PREPARING FOR THE END

Another day, another court rejection. The United States Supreme Court turned down yet another emergency request for a hearing on reinserting Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. It was the sixth time the high court has rebuffed requests to become involved in the longstanding controversy.

This latest appeal was based on an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta stating that Tampa Federal District Court Judge James D. Whittemore should have considered the entire body of litigation in ruling against Bob and Mary Schindler instead of only ruling on procedural issues.

Meanwhile, Rev. Jesse Jackson returned to Pinellas Park Wednesday afternoon after spending much of the day in Tallahassee to lobby Governor Bush and legislators to once again intervene. Jackson met with Senate President Tom Lee and three black senators who had voted against a bill last week which was intended to have Mrs. Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted.

Mrs. Schiavo is now in her 14th day without food or water, and doctors had originally said that she could only survive one to two weeks without nutrition or hydration.

Rev. Jackson reportedly spoke with Terri's parents and urged them to prepare for the end, as the legal options have all but run out and legislators are unwilling to revisit the issue.