Question for my Fellow Freepers...

March 23, 2005 | Hildy

[rwfromkansas]

I have no problem with your wishes. As I just posted, I would want to go in such a state as well.

However, I also support Terri's parents in this fight. There is enough stuff about Michael that makes me seriously question his truthfulness...and I think the feds need to start the case over from scratch to determine if Greer's court was corrupt.

[cyborg]

I have a living will. My mother does too. Terri didn't have one and should be given over to her parents. Michael Schiavo is shady to me and strikes me as being less than honest or noble in his motives.

[cyborg]

bttt

[Hildy]

I never said that. I haven't called anyone a liar.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

I agree with you statement!

[Wolfstar]

In answer to your question:

Speaking strictly of life-threatening injuries such as the example you use resulting from a car accident: The way I see it as an educated lay person (not a medical professional), in the immediate aftermath of trauma, EMT's and emergency room personnel have an obligation to try to save life. Other than individuals who wind up in emergency care due to suicide attempts, or those whose religious convictions cause them to shun any medical care, I don't think anyone would refuse a chance to be saved by emergency medical care.

However, severe head injuries, whether due to accident, disease or, as in Terri Schiavo's case, to lack of oxygen, are a special class of injury. Why? Because such injuries are the only ones that deprive the person of cognition.

The point of my first post was a question of mercy, not of medical treatment. And the question stands: Are we interfering with God's merciful design of a quick death in cases of severel brain injury by keeping the body alive for years and years?

Some people deeply believe in life at all costs, no matter the quality of that life. I respect such beliefs while also wondering where mercy fits into such beliefs.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Read this!

http://www.nationalreview.com/pdf/Affidavit.pdf ^

Now you might realize why we are all on Terri's parents side!

[MamaLucci]

I sure as hell wouldn't say, "Honey, please make sure I'm starved to death".

No kidding.......this is totally different then shutting off a respirator.

[Wolfstar]

You're #250 was very well stated, and you're right. There is a flip side to my question. If these questions were easy, the debate wouldn't be so impassioned. As I told another poster, my question about God's mercy was limited strictly to severe head injury.

[Hildy]

I think DESERVE is a dumb word to use. I mean, what does it really mean? Did she deserve to have her heart stop in the first place? She had bulimia. Because of the bulimia she did certain things that led to her heart stopping. So if you want to keep using Deserve? Why not ask, "Did she deserve to have her heart stop?" Of course the answer is no. Nobody "deserves" anything. Crap happens.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

I am sorry to her your sad story,that brought me to tears!

I am happy for you that you were able to spend time with your sister in her last two years on earth!

God bless her and you!

[Two-Bits]

I would never have thought you would fall for propaganda. I honestly had given you more credit. Maybe it is time to rethink..... You're right crap happens all the time. You are a perfect example of this. Don't get in a tiff, I am only repeating what you said.

To make parents standby helplessly to watch their daughter starve to death is totally barbaric. To not allow this woman to go home to the loving care of her parents is disgraceful. Bless your poor heart, I pray you never find yourself walking in these parents footsteps. It is interesting that what goes around comes around.

[Two-Bits]

I would never have thought you would fall for propaganda. I honestly had given you more credit. Maybe it is time to rethink..... You're right crap happens all the time. You are a perfect example of this. Don't get in a tiff, I am only repeating what you said.

To make parents standby helplessly to watch their daughter starve to death is totally barbaric. To not allow this woman to go home to the loving care of her parents is disgraceful. Bless your poor heart, I pray you never find yourself walking in these parents footsteps. It is interesting that what goes around comes around.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

I have a question for you!

Should we pull Steven Hawking's feeding tube?

He has an incurable decease after all!

The doctors tell him that he will die of it!

[Zeppelin]

Thank you! That's much better, and I agree witcha!

I'm sure it took a little more than 3 seconds to type, but you got your point across and I totally agree with you.

Keep on FReepin' on.....

[Wolfstar]

You're welcome. Glad we could clarify our meaning for each other.

[teenyelliott]

First let me say that I am sad for Terri and her entire family, even her husband. No one deserves to have to go through this kind of pain, especially when you have the entire world making judgments about you during what should be a very private tragedy. I also have a hard time imagining why, in any case like this, a patient is allowed to starve to death. If we are a country that allows people in this situation to be "let go", then we should agree to do it in a more humane manner.

There is enough stuff about Michael that makes me seriously question his truthfulness

I do not mean to be callous, but what you or any other person in the general public thinks simply does not matter. I think there have been many people involved in this case on both sides who have come out making accusations, purely for personal gain and attention. For anyone to think that they have more detailed and accurate information than the police and district attorney, who would be prosecuting if there were evidence of the nature some claim, is nothing more than arrogance.

and I think the feds need to start the case over from scratch to determine if Greer's court was corrupt.

I'm not sure where to begin with this statement. The feds should not be involved at all. There are many laws that pertain to cases like this, as well as previous decisions by courts at all levels, including the Supreme Court, that set precedent. This is not the only case of this nature that has ever been litigated. This case has gotten over a decade of review. It has been heard by somewhere around twenty judges. To assume that Greer might be corrupt, when he has come to the same conclusion, based on the available facts and existing law, as every other judge to hear the case, can only mean the people calling for Greer's head simply do not like his decision. That's fine. But do not accuse a man of wrongdoing when there is no evidence to back it up.

There is no happy ending in this case, no matter what. I am a mother, and if I had to watch one of my children be denied food and water until they died, no matter what their condition, I don't know if I could live through it. But when we go to the courts in any situation, we must be prepared to accept the court's decision. Our judicial system is not, and cannot, be built on emotion. It is built on law and precedent. And in this case, Terri and her parents have received more due process than any of us could ever expect. We cannot expect to spend countless years and countless dollars everytime we do not like a decision. This case, and the facts, have been heard by every court available, with the exception of course of the Supreme Court who declined to hear it based on the fact that they have previously issued an opinion on this topic. I would never approve of this case starting over.

[Finger Monkey]

Well said.

[EveningStar]

I would take position (a) of course and I will be making a living will soon. Thank you for your strawman question. ;)

[biblewonk]

Please ignore the flames you will probably get. People have lost their minds this week.