schindlers' attitudes, it's hard to feel sympathy for them anymore. It goes without saying that no family should have to go through this kind of tragedy; at this point, however, my sympathy is almost entirely for Terri Schiavo. Her best interests are being sacrificed to political opportunism on one side, and family self-indulgence and fanaticism on the other.

Thanks to Chief for tipping me off to Emma's post.