The Politics of Terri

[itsbob]

Post your theories here! What do you suppose is making the Republicans turn this woman into their own personal political football? Do you think it's because of the abortion issue? Or pandering to the "religious right" (whatever that means)? Or trying to take attention away from other matters?

I'll listen to all comers because I can't for the life of me figure it out.

I don't think it's the republicans making a big deal out of this, I think it's the Democrats that are, because if you haven't noticed no matter WHAT the republicans do or don't do in this matter, they lose. If they do something to save her life, they would have to bypass current laws, maybe even amend the constitution to rule against the husbands will, and if they let her die, they will be touted as murderers..

No win situation for the Republicans, but have you noticed NONE of the big Democratic players have voiced an opinion either way.. where's Hillary? or the loon form CA? They are waiting for her to either die, or the republicans to step in, THEN they will let EVERYONE know how wrong everyone but them were.. and whatever happens, they will be on the other side of the fence throwing rocks over trying to hit any republican they can find..

and why HER?? Because Jeb is being touted as the next possible Republican president.. of the THOUSANDS of people in Hospice of which 100's are probably in very similar situations why did the press pick her out? Who pointed the press in that direction? I'm sure you will find the Democratic leadership's hands in here somewhere.

 

[itsbob]

Terri's parents moved the balloon to follow her eyes.

Exactly.. if you stare at her long enough and film every second, sooner or later you are going to get a 3 - 5 second snippet where it looks like she is looking into your face with recognition.. watch mom as she moves her head to stay inline with Terri's eyes..

I'm saying it right here.. I don't want to live like that.. ANYBODY with the backbone PLEASE pull the plug for me.. even if she has full mental faculties (which I 100% doubt) can you imagine what kind of mental torture she would be living through EVERY day!?

 

[SamSpade]

No win situation for the Republicans, but have you noticed NONE of the big Democratic players have voiced an opinion either way.. where's Hillary?

Yeah - noticed. I can see why the Republicans got involved, but it's going to bite them in the azz, because Terri is going to die, and they can't possibly glean a "win" from this.

What I can't get is why the Democrats aren't beating them in the head over this. The only explanation I can think of is that old saw "when your enemy is busy making a mistake, *let* him".

 

[somdcrab]

Yeah - noticed. I can see why the Republicans got involved, but it's going to bite them in the azz, because Terri is going to die, and they can't possibly glean a "win" from this.

What I can't get is why the Democrats aren't beating them in the head over this. The only explanation I can think of is that old saw "when your enemy is busy making a mistake, *let* him".

my point exactly say nothing and let them bury themselves............ the vast majority of Americans no matter what their religion , feel congress did not belong in this familys dilemma because there is NOT a right decision either way someone is gonna have another opinion when it aint their wife, husband , kid, etc in that hospice

 

[vraiblonde]

So apparently, it was Terri Schiavo's wish that her life be terminated, but not until after making a lot of money on it.

Then why didn't he take one of the multi-million dollar offers that have been made to him? One guy offered him $10 million. He has more to gain financially by turning over guardianship to her parents. Why isn't he doing it, if money ishis motivation?

Anyway, I caught a snippet of Rush this afternoon while I was running errands. This is about abortion. Rush went off on one caller about "sanctity of life" and "all life is sacred", then proceeded into a diatribe about how man doesn't have the right to say what is and isn't life.

:bing:, said the lightbulb in my head as it came on.

 

[dems4me]

This is about abortion. Rush went off on one caller about "sanctity of life" and "all life is sacred", then proceeded into a diatribe about how man doesn't have the right to say what is and isn't life.

:bing:, said the lightbulb in my head as it came on.

This is what I was trying to state yesterday

 

[dems4me]

Yeah - noticed. I can see why the Republicans got involved, but it's going to bite them in the azz, because Terri is going to die, and they can't possibly glean a "win" from this.

What I can't get is why the Democrats aren't beating them in the head over this. The only explanation I can think of is that old saw "when your enemy is busy making a mistake, *let* him".

