Poll Shows Majority Of Florida Residents Oppose Terri's Law [Biased Question]

LifeNews.com ^ | December 7, 2003 | Steven Ertelt

[nickcarraway]

Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- One of the few polls related to the plight of Terri Schiavo was released on Sunday and it shows that a strong majority of Florida residents are opposed to Terri's Law, the legislation allowed Governor Jeb Bush to ask doctors to reinsert her feeding tube and save her life.

Conducted by The Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times newspapers, the poll showed that 65 percent of Flordians said they opposed the law while 23 percent favored it. Some 12 percent were undecided or didn't answer.

Respondents were asked: "As you may be aware, Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature recently passed a law enabling the governor to order that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube be reinserted, after a judge concluded she was in a persistent vegetative state and ordered the feeding tube to be removed. Do you agree or disagree with this decision by the governor and the legislature?"

Pro-life groups say the poll results are likely skewed in opposition to the law because the question describes Terri as being in a persistent vegetative state.

Numerous doctors have testified that she is not and they say Terri, provided with proper medical care and aggressive rehabilitation, could recover.

The newspapers' poll also found that an overwhelming number of respondents say a spouse should determine whether an incapacitated person without a living will should be taken off life support.

"[There are] 75 percent of voters think that these types of decisions should be made by the spouse," pollster Rob Schroth told the St. Petersburg Times.

Schroth said that opposition to Terri's Law ran across party lines, religious beliefs, age, income levels.

Only one-third of Republican voters agreed with the law while 16 percent of independent and Democratic voters did.

Sixty-three percent of voters aged 18-34 disagreed with the law while 68 percent of those over 65 did. The law found opposition from 57 percent of Catholics, 64 percent of Protestants, and 85 percent of Jewish state residents.

Only a majority of Hispanic voters favored the law with supporters outnumbering those opposing it by a 47 to 38 margin.

While three-fourths of voters said a spouse should make the decision about ending lifesaving medical treatment, only 45 percent of Hispanics said a spouse should decide while 36 percent said the parents should.

The poll is one of the only ones conducted related to the Terri Schiavo case, and no major national polls have been done.

WFTV in Orlando, Florida conducted an online poll on the Internet last week and nearly 6,000 people participated. Although the poll is not scientific, those taking the survey could answer only once.

Respondents were asked whether they agreed with Michael Schiavo's attorney George Felos, an assisted suicide advocate, that Terri's Law violates the Florida constitution.

Some 3,400 people, or 58 percent said it did not while 2334 people, 40 percent, said Terri's Law was unconstitutional. Two percent said they were unsure.

Meanwhile, the newspaper poll found that 54 percent of Florida residents already had a living will or other advance directive spelling out the terms of medical care a person wants to receive should they become unable to give their consent for care in the future.

That figure is twice the national average and observers say it is likely because Florida has a significantly larger portion of retired and elderly residents than most states.

Washington polling firms Schroth & Associates and The Polling Company conducted the newspapers' poll from December 1-3 and 800 registered voters were surveyed.

Schroth & Associates is a Democratic polling firm while The Polling Company is Republican.

The poll contains a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Related web sites:

Terri Schiavo's family - http://www.terrisfight.org

[nickcarraway]

The polls say one thing, but all those Florida state reps and senators obviously felt the pressure to vote for Terri's Law. They're the ones whose jobs areon the line.

Unfortunately the situation is so complex, it is hard have a poll that truly reflects the situation.

I think in most situations people do think these situations should be made by a spouse. But when you throw in the fact that the spouse has a new family with kids by his live-in girlfriend, then I bet the poll numbers shift dramatically.

Plus, any poll should make it clear that Terri's Law has NO impact on people with advanced directives.

[nickcarraway]

PING

[TheCrusader]

All this poll shows me is how much life has been cheapened in our country over the past 30 years, how little faith people have left, and how materialistic we have become. People are willing to throw away any human life they feel is a 'burdon' to them, whether it be a pre-born baby, the elderly sick, or the incapacitated like Terri Shciavo. In the eyes of many modern Americans, the ideal America is one that allows abortion on demand, Dr. Kevorkian upon request, and a hooded executioner in every hospital whose job is to make the rounds pulling the plug.

[Theodore R.]

If the majority of Floridians oppose Terri's Law, it could mean that they are ignorant of the law. It could also mean that "democracy" is as some have already said "a very bad form of government." We already know how the media (including Bill O'Reilly) has seemingly deliberately misreported Terri's situation and has sided as virtual advocates for Michael R. Schiavo and George J. Felos. We already know that a small segment of Floridians apparently do not know how to cast a vote on a "complicated butterfly" ballot. We know that FL has a high violent crime rate. It seems to me that FL has more on its plate than to be obsessed with killing a poor disabled Medicaid patient! Shame on FL if they want this poor thing killed. If so, the Floridians need a real spiritual reawakening that is beyond the persuasion of contributors on this forum.

