Posted on 02/26/2005 5:18:05 AM PST by ViLaLuz
A Philadelphia Inquirer columnist who believes in the "right to die" has changed his mind about the Terri Schiavo case, pointing to "uncomfortable details" about her estranged husband that now lead him to side with the parents of the brain-damaged Florida woman, who are fighting to keep her alive.
John Grogan said in a column published today, "I no longer so blithely believe Schiavo's feeding tubes should be pulled and her life allowed to end. I'm no longer so sure her parents do not deserve a say in their daughter's future. I no longer am totally comfortable assuming her husband, Michael, who now has two children by another woman, is acting unselfishly."
Michael Schiavo has been living with his fiance Jodi Centonze since 1995 and has said he will marry her upon the death of his wife.
Grogan said he hasn't changed his opinion that everyone has a right to "die with dignity," but he believes that in the Schiavo case, the "devil is in the details, uncomfortable details that raise sticky moral dilemmas."
Terri Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990 after collapsing. Michael Schiavo attributes it to a chemical imbalance caused by an eating disorder, but parents Robert and Mary Schindler believe he may have tried to strangle her.
Michael Schiavo contends his wife told him she never would want to be kept alive artificially.
But Grogan points out Terri Schiavo's heart and lungs function on their own, and she requires only a feeding tube that might not be necessary if she were given physical therapy.
The columnist notes Michael Schiavo, as her legal guardian, has forbidden any therapy.
"If [Terri] Schiavo merely required spoon feeding instead of tube feeding, would anyone seriously be arguing to withhold food and water?" Grogan asked. "Does not every human, no matter how incapacitated, deserve sustenance?"
Grogan also is concerned about abuse allegations against Michael Schiavo and believes they should be investigated.
The allegations "may be nothing but scurrilous rumor spread to damage his credibility," he wrote. "But what if there is even a tiny chance he is guilty of abuse? Should such a person be in a position to decide this life-and-death issue?"
When it comes to who is best to decide, Grogan wrote, it's clear that Terri Schiavo's parents "have proved themselves nothing if not fiercely loyal, utterly committed parents. They might be misguided. They might be in denial. But no one can argue their devotion. They have not given up. They have not stopped caring. They have not stopped loving. Who are we, as a society, to tell them they must?
Grogan concluded:
"Clearly, Schiavo's husband has moved on to a new life, and who can blame him? It's been 15 long years. But parents cannot move on. Parents cannot give up. Their child will always be the precious gift they brought into the world.
If the Schindlers want to dedicate the rest of their lives and resources to caring for their brain-damaged daughter, if they want to shower her with attention and affection she likely will never recognize, who among us will tell them they cannot.
It won't be me."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1349283/posts
There is a secure link there where you can donate if you wish.
Thank you cyn, for the link. I couldn't find it earlier.
Many people have no idea what a vegetative state is or that there are varying degrees. They think it is someone lying around with their eyes closed. It can be but not always.
To put it very simply it just means not fully aware. Sort of like me pre-coffee
He collects money on her death but not in event of a divorce. As in Watergate, it's about the money, the liberals said.
some of our elderly better watch out
Oddly, it is the elderly who have some of the Americans with the greatest unbounded faith in big government to be a force for "good" in society. They won't change their mind over the "vegetable" Terri. Of course, they are also ignorant of the facts of the case.
If the poster uses Baden's conclusions that she suffered trauma then why reject that part of Baden's conclusion that she is in a vegetative state?
Thank you.
I think you just want to argue for the sake of arguing.
George W. "Haman" Greer needs to reacquaint himself with the Christian principles espoused by "his" Baptist Church. He has left his first love.
Many people have no idea what a vegetative state is or that there are varying degrees. They think it is someone lying around with their eyes closed. It can be but not always. To put it very simply it just means not fully aware.
And what should never be forgotten was Terri's love for her parents. Since Mikie says he is only trying to enforce her "wishes", we need to take a good long look at the validity of that.
Would Terri wish to have her parents put through this torture for 14 years? Would she want her parents to suffer the way they have? Would she be happy to know how cruely her husband has treated them? Would she rather live to make them happy, or die and inflict tremedous grief to them.
I tell you what, if my parents wanted me to stay alive, hooked up to every machine known to man, and I had no idea what was happening, you can bet I would rather be kept alive for their sakes!
Would Terri have "wished" to be given the host by the preist, which her husband has unconstitutionally denied her?
Your reply strongly suggests that you wish to be argumentative.
In fact the money for Terri's care has been eaten up by the lawyers.
If Terri doesn't die now, the Mikie will have so many bills that he will never be able to get out from under them!
What needs to be pushed here, in the media and to the authorities, is the idea that Terri should be tested to see if she can eat without the tube. Everyone call in to programs and insist that she be given the chance to eat on her own. There is no good reason to deny her this, and the true motives of those trying to kill her are exposed, when this point is pushed.
Excellent commentary.
Please understand that what a "vegetative state" is presented as in common usage and what it is as a actual condition is NOT the same thing.
Please re-read what I originally wrote until it sinks in. Otherwise we have nothing to talk about because we are not speaking the same language.
Thank you for that. I will do that right now.
I was referring to nicmarlo's presentation of Dr. Baden's conclusion that trauma caused her to be in a "vegetative state". Your initial response also glibly stated that you were that way without your coffee [or words to that effect].
It is only logical to assume that Baden was rendering a "medical" conclusion. That is why I was attempting to have nicmarlo to reconcile the issue.
Go down there!
God bless you for changing your mind!
As I just said, Terri deserves the chance to see if she can eat on her own. If she is able to do so, then Mikie's argument goes out the window, Terri lives and Mikie is left with a boat load of bills!---which would be justice.
Also, what needs to be considered, and deeply examined, is the fact that Terri, who was 26 "fell" into a coma. People do not "fall" into comas. And if she had so damaged her body with bulimia that she nearly died, how in the world has this damaged body been strong enough to stay alive for 14 years, through illness with no antibiotics; 3 starvation attempts; and near total neglect? Terri stayed alive for 7 days, in the last starvation attempt---how is that possible in a woman who "dieted herself into a coma"?! Terri deserves to have her condition examined.
As for Terri's "wishes", the court is cruely disregarding her love for her parents and what would be her natural "wish" to spare them pain.
Please keep lots of email, snailmail and phone calls to the state, in trying to get this out of Greer's court.
Please keep letters going to media outlets....with these points.
Please inundate the Catholic Church and pressure them to bring a lawsuit against Greer for denying Terri her Religous rights, by allowing the husband to remain as guardian, When he denies her being given the host during communion. Even while her tube was withdrawn, the court and Schiavo insisted that nothing be given Terri by mouth, including the Host. This is unconstitutional, for a court to impose this restriction. This point could surely go to the Supreme Court of the United States. And it is the duty of the Church to push the issue. For every Catholic in America, and especially those in Florida.
Whether or not the Statute of Limitations has run on Michael's possible crime, an investigation is warranted. If Michael is guilty of attempted murder, he has NO RIGHT to make this decision about Terri's life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.