The only thing I can think of is that we are a compassionate caring party and we realize this is a sensitive and delicate matter. :shrug:


and yes, this is from the same girl that said stick a paintbrush in her mouth or between the toes to see if she can paint ...

 

[somdcrab]

Then why didn't he take one of the multi-million dollar offers that have been made to him? One guy offered him $10 million. He has more to gain financially by turning over guardianship to her parents. Why isn't he doing it, if money ishis motivation?

Anyway, I caught a snippet of Rush this afternoon while I was running errands. This is about abortion. Rush went off on one caller about "sanctity of life" and "all life is sacred", then proceeded into a diatribe about how man doesn't have the right to say what is and isn't life.

:bing:, said the lightbulb in my head as it came on.

i ain't gonna say told ya so

and i am not saying this to badger or rub it in and trust me people in my party have pissed me off and embarrassed me, but i never have been ashamed to be a democrat because i am a American first on that note vrai i'd be livid @ those in the GOP who did this if i was a republican

 

[somdcrab]

The only thing I can think of is that we are a compassionate caring party and we realize this is a sensitive and delicate matter. :shrug:


and yes, this is from the same girl that said stick a


not the painting part tho that was a :shrug: dems

 

[SamSpade]

Then why didn't he take one of the multi-million dollar offers that have been made to him? One guy offered him $10 million. He has more to gain financially by turning over guardianship to her parents. Why isn't he doing it, if money ishis motivation?

I don't know. I haven't heard of that offer, except in your posts. Do you have a link? Why would he gain by losing guardianship? Retaining guardianship for a woman who's hopeless, whose family wants it, strikes me as a reasonable course of action for him. Why would he fight it?

Maybe he's truly altruistic. But we both decided that no one is.

I don't really understand his motivation either. I just think some circumstances look fishy. He didn't seem concerned about ending her life until he fought with the Schindlers. Then he seemed determined to do it right away. Inside a week he was posting signs not to resuscitate her.

So why wouldn't he just turn her over? Stands to gain - former wife gone, responsibility gone - she lives - why bother?

The ONLY thing that fits, is he just hates the Schindlers. Looks a bit like spite.

 

[Spoiled]

my psyche professor (who also does medical stuff for some hospital) said she hadnt seen enough to say if its possible or not to come out of it. She said she was skeptical after 15 years that she could. She was also suprised to not hear of her changing or not changing her behavior since the tube has been removed, in other words signs of hunger...

 

[SamSpade]

Ok, it's official - I'm tired of this subject. With any luck, in six months I will have forgotten all about Terri Shiavo.

 

[vraiblonde]

I don't know. I haven't heard of that offer, except in your posts. Do you have a link?

Here's a million

I can't find any link to the $10 million so maybe that was a figment of my imagination or I caught a typo. But they said on the news that he's been offered several large sums of money to relinquish guardianship. Why doesn't he take the money?

The ONLY thing that fits, is he just hates the Schindlers. Looks a bit like spite.

Come on. Over 15 years, all this legal wrangling, having his name drug through the mud and the death threats he's getting? That's some pretty strong spite.

 

[MargeInCharge]

What about the Texas Futile Care Law that Bush signed into law while governor of TX? Hospitals are allowed to pull the plug and/or disconnect the feeding tubes even without the consent of the family in TX, thanks to Bush. Doesn't anyone else see the hypocrisy in his extreme attention to the Schiavo case, when if she were in TX, the hospital could do the unplugging even if her husband and family wanted her to stay connected?

 

[alex]

Maybe he is just trying to fulfill a final commitment he made to his wife to not let her live this way. To REFUSE TREATMENT to keep her alive by artifical means.

Everyone is stating he is abusing her, neglecting her, murdering her. All he is doing is refusing treatment for her, which the courts decided was his right as her guardian.

It is the same for someone who has a do not resitate (sp?) order. They are refusing treatment. Why is it so hard for people to accept that this is what is happening?

