Cartoonist Tony Auth's latest outrage (Terri Shiavo)

The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | Oct. 23, 2003 | Tony Auth

[End Times Sentinel]

Leave it to Jew Hater Extraordinaire, Tony Auth to determine that not STARVING a woman to death because she's inconvenient, is actually holding up The Lord's plans.

Too bad Terri Schiavo isn't Jewish, then he could change the scene setting to Hell.

 

 

 

 

[Gunslingr3]

Fortunately, we don't murder people in this country because someone else believes their life isn't worth living.

We could hook you up to machines and keep your body turning food into waste for a long time, is that the same as living? If you don't hook a person up to machines to keep them turning food into waste, is that murder?

[RightFighter]

Folks are more interested in keeping her trapped in that atrophied body with that crippled mind. Why? Is that existence preferable to Heaven?

There was an implied assumption in this post (not your post) that Terri will go to heaven when she dies. We don't know that. Only God does.

therefore, maybe we should eliminate the laws against murder completely ??

First, WE don't have the power to eliminate the laws against murder. They come from a higher power.

[Rick.Donaldson]

That first cartoon seems spot on. Folks are more interested in keeping her trapped in that atrophied body with that crippled mind. Why? Is that existence preferable to Heaven? It's not anyone's decision, not a judge, jury nor a husband to determine someone should be starved to death. It's cruel and unusual punishment.

The parents believe that she could come back to a somewhat normal life if given the right kind of care. Apparently the husband doesn't want that. This is enough in my book to try. If it were my daughter (and I am talking from EXPERIENCE HERE) and there was a chance she could live, then give her the chance.

My own baby daughter, 20 years ago suffered from a genetic defect that caused her instestines not to function correctly. During the surgery, the doctors botch up the blood supply to her entire intestinal tract. She would have lived and grown up just fine, until that happened. The only thing keeping her alive after that was a respirator. She could NOT live with her intestines dead as they were. Nothing could be done then (transplanting intestinal tracts was completely unheard of then and only experimental when it came to peices).

I had to order the respirator turned off. She could have lived on it forever - well, for months anyway. But she was a baby, suffering and in terrible pain.

This ladie's case is different. She is NOT on life support. Nothing is keeping her alive, except her own body. Her mind might not be all there, but the parents BELIEVE THERE IS A CHANCE for her. There are many incidents where people have come back after years of being in a coma. This lady isn't even in a coma, she has suffered brain damage apparently. Removing a feeding tube is NOT the same as turning off a respirator. Not even close.

This is utter madness to believe that "we want to keep her trapped in an atrophied body with a crippled mind". What is right and proper is that if the parents want to try to help her, they want to care for her, then LET THEM. Husbands' rights NOTWITHSTANDING, this is simply the equavalent of stopping the feeding of an old person who is no longer able to feed themselves (but is full capable of speaking), it is the same as straving to death an innocent child who is mentally retarded, or starving someone who has been injured in an accident because they are "no longer useful". Either way it is WRONG

[Gunslingr3]

By your incredibly shallow, vapid and foolish "logic", we should all just kill ourselves now, since heaven is no doubt better than our current lot.

If you sincerely believe it exists, and is better, why not? But my question was more precise, because you probably enjoy your life. Would you prefer Terri's life, or the afterlife?

Hell, I have a bad headache from reading your tripe, shall I just speed up my appointment with heaven?

If you want, methinks you have a keener interest in the surer happenings around here than what may be there.

Please take the time to understand God and His purpose for us before attempting any further speculation.

Sorry, I see no grand purpose in Terri's current miserable state. I do see people interested in maintaining her current miserable state, but I sincerely wonder how many of them would take her place, instead of a place in Heaven that they want to continue denying her.

[Frank_Discussion]

I'd prefer Terri's life if my body didn't quit (hers has not) and were allowed to rehab myself (she has not been). I see that you ignored my previous advice.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Particularly considering how my uncle had severe Down's Syndrome and lived to the ripe old age of 8. I of course didn't get to know Uncle Jimmy, named after my grandfather, because he died long before my parents married.

I have a cousin who also has severe Down's Syndrome. Too bad she is still alive, huh? She is 45 and still can not care for herself. I'm still up in the air as to whether there is an "afterlife" so I will personally stick with what I can see and do in the here and now, and one of those things is to CARE FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT CARE FOR THEMSELVES.

[End Times Sentinel]

Are you saying that starving someone to death isn't murder?

 

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[smokinleroy]

Is that existence preferable to Heaven?

What if she is aware, but doesn't believe in Heaven, or thinks she may not be going there?

[Xenalyte]

I'll ask, which would you prefer. Terri's life, or the afterlife?