[Theodore R.]

the ideal America is one that allows abortion on demand, Dr. Kevorkian upon request, and a hooded executioner in every hospital whose job is to make the rounds pulling the plug.

Yes, indeed, Crusader, and the "ideal American" is also one who has "total faith" in "rehabilitation" of the criminal class and favors early releases, probation, and second/third/fourth chances. But for the disabled, the "ideal American" supports the Americans for Disabilities Act, even if it has no real teeth to protect the truly disabled.

[mbynack]

Part of the problem is that most people aren't aware of anything beyond what the mainstream media is saying. My relatives in North Carolina have only heard that this poor man is trying to pull the plug on his brain dead wife to ease her suffering and the government won't let them.

[Blood of Tyrants]

It was a push poll, and as such was worded to get a desired response.

[nickcarraway]

Notice that though people disagreed with the law, the poll found they didn't find it unconstitutional. So, they may disagree, but it's not very deep. Seems like most people in Florida probably don't know much about it, and don't really care much. But of the people who do care there is a majority of people who favor it. Those Florida politicians didn't jump to attention on this as a hobby.

[isatoi]

Well, No offense to any floridians out there, but maybe the poll was confusing and they didn't know how to fill it out.

[GingisK]

All this poll shows me is how much life has been cheapened in our country over the past 30 years.

Hear! Hear!

Since when did democratic process overrule the right to life? America has become exactly what Neal Boortz labels democracy: Two wolves and a sheep voting for dinner.

[TheAngryClam]

You are aware that even Terri's independent, court-appointed guardian ad litem said that she was PVS, right?

Whining about polls that do state the facts- Terri, regardless of the actual truth of the matter, was found by a court to be in a PVS. The poll question simply includes that fact.

You all need to stop this crusade of yours and let that poor woman die in peace rather than turning her into a political football.

Ghouls.

[stainlessbanner]

those taking the survey could answer only once.

Until they clear their cookie. The WFTV poll is seriously flawed and un-newsworthy.

[Wheee The People]

Well independent of the wording of the poll or the absolute numbers, it should give some people here pause. The fact is that the majority of conservatives want what the poll says. You wouldn't know it by the echo chamber here.

If you dare to suggest anything close to "death with dignity" you are mau maued down and mocked as either: a) ignorant b) liberal c) evil

OK, but down don't confuse the lack of debate here with agreement. It just means that no debate is useful when one side is shouted down as "worse than Nazis".

[joesnuffy]

Right!.....and Al Gore got gyped out of the presidency...and Broward County is honest...
when the truth wont work ..try lies....

[Orlando]

It looks like we are going to lose. We investigated
alot of facts that the majority of the people don't know.

Thanks to the Church(s) for not shining the light of truth
, and not helping fight for Terri holy rights....

MS, Felos, and the other demons from hell it looks like you
are going to win, enjoy it....
There is so much information(s),facts,evidence,violation,
crimes,domestic violence, motive, money,money,money,lies and deceptions from Satan courts, and Satan media, and Satan elected-officals like Sen Death-King,etc...It's impossible to win....Felos mind-control...and witchcraft magic spells....Okay, you are winning.....,BUT in the end
you burn....

[Orlando]

I will not go down without a fight.
Here's another new poll out in Florida today...
Here's tthe questions and current % results as of Noon,est..

*** How do you feel about "Terri Law"? ***

13.6%.... I Think it's GOOD. Terri's parents are right.

79.8%.... I think it's a bad idea. MICHAEL SCHIAVO IS RIGHT...

1.2% ... I have no opinion either way..

5.3% ... I say let the ccourts decide who's right and who's wrong...
total votes....243

---

As you can see, Micheal Schiavo is winning....by 79.8%


http://www.floridatoday.com/topstories/120803schiavo.htm

[pc93]

I am of the opinion that it shows just how poorly the media is really reporting the actual facts of the case, etc.

[pc93]

Who is stopping everybody from raising holy hell with the media outlets and spreading information as far and wide as you can. Don't give up. Do something about it in the mass.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

These polls are the equivalent to the ancient Roman practice of execution: thumbs up she lives, thumbs down she dies.

The modern tribe has voted Terri off the island. Show coordinator Wolfson had the outcome rigged before the vote.

Rome also fell.

[Micavaga]

This article didn't mention how many people they polled, but I've read another article that stated they polled 800 registered voters.

How can 800 accurately represent 8.75 million registered voters?