 

[Ken King]

I'm aware that the currant law does cover what Michael is doing and it should be modified. You and I do agree he is causing her physical death but the judges do not read Florida law like you.

I read it as it is written; top to bottom, left to right. I suspect that the judges do the same. The words are clear and easy to read, for the most part.

I know that the judges have followed the sequence of declaring a guardian along the established path of succession. But what I haven't seen is them following the requirements of the Adult Protection Services Act. Specifically as to what does or does not constitute neglect and the required actions when neglect is alleged against the guardian.

I see the judges allowing for Terri’s “right to death” based on the presumption that this is what they believe she would want even though the required advanced directive doesn’t exist. I am sure there is a lot of factual information that has not been made public for one reason or another that could sway my opinion. But by simply keeping it to the law I just don’t see how they can legally deprive her of nutrition and water as that is a specific enumerated cause of determining neglect.

 

[Charles]

I read it as it is written; top to bottom, left to right. I suspect that the judges do the same. The words are clear and easy to read, for the most part.

I know that the judges have followed the sequence of declaring a guardian along the established path of succession. But what I haven't seen is them following the requirements of the Adult Protection Services Act. Specifically as to what does or does not constitute neglect and the required actions when neglect is alleged against the guardian.

I see the judges allowing for Terri’s “right to death” based on the presumption that this is what they believe she would want even though the required advanced directive doesn’t exist. I am sure there is a lot of factual information that has not been made public for one reason or another that could sway my opinion. But by simply keeping it to the law I just don’t see how they can legally deprive her of nutrition and water as that is a specific enumerated cause of determining neglect.

This mornings Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11087-2005Mar29.html/?nav=yahoolocal
This judge saw it your way.

 

[Bruzilla]

That's why it bothers me a little when everyone clambers aboard the bandwagon, because they presume some things are facts, when they're not. I've argued this issue on other boards, and it surprises me who's on what side on the issue.

When you build an argument, you try to base it on a few facts. The most basic fact in Terri's case is her PVS condition. I talked this weekend with a medical professional who has dealt with PVS victims over the last 30 years. Her opinion is that Terri is very severely brain-damaged and could not ever hope to recover from that state - but that she is *NOT* PVS. That appears to be the opinion of one of Terri's former neurologists as well. So the situation is still, the basic fact of her condition is seriously in dispute.

I think that your post brings to light the most irratating and frustrating aspect of this case: that people are going about offering professional opinions, when they are partly or completely ignorant of the facts. I'm guessing that the doctors you mentioned were basing their "diagnosis" on the video tapes they have seen, and on the statements made by the Schindlers about all of Terry's alledged abilities. I think that such commentary and opinion offering as wreckless and irresponsible.

So, who's telling the truth? I think that rather than watching old prompted videos, or listening to the emotional charged and overly-hopeful claims of a mother and father, one should just look at the court decisions. Does anyone actually believe that this case could have passed through all of these courts and judges if there was any, ANY, truth to the claims of the Schindlers? Do you really think that all of the dozens of doctors and healthcare pros who have worked with this woman wouldn't have rushed to her defense if there were any valid indications that she wasn't PVS, had any chance of recovery, or if she was actually mentally alive? To believe that is to believe that there is some vast conspiracy involving hundreds of judges, doctors, and lawyers in Florida to kill this woman. I guarantee you it would have only taken one competent doctor to come forward and say "I disagree" to turn the whole effort off. But every doctor who's actually worked with Terri Schiavo says the same thing... PVS.

And please don't base any opinions on the statements made by all of these never-heard-from-before alledged medical professionals who are coming out of the woodwork lately. Fox News had a bogus nurse on, I heard an obviously phony doctor on Rush the other day, and even Jeb Bush's pro-life doctor wouldn't sacrifice his reputation by saying that she isn't in a PVS, only that she needed further tests to validate what hundreds of tests have already shown.