The Schiavo issue

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Do politicians make it a habit of stopping the "pulling the plug" when it happens all over the country on a regular basis? Ummm.....no. Perhaps it is because this case is different.

You said a mouthful there. Read the GOP talking points about using this cooked up drama to unseat a Florida Democrat.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Anyone who says they know she wants to die is dillusional. No one can know. Unless you accept the word of one man..

That one man was her husband. Do you, or do you not, believe in the "sanctity of marriage"?

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Anyone who says they know she wants to die is dillusional.

And anyone who says they know that she wants to live is not?

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

And anyone who says they know that she wants to live is not?

I haven't heard anyone other than her parents say they know she wants to live. I would suppose they probably are somewhat dillusional. Good lord knows if it was my kid I'd be, too.

[Name]

I will only go with my feeling. If I were in the position of living(if you call it living) with a feeding tube shoved in me, unable to communicate, unable to move about. I would rather die. Because the truth of it is, I would not really be living anyway.

[wendybeth]

I do agree with you, Name, and I have a directive along with my will. (Eric and I finally broke down last year and had wills, etc, drawn up). I really would not want to live like that, either. I also agree with Disneyphile- this is a cruel way to die, and it is ironic, given how she wound up in this state to begin with. I suppose I mostly distrust the husband, but I distrust these damn politicians even more. I nearly choked on my coffee when I read Bush's comments- excuse me?

However, the simple fact remains- the only person who claims to know what she would want is her husband, who let her live in such a state for some years before he conveniantly remembers her wishes. In my mind, he reliquished his rights as husband when he began a family with another person. I still do not understand why he didn't divorce her when he began his new family. I have my suspicions, but I'm sure he'd say it was so he could carry out her final wishes.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

the only person who claims to know what she would want is her husband, who let her live in such a state for some years before he conveniantly remembers her wishes.

This is a sticking point for me as well, but I don't know why.

I've never seen any allegation that Mr. Schiavo has used the money awarded in the lawsuit for anything other than her care? Has anyone else?

Is it not possible that Mr. Schiavo carried on until the lawsuit was won and Terry had been evaluated over and over and over by competant medical personnel before he too gave up hope?

This is all speculation at this point. But the fact remains that these 2 were married when all this business started and court precedent is a surviving spouse makes these kinds of decision, before any grown children and before a surviving parent.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

However, the simple fact remains- the only person who claims to know what she would want is her husband, who let her live in such a state for some years before he conveniantly remembers her wishes

If I recall, this batter has been going on for quite a few years. It wasn't just recently that he "remembered her wishes". It just recently came into the public light.

I believe he's trying to carry out her wishes, but at this point I think that he should just let her parents take custody of her if only to get the government to stop making all sorts of laws about this. It's a slippery slope no matter which way you go.

[wendybeth]

Her injury ocurred in 1990, the malpractice case was settled in 1992, and it wasn't until 1998 that Mr. Schiavo filed to have her feeding tube removed.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Her injury ocurred in 1990, the malpractice case was settled in 1992, and it wasn't until 1998 that Mr. Schiavo filed to have her feeding tube removed.

Thanks for the dates.

[Name]

In her current state, is anyone even sure she is capable of understanding the situation and having an opinion either way. To say yes or no could be argued as dillusional.

disclaimer: I have not followed this at all closely, so I am unsure of the absolute facts of this case, so if it has been proven or if it is the opinion of the majority of the medical community that she is capable of rational thought, then this post is herby null and void. However, with that said, if there is disagreement amongst the medical community whether or not she has the ability to think, then this post is valid.