Our preferences mean nothing. If God wants us, He will take us.

[verity]

That pesky first amendment again!

[Gunslingr3]

There are many incidents where people have come back after years of being in a coma. This lady isn't even in a coma, she has suffered brain damage apparently.

Correct, she's not going to 'wake-up'. The parts of her brain that carry out higher functions were starved of oxygen and died after her heart attack. She's running on limbic brain (reflexes and autonomic functions: respiration, etc.) Terri died, but the vessel lives on. It's sad, and certainly understandable, that the parents have a hard time coming to grips with this and want to maintain her vessel, but she's not going to 'wake up'.

[Rick.Donaldson]

We could hook you up to machines and keep your body turning food into waste for a long time, is that the same as living? If you don't hook a person up to machines to keep them turning food into waste, is that murder?

You are SEVERELY MISINFORMED. Terri was NOT hooked up to machines keeping her alive. She was fed via a tube inserted into her stomach. The difference between my daughter (the story I told a few moments ago) and Terri is that Terri is NOT ON LIFE SUPPORT, her body keeps her alive if she is fed. My daughter on the other hand could not breathe on her own for long and died within an hour of removal of the respiration device. Terri will live for perhaps weeks (the human body can go as long as 2-3 weeks without eating at all, a few days at most without water).

[Frank_Discussion]

There is testimony that contradicts your position. You refuse to look. Why?

[Alouette]

Nazi Propagandist Josef Plank or “Seppla” Mid-1930's

[Gunslingr3]

I'd prefer Terri's life if my body didn't quit (hers has not) and were allowed to rehab myself (she has not been).

But her higher brain has more than quit, it died. Processing food into waste and energy, breathing, etc. are all functions to maintain our brains. If our brains have died, what is the purpose of maintaining those functions?

[Manic_Episode]

My brother was retarded and lived to the ripe old age of 25, finally dying of cardio myopathy. That makes the idea of KILLING TERRI particularily repugnant. I paraphrased your words to drive that point home, but it still seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

"I don't understand why people insist on keeping the vessel that housed Terri alive."

That is very obvious.

Her parents have no choice but to accept the tragedy, and would glady accept full responsibility for her care. Her husband just wants her dead. He is compounding the tragedy.

"Which would you prefer, Terri's life, or the afterlife?"

I would prefer the afterlife over even my own life, and I live very well.
What I prefer doesn't matter one bit, and I would never presume to play God and cut my life short to make things better for me.

[70times7]

which would you prefer, [your] life, or the afterlife?

If you believe your own arguement why are you still around to ask this question a second time?

[Rick.Donaldson]

Correct, she's not going to 'wake-up'. The parts of her brain that carry out higher functions were starved of oxygen and died after her heart attack. She's running on limbic brain (reflexes and autonomic functions: respiration, etc.) Terri died, but the vessel lives on. It's sad, and certainly understandable, that the parents have a hard time coming to grips with this and want to maintain her vessel, but she's not going to 'wake up'.

How do YOU know she won't? Are you a doctor? And even if you ARE a doctor, how do you KNOW? You do NOT KNOW. Her life is probably not very good. I'll ask you this HOW DO YOU KNOW she isn't completely aware of what is happening but completely unable to communicate what she knows, or sees? I just saw a program on television on Discovery or the Science Channel showing a man who had a stroke. He can not move, he can not feed himself, and he can not live without his respirator. In fact, the doctors DID NOT KNOW he was concious of all going on around him until they figured out how to communicate with him. He can blink commands and information to them now and communicate just fine. He simply can't do anything else.

By YOUR standard we should allow him to die. If he were MY father, I would do everything I could to let him live and at least THINK as long as he wanted. If *I* were in that situation, I'd want to at least have hope something could be done to fix it later.

You are ignorant of several things (as you've already shown here today) including the fact that she isn't on "life support", and further you have NO IDEA WHAT she is aware about! None of us know that, and not even her DOCTORS can say. THere's been NOTHING in regards to EEG outputs on her brain or anything else released to the public so you can NOT say "she isn't coming back". You simply do not know.

[Gunslingr3]

Terri was NOT hooked up to machines keeping her alive. She was fed via a tube inserted into her stomach.

(setting aside entirely the point that a feeding tube inserted into the stomach is a mechanical delivery of food) Why is she fed in this manner? Is it because she can't think so much as to swallow instead of breath food?

[End Times Sentinel]

That pesky first amendment again!

 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

I'm not sure I see your point.  He has the right to express whatever poorly thought out, hateful ideas that rattle around in his head.  I have the right to point out what an ass of a man he is.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”