Michael Schiavo's a good dude

[Bigdaddydvo]

Well, it's crunch time. Her feeding tube is scheduled for removal today at 1PM.

The FL Legislature and the U.S. Congress are each working on several last second measures to prevent this (notably a bill that cites the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing equal protection and due process for someone severely disabled. We'll know in a few hours if they actually come through.

Is there anything stopping a Presidential executive order? Bush has come out strongly for Terri:

"The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and concern. It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected and that culture of life must extend to individuals with disabilities"

[MMMMMM]

Since I haven't been following the case, perhaps someone could answer this for me:

What exactly is a "persistent vegetative state"? My impression is that it is worse than a coma, yet maybe not quite as bad as "brain dead". I recall somewhere reading that nobody has ever emerged from a "persistent vegetative state".

So what's the deal? Is she as good as brain dead, or is there some chance, however small, that she can recover? Is she totally unable to sense or feel anything, or to think anything?

When a close relative of mine lay dying and slipping deeper and deeper into a coma, the doctor told me that she might still be able to hear and understand even if she could not respond. Is this also the case with Terri Schiavo, can she hear or sense, or is she for all intents and purposes completely insensible and thoughtless and might as well be brain dead?

I think my view of the morality of the situation might hinge to a considerable extent on the answers to these questions. For instance if she is as good as brain dead with no hope of revovery, no feeling, no thought--then I think pulling the plug is not much different than letting someone die who has suffered complete brain death. IF.

[Daliman]

Who's killing her?

Yeah, yer right, He just wants the $$. Oh, no wait, he's turned down $$$ in several instances.

OK, he's just selfish. No, wait, he could have divorced her at any time.

Ok, he just wants to run off with another woman. Oh yeah, he could,(and has) sorta done that anyways.

No, again, it's the $$$ he's after, i'm sure of it. Oh, wait, it's almost all been eaten up by medical bills and lawyers.

Why is it he wants her dead again?


P.S. For kicks guys, ask your wives what they would want done if they were in Terry Schiavo's shoes. Act surprised when she says pull the plug, and I'll act surprised when I find out most of you have no living will for either you or your spouse covering these instances.

[Daliman]

[ QUOTE ]
Michael Schiavo is an absolute scumbag.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why?

[Stu Pidasso]

Its always been my belief that we have no moral obligation to use extraordinary means to keep an individual alive. It looks like she is getting pretty ordinary care to me. I'm not a medical professional but I suspect if she were completely brain dead, she would require a much higher level of care to keep here alive.

Stu

[BCPVP]

Even if you argue that Terry wanted to die, is starving her to death the most humane way?! I'd rather be shot than have to slowly die over a two week period.

But I believe he's a scumbag who wants to kill his wife. There are people who are perfectly willing to take care of her, such as her own family, and yet he'd rather she died than be taken care of by those who truly love her. Terry is not brain dead. She can follow people with her eyes. She smiles at certain relatives. It's been noted that she's trying to speak. And she's not on traditional lifesupport, all she has is a feeding tube.

In the absence of a living will, I say she needs to be kept alive. Verbal contracts are not worth the paper they're not written on.

[Zoelef]

Politicians are lining up to keep a brain-dead person on wires and tubes, but our society "can't afford" to provide universal health care.

[BCPVP]

I should also add this. Can you even fathom the outrage and outcry of the trial lawyers if a man sentenced to death was executed in the same fashion as Terry Schiavo is being? Does anyone here really believe that if Brian Nichols was executed for his crimes, that he'd be starved to death?! Can you even comprehend how many lawyers would be racing each other to finish their 8th amendment defenses?

That is one of the reasons this thing that calls himself a man is such an evil person.

[Bigdaddydvo]

[ QUOTE ]
Who's killing her?

Yeah, yer right, He just wants the $$. Oh, no wait, he's turned down $$$ in several instances.

OK, he's just selfish. No, wait, he could have divorced her at any time.

Ok, he just wants to run off with another woman. Oh yeah, he could,(and has) sorta done that anyways.

No, again, it's the $$$ he's after, i'm sure of it. Oh, wait, it's almost all been eaten up by medical bills and lawyers.

Why is it he wants her dead again?


P.S. For kicks guys, ask your wives what they would want done if they were in Terry Schiavo's shoes. Act surprised when she says pull the plug, and I'll act surprised when I find out most of you have no living will for either you or your spouse covering these instances.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Its always been my belief that we have no moral obligation to use extraordinary means to keep an individual alive. It looks like she is getting pretty ordinary care to me. I'm not a medical professional but I suspect if she were completely brain dead, she would require a much higher level of care to keep here alive.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you all understand that they're planning on making Terri starve to death??? A feeding tube is NOT extraordinary means. She's not on a respirator, and doesn't require any machine to keep her heart beating. This isn't a "pull the plug and die" situation. It will take 2 weeks or longer for her to shrivel up like a raisin and die.

Assess the morality here: Before he died, Christopher Reeve couldn't feed himself. Just to be safe, better let him starve. Hell my 10 month old can't feed himself either. Should we starve him, too?

Terri's husband HAS NOT allowed any reasonable therapy or advanced tests to assist in her diagnosis. He has repeatedly THWARTED any attempts to help her. He is TERRIFIED for the public to learn the additional information about her condition that would support the idea of keeping her alive.

Michael Schiavo is no different from Nazi soldiers 60 years ago killing mentally or physically disabled people because of "imperfections."

What do those evil "trial lawyers" have to do with anything? On the one hand you are arguing that it's inhumane to starve Ms. Schiavo to death, and on the other hand you seem to be insinuating that those pesky "trial lawyers" would be doing something inherently evil if they prosecuted a lawsuit arising from killing someone inhumanely.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. I just love how certain elements of our society love to blame "trial lawyers" for all of society's harms ... until it's them that needs a "trial lawyer".