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."
Both are right. Terri is not in a "vegetative state" as is commonly defined. In other words she is not unconscious. She is currently not totally aware, when I was referring to my pre-coffee state I was trying to give a real world example that most people will relate too. In Terri's case this is caused by brain damage (no one disputes that she is indeed brain damaged) and likely also lack of stimulation. Brain damage is treatable and improvement is possible.
In a medically defined "vegetative state" people can respond to stimuli, they can even walk with help, they certainly feel pain. This is not what is referred to as a "vegetative state" in the common usage.
It is like the terms autistic and retarded. In medical terms the meaning is quite different then in common terms. So someone can quite properly be labeled one thing in medical terms but if you used the same term in common usage the label would be wrong.
Actually Michael already has NO RIGHT to be making these decisions, because of his violations as GUARDIAN
But, this case does threaten the handicapped lives, believe me. There are those out there that think they should "just die". There are those out there, who do not want tax dollars going to their care, or their education!
And if you don't believe me, believe advocates for the handicapped, like Joni Eareckson Tada:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/apcm/APCMviewer.asp?a=92&z=4
"This goes against everything that this country is founded on, every moral that God-fearing citizens espouse, every thought for the common good. It is a dark day, indeed, when those who should be protected, nurtured, after surviving traumas of all kinds, are tortured in this manner. Can any citizen have hope for the future in light of this ruling? I dare say, no."
I'm going. I have spent the morning organizing it. I don't have it all worked out yet, but I should have that done by Monday.
I don't know how much good I can do, but I can't leave this alone.
Maybe I'll just stay up all night burning candles.
It isn't yet clear to me when the best time will be to go. I have requested advice.
Regarding your post about Terri's injuries...
I was married to the same woman for 26 years. For much of that time, we had what I would characterize as a difficult, argumetative relationship.
I never once laid a hand on her. I wanted to at times, but I never did. That is not something you do.
Injuries like Terri apparently has/had do not come from falling down stairs or in the bathtub. I have fallen down stairs and done other things. I have fallen off motorcycles, played football, etc. Those sort of injuries require more than that.
IMO, she was battered.
Mikie lived with the Schindlers after Terri's accident. Mr. Schindler supported Mike and paid Terri's bills, while Mikie made a good show of being the supportive husband. Of course he did have a girlfriend...but, anyway. He took Terri to treatment, bothered the hospital staff to put on her makeup and looked like a very caring husband---while he was trying to win a financial settlement in court. He said he needed enough money to care for Terri for 50 years. I guess he had forgotten her "wishes" for those first 4 years?
But, Mr. Schindler paid Terri's bills. Mike saying he would reimburse when he got the settlement.
The settlement came....Mike quit taking care of Terri, instituted a DNR, and told the rest home not to give her antibiotics. Mr. Schindler asked Mike to reimburse him for the costs of Terri's care for 4 years, with the settlement money, which is what they got the money for---and that is when Mike got angry and decided to "get back" at the Schindersl. Just a couple weeks after the settlement was reached, Mike "remembered" that Terri would not want to be kept alive on "Tubes"!--- The perfect way for Mike to repay those who had supported him!
The clinic mike sued was owned by a company which went bankrupt. His girlfriend, Jodi, had an uncle who was a part owner of that company. Interesting, isn't it? And Jodi's mom worked for the Sheriff's office, until her death...more interesting....
yes, when the details fall out, much is learned.
ok.
Done and Thank you. I voted for Terri's parents!
Felos and Terri's husband maintain she received