Posted on 02/25/2005 6:22:53 AM PST by AliVeritas
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"---for all those fighting over whether to keep the 41-year-old Florida woman artificially alive on a feeding tube---"
Terri is not "artificially" alive. She is not braindead. She breathes on her own, she is not on a respirator. She responds to her family and friends by looking at them, smiling, and trying to speak. With the therapy that has been denied her she might be able to speak again. She might be able to eat on her own but we don't know.
Because if this feeding tube is removed, it doesn't stop there. No one will be allowed to feed her anything, not even a bite of ice cream, not even a sip of water. Since she can swallow her own saliva there's a good chance that she could eat and drink without a feeding tube.
What is "artificial" is taking her life away without giving her a chance to live.
People are scared at the idea of being trapped inside a powerless body. Well, there are people who want to help Terry to be free and not by killing her. They believe that with therapy and the help of her family she could overcome the worst of her handicap.
Maybe she will never dance again but she could listen to music. Maybe she will never be able to work again but she could laugh, smell the scent of flowers, enjoy a mother's kiss, a father's hug, listen to poetry, sit outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Those are all things Terry can do and who would deny her?
The editor assumes that his opinion is premised in purity by his condescension in ascribing "purity of motives" to all others when in fact he has already chosen sides.
The fact is that Terri's parents knew her as well as did her husband (who is suspected of abusing her into her current condition and who cohabits with another woman who has 3 children by him), if not much better, and she had never breathed even one word about wanting her life to end if she had to be on a feeding tube some day.
In short, Terri is not on artificial life support. She is being FED through a tube. The POPE is receiving AIR through a tube as of surgery last night.
Should we pull his tracheotomy tube even though his body is perfectly able to process the air that he receives?
Terri is perfectly capable of digesting her food. It is not a glucose drip, she is not on a machine that breathes for her, she is not on a machine that makes her heart beat.
In fact, her systems will not immediately shut down and death be the result if her food is removed. Instead, she will slowly die of thirst and starvation just the same as if someone took away ANYONE'S food and drink. In short, taking away anyone's food and drink is ACTIVELY killing them and not simply standing by passively as a death occurs.
Her eyes are open, she has been described as responsive by more than one person.
Neither Florida law, nor Maryland law, permits legal mercy killing.
And what does the enlightened writer of the Baltimore Sun think that would happen to him if someone prevents him from getting food and water? Death would be the "natural" course, but definitely not the right one.
(Preface: I live in the Balto area, so any liberal commie claptrap the Sun hegemony puts out doesn't surprise me.)
Did any1 hear the letter Terry's dad submitted about this whole thing? How all these misconceptions even about Terry's condition have spread around, and what the truth is?
He says she's NOT in a coma, and not semi-vegitative.
He says she sometimes laughs and sometimes cries.
He said she sometimes says "Dad" or "Mom" and sometimes responds "yeah".
The local radio talk show today asked the very important question:
IF TERRY CAN REPLY "YEAH" SOMETIMES, WHY DOESN'T ANY1 TRY TO ASK HER IF SHE WANTS TO LIVE?
Hey Ali, have you run across any POSITIVE "editorials" from any papers - esp. "big-city" papers?
It would be nice if someone would tell Floridians what was going on. THE QUOTE BY DANIEL WEBSTER made me sick. "The Court has come up with much better solutions than we have so far." Daniel Webster who we thought was for justice. By the way DANIEL WEBSTER'S PHONE LINE IS SWAMPED. I called to complain about his HORRID QUOTE. Did the death lobby wear him down???
I have heard that the only visitors that are allowed in are those than go in with Terri's parents. Have they or could they asked a reporter to accompany them on a visit?
Haven't heard a thing about it yet, but am still searching the web for any word!
Conflict of interest there a little bit?
I wrote to them but am nauseous at the use of euphemisms ("set her free") instead of the honest truth which is "starve her to death". Set her free? I guess shooting someone on the street is "setting them free", too, in their opinion...
yes, surprisingly, this feeding tube is ostensibly required because she might "aspirate food" and therefore endanger her life. Go figure!
I doubt it. Michael probably wouldn't allow it.
Do you consider this to be a legitimate question?
Asking some1 if she herself would like to live is not legitimate?
Hi, yes, that's right. I'll ping you, or post here later, the photo series that shows 1) Terri is obviously NOT in a coma, DUH! and 2) she is responding to her environment, so does not fit the definition for PVS, either.
I have printed that photo series (put together by fantastic freeper FL engineer from the video "Terri's Big Eyes") out on my color printer and sent it to people who need to see it . . . for example, willfully ignorant columnists and editors.
Thanks, Ali.
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