The Schiavo issue

[Scrooge McSam]

I hope that all involved will just let it go now.

Sorry, but that's not to be.

Terri's parents are preparing to file an appeal with the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

[Nephythys]

If a convicted killer on death row has the right to continue appeals until they reach the end of their options- so do these people. Whether anyone likes it or not.

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I hope that all involved will just let it go now.

It won't happen. Tom DeLay has an ass to save -- his own.


"On Friday, as the leaders of both chambers scrambled to try to stop the removal of Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, Mr. DeLay, a Texas Republican, turned his attention to social conservatives gathered at a Washington hotel and described what he viewed as the intertwined struggle to save Ms. Schiavo, expand the conservative movement and defend himself against accusations of ethical lapses.

"One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America," Mr. DeLay told a conference organized by the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group. A recording of the event was provided by the advocacy organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

"This is exactly the issue that is going on in America, of attacks against the conservative movement, against me and against many others," Mr. DeLay said.

Mr. DeLay complained that "the other side" had figured out how "to defeat the conservative movement," by waging personal attacks, linking with liberal organizations and persuading the national news media to report the story. He charged that "the whole syndicate" was "a huge nationwide concerted effort to destroy everything we believe in."


And all this time I thought DeLay was crooked and immoral. Turns out he's just a victim of politically driven personal attacks.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

If a convicted killer on death row has the right to continue appeals until they reach the end of their options- so do these people. Whether anyone likes it or not.

They had reached the end of their options until this Congress decided to write a new set of rules for them.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Scrooge McSam

They had reached the end of their options until this Congress decided to write a new set of rules for them.

Isn't that what Congress does? Write and change rules all the time? Tax law, speed limits, immigration policy, whatever.

While I am aware there is much disdain here for members of the republican party, it is important to remember that this is a largely bi-partisan issue, with support for the actions taken broad from each side of the aisle.

I do not begrudge her parents taking it to the next level. From their point of view, their daughter is being murdered. I'd probably do the same thing.

[Claire]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7254897/?GT1=6305

A link to a story about today's decision.

The measure yesterday passed in a 203-58 vote. 47 Democrats voted for the bill, 53 Democrats and 5 Republicans voted against it.

The bill seems to contradict another law signed by Bush in Texas:

Bush contradicts stance from 1999


The Associated Press


AUSTIN, Texas — The federal law President Bush signed to prolong Terri Schiavo's life in Florida appears to conflict with a Texas law he signed as governor, lawyers said Monday.

The 1999 Advance Directives Act in Texas allows for a patient's surrogate to make end-of-life decisions and spells out how to proceed if a hospital or other health provider disagrees with a decision to maintain or halt life-sustaining treatment.

If a doctor refuses to honor a decision, the case goes before a medical committee. If the committee agrees with the doctor, the guardian or surrogate has 10 days to agree or seek treatment elsewhere.

Thomas Mayo, an associate law professor at Southern Methodist University who helped draft the Texas law, said that if the Schiavo case had happened in Texas, her husband would have been her surrogate decision-maker. Because both he and her doctors were in agreement, life support would have been discontinued.

The Texas law does not include a provision for dealing with conflicts among family members who disagree with the surrogate decision-maker — as has happened in the Schiavo case — although in practice hospital ethics committees would try to resolve such disputes, he said.

The Texas law, Mayo said, tends to keep such cases out of court, allowing life-support decisions to be made privately.

[SacTown Chronic]

Just so we're clear: It was Jeb Bush's attorney, Ken Conner, with the help of a friend - Florida Congressman Dave Weldon (R), who schemed to take this issue to the next level.


I love, no, make that loathe, the attempt being made around the country to spin the Democrat's refusal to ensnare themselves into a moral values trap sprung by the Republicans into a "bipartisan" effort supported by everyone. With Pro-Life activist Randall Terry (Or read this if you can stomach the lies) and his army of like-minded zealots itching to label any politician who opposes Congress getting involved with this issue as being "against life", who can blame the Democrats for taking a pass on this fight?

Having said that, there are, I concede, many Democrats who do believe that Congress is doing the right thing here and they voted accordingly. There were also, much to my surprise, several Republicans who voted against this bill.

[Claire]

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

Just so we're clear: It was Jeb Bush's attorney, Ken Conner, with the help of a friend - Florida Congressman Dave Weldon (R), who schemed to take this issue to the next level.

Oh my gosh, exactly. This is not at all about G.W. It's about the right being behind their new man. That's what makes me want to puke. It's the right covering Jeb.'s butt. He got involved and stayed involved, made it about something other than it is. And now he's backed by his party country-wide, and he'll be some sort of party martyr over it. It's disgusting.

[tikiboy]

This is a gut wrenching case for sure.

The problem is that I don't see providing nutrition as being "extraordinary" for keeping a person alive.

I become very afraid when people think that they can determine when other people's lives should end, based solely on what they think. It already happens now with the unborn, and it's starting to happen to the elderly. How many more years will it be before we become so sterilized that anyone with a serious medical affliction will be "put down for their own good," but really so society doesn't have to deal with them?

I do understand the concept of a living will. I'm not ignoring that, but to say the equate feeding someone with "extreme measures" is baffling to me. It's just another example of how human life is being cheapened by the day.

As a side note, folks above brought up the fact that since Mrs. Shiavo is Catholic, she can't get a divorce. Untrue. Any Catholic can get a divorce, they just can't remarry.

[Claire]

Originally Posted by tikiboy

This is a gut wrenching case for sure.

The problem is that I don't see providing nutrition as being "extraordinary" for keeping a person alive.

Florida law disagrees with you. In Florida, feeding and hudration tubes are extraordinary measures.

I think that people should be concentrating on changing that law if that's what they're really upset about. I know it's just one of many many issues that people are upset about, but that law could certainly be looked at.

tikiboy, I understand your gut reaction to the case....it's totally heartbreaking.