Hard Questions

Hard Questions by Marilyn Adams The American Eagle News and Economic Report March 20, 2005

(Tallahassee, FL) If you have been watching the news over the last 48 hours, much focus has been given to Terri Schiavo. The young lady is currently residing in a hospice facility where her feeding tube was withdrawn Friday to begin the process of starvation and dehydration via court order.

With involvement at the state level, which began in 2003 when Governor Bush signed Terri's Law, to the federal level, where deliberations are currently ongoing, we must ask several hard questions. Why is government involved?

Believing a federal level Democrat who spoke on national television, government involvement goes against Congressional power. But in the state of Florida, the Florida legislature already interjected themselves. They did this by defining PVS at the state level (which is different from the medical definition) and defining PVS as a terminal illness, which it is not. Many illnesses could conceivably be terminal. The medical professions were not involved in this process. Most medical professionals, physicians and nurses alike, were not given the luxury of being consulted regarding input that composed this bill which became law.

Florida lawmakers' also classified feeding tubes as a form of medical treatment. This medical treatment can be withdrawn with clear and convincing evidence in the absence of written directives. The clear and convincing evidence which swayed the Florida courts to rule in favor of Terri's husband, were nothing more than casual comments allegedly verbalized to the husband and two of his relatives many years ago. We face this situation today because the Florida legislature could not correct a faulty law which they created. The altered laws, along with the courts' rulings created this, and all without the citizens' votes or awareness.

The citizens of Florida are left with religious organizations in disagreement, legal disagreements, and medical disagreements. How can Florida legislators rectify that? Allowing a woman to die is obviously not the solution.

Like Cruzan and Browning, this will be a landmark case. The outcome will affect us all. Terri is not dying, but being put to death by manual hands. She is being passively, non-voluntarily euthanized. Purposely ending a life is, by definition, euthanasia.

Former Lee County Sheriff, John McDougall, was arrested Saturday after trying to bring Terri Schiavo water. Why would a stranger do this selfless act? Why risk arrest? A man of the law who believes in the sanctity of life wants to save Terri from death.

A Christian Motorcyclist Association member was shown on television as he was led to a police cruiser at the hospice facility. He must have the same convictions as Sheriff McDougall, that life is precious. These men have a strong moral clarity. They believe killing a disabled American for no crime is wrong.

Why are so many disability groups involved? Apparently, they are fearful they too could one day be starved and dehydrated to death for an inconvenient disability.

The New York Times ran an article that death by starvation and dehydration is painless. Only if you call a respiratory rate of 60-70 breathes per minute not painful, can you agree with them. If you call a beet red face caused from asphyxiation not painful, can you agree with them. If you call a shrunken stomach with dried blood inside digesting itself not painful, can you agree with them. Attempt breathing 60-70 breathes per minute, you will then gain only a minute idea of the 'painless' experience.

What are the possible ramifications of making Terri dead by starvation and dehydration under these circumstances? Will it eventually lead the U.S. to be like Belgium and euthanize infants with cleft palates? Will we euthanize those with Alzheimer's, as they cannot verbalize their wishes? Will we withhold dialysis treatments because a state makes a law declaring you are a financial drain on society?

We should be asking ourselves who is behind such an obviously orchestrated effort, and who is involved in legalization, not only of euthanasia, but physician assisted suicide. Who has the money to fund this agenda? Do the people of this country favor these forms of medical treatment?

We need guarantees that our physicians and nurses will treat us for the illnesses we have, and not allow us to be killed off by a guardian with ulterior motives. On second thought, how can we trust our physicians and nurses?

Purposely ending a life is, by definition, euthanasia.

No, purposely ending a life is, by definition, either suicide or homicide - depending on who did the "ending".

This case is judicially-ordered homicide. Nothing more.

She may be a vegetable, she may actually be able to follow what's going on around her reasonably well, I don't know for sure, she is sucking up thousands upon thousands of dollars with the feeding tubes, I don't know the exact figure, it could be that she told her husband to take out the tubes if something like this happened, I don't know that either, reguardless, she is alive, she is breathing, albeit with a tube, and taking away the tubes is killing her. Call it what you will, homicide, euthenasia, murder, whatever, I thought we had the right to life, liberty, etc. Maybe not.

(Vanity) Time to send federal marshalls to protect Terri! by SeasideSparrow
Yes, or no?

She needs immediate protection while Congress haggles!

This Florida circuit Judge Greer has broke the law and therefore, Congress and the President have the right to act to save Terri's life and to offer Terri immediate protection. - by SeasideSparrow (paraphrased)

Michael Schiavo has proven his disgust of Terri; - and The Schindler Family has proven their love for Terri.

Michael Schiavo does NOT deserve our pity, but Terri definitely deserves our help!

To All: - For a good indication of Terri's true condition - suffering from a brain disability - yes; but otherwise, certainly alive and responsive to her parents, read the following article:

A Must Read: A Visit With Terri Schiavo - by Attorney Barbara Weller - Christmas yEve day, 2004 (Post #46 - by Pegita)

Terri Schindler (/schiavo); & the (Documented) Lies of Michael Schiavo by Cheryl Ford, RN

The TERRI SCHINDLER SCHIAVO Foundation
= Terri's Fight = www.terrisfight.org = [Schiavo = (SHY'-voh)]

http://www.terrisfight.org = Terri's Fight . org

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