The Schiavo issue

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by mousepod

I do have one question, though: does this non-political humanitarian move by the federal government mean that they're going to pass a massive health care bill to take care of all the poor, sick and starving folks here in the US?

Congress will be addressing our health care needs on a case-by-case basis. To get a vague idea as to when Congress will be voting on your issues, please consult the bipartisan priority seating schedule below.



The Patriotic Patriot's Priority Seating Guide for the Congressional Culture of Life Act - 2005:

States with a governor related to the president
Red States
Iraq
North Korea
Blue States
The home state of that b*tch who dumped the president in college

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Go walk into any stranger's ICU room with a bottle of water in any hospital in this country and see what kind of reaction you get.

I'd be escorted out, but not arrested, unless I decided to do it several times.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I'd be escorted out, but not arrested, unless I decided to do it several times.

Okay, now imgine the same scenario, but add a court order that she is not to be fed or given water, plus a high profile which means a increased probability of escalation. The job of the police is to maintain order. Following normal procedure where infractions are overlooked so as not to create a scene does not work in an abnormal situation. In those cases, they have every right to follow the letter of the law if it will maintain order. Just as they have every right to be more lenient if it's not necessary.

[Nephythys]

Links from someone who rants on this better than anyone else I have seen-

Lots of Good Points

I would suggest those who think the husband is such a loving man carrying out her wishes should check the link from the nurse- or like Rachel says, maybe she is just another political hack

[scaeagles]

I've heard those stories, Nephy, and I thank you for the link.

[Nephythys]

Thank you Leo- your post was a nice way to start this morning.

Throughout my time at Palm Gardens, Michael Schiavo was focused
on Terri's death. Michael would say "When is she going to die?,"
"Has she died yet?" and "When is that bitch gonna die?" These
statements were common knowledge at Palm Gardens, as he would
make them casually in passing, without regard even for who he was
talking to, as long as it was a staff member.

Direct Link to Nurse's Affidavit

Yeah- that's someone I would trust.

oh yeah- here you go-

Any time Terri would be sick, like with a UTI or fluid buildup in her
lungs, colds, or pneumonia, Michael would be visibly excited, thrilled
even, hoping that she would die. He would say something like,
"Hallelujah! You've made my day!" He would call me, as I was the
nurse supervisor on the floor, and ask for every little detail about her
temperature, blood pressure, etc., and would call back frequently
asking if she was dead yet. He would blurt out "I'm going to be rich!"
and would talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died,
which included a new car, a new boat, and going to Europe, among
other things.

Check out the top cartoon- Small Gov't

[SacTown Chronic]

This issue, more than anything else, demonstrates just how powerful a stranglehold the far, far religious right has on Mr. Bush's nuts. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there would be no President Dubya if it weren't for the fundamentalists who bought his bs early on.


Link (It's funny that Bush was against big government until he took possession of the hammer.)



Can anyone imagine being so beholden to a group of people that you have to cut short your vacation in order to do their bidding? ::shudder::


I almost pity the fool, but, as always, there's a price to pay when you sell your soul to such a powerful entity. Everybody knows that.

[Prudence]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

Links from someone who rants on this better than anyone else I have seen-

Lots of Good Points

I would suggest those who think the husband is such a loving man carrying out her wishes should check the link from the nurse- or like Rachel says, maybe she is just another political hack

I am going to quibble with the link you provided. That link relies heavily on the testimony of a particulary doctor, William Hammesfahr. If this is the best medical support the parents can come up with, well, frankly it's unconvincing at best. I spent some time this morning googling the good doctor, and he's not exactly respected amongst his peers. The term "quack" came up more than once, as did sanctions from the Florida board of health (sanctions for overcharging patients for treatments not received were later overturned, as the Board did not prove they were intentional. The appellate court addressed only the overpayment issue, and not the finding by the Administrative Law Judge that Hammesfahr's treatments were outside the generally accepted standard of care.)

In fact, his name comes up almost exclusively in connection with this case. No presentations at medical conferences, not even a single publication listed in MEDLINE. Nearly every time he's mentioned, he's alleged to be a "Nobel prize nominee." And yet a quick google on the Nobel prize nomination process reveals that nominees are not supposed to be informed of their nomination, and that all nomination records are sealed for 50 years. Therefore, there's no way to validate. He does provide a copy of his alleged nomination letter, written by his congressman. Members of "national assemblies and governments of state" are allowed to nominate candidates. Any candidate they like. So it is possible his congressman nominated him. We can't verify this with the Nobel folks, and there's no minimum standard anyhow, so it's not that swell a qualification. (It actually smacks of desperation.)

I don't have a problem with people who reach different conclusions than I do. Some people here have made very good, well-reasoned statements distinguishing feeding tubes from "pulling the plug." I do have a problem with misleading, biased, and/or marginal information being passed off as hard science. Maybe it's the latent librarian in me, but it's not just what's said, it's who says it.

Why am I "picking on" this side of the argument? Because it's the one flying in the face of mainstream medical opinion. I would be absolutely willing to read and consider other medical opinions, but they'd better have better credentials than Dr. Hammesfahr.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Alright, enough of this fluff. Let's focus on the REAL issue. How the hell do you pronunce that name? Is it "she-aw-vo" which is how it's spelled and how I read it? Or is it "shy-vo" which is how I've heard most people pronounce it?

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by Prudence

I spent some time this morning googling the good doctor

Are you in need of a cigarette?