1 I have referenced only the Boston Globe (Boston's major newspaper) to elucidate the story, not because the material does appear in a variety of forums, but so that there can be no fear of my "picking and choosing" sources to give a biased narrative of events.

2 "Bid To End Life Support Was Quick:DSS Acted Swiftly After Obtaining Custody Of Girl," Patricia Wen, Boston Globe February 7, 2006

3 "DSS To Seek Outside Expertise In Haleigh Case: No Plans To Take Girl Off Life Support," Patricia Wen, Boston Globe, January 21, 2006

4 "State Lawmakers Want To Question DSS Commissioner: Handling Of Haleigh Case Draws Beacon Hill Concern," Michael Levenson, Boston Globe January 22, 2006 and ibid February 7, 2006.

5 "Girl In Vegetative State Reported To Improve," Patricia Wen, Boston Globe January 19, 2006

6 ibid

7 "High Court To Hear Life Support Case Involving 11 Year Old Girl," Boston Globe December 6, 2005

8 Kauffman, Michael W., American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies, Random House, 2004

9 See Sanhedrin 42b which describes how Jewish courts functioned. When someone convicted of a capital offense was brought out to be executed, a man with a red scarf was posted at the door of the court and another man near the site of the execution sat on a horse where he could see the man with the scarf. If a witness came to the court at the last minute with exonerating evidence, the scarf was waved and the man on the horse quickly rode over to stop the execution.

10 There is controversy regarding the ability of patients in PVS to experience pain. Even if they do physiologically experience pain, the lack of cortical function may bar them from "feeling" the pain in the conventional sense. But if they do experience pain, then the suffering involved in dehydration and starvation must be considered a barbaric assault on a defenseless person. Either way, removal of feeding tubes is misguided: either the patient feels no pain and we are not relieving suffering or the patient experiences the torture of starvation and dehydration!

11 Despite expectations of her imminent demise, Karen Ann Quinlan lived for 10 years after her respirator was withdrawn.

12 http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/cruzan.html

13 A conflict of interest does not prove malignant intentions, but should raise serious questions regarding who should be the surrogate decision-maker. While a spouse may be the natural choice for substituted judgment, becoming romantically involved with another woman should raise obvious questions as to whether Michael Schiavo remained the proper legal proxy for his incapacitated wife. He may have loved her, but that does not remove his conflict of interest.

14 "Group Hits DSS Lawyer In Girl's Case," Patricia Wen, Boston Globe February 8, 2006

15 "DSS Chief Says Doctors Erred In Haleigh Case," Adam Gorlick, Boston Globe March 24, 2006

16 See http://www.braininjury.com/coma.html for a concise discussion of coma and vegetative state

17 http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page)

18 Schiavo, Michael and Hirsh, Michael, Terri : The Truth, Dutton Adult, 2006 19 Michael Schiavo argues in the preface to his book, that it was a consortium of right wing zealots who distorted the story of Terri Schiavo. He writes: "I was condemned by the president, the majority leaders of the House and Senate, the governor of Florida, the pope, and the right-wing media, all because I was doing what Terri--the woman I loved--wanted." His battle cry to oppose such forces ignores the possibility that there may be ethical values that our society shares and which we may legitimately wish to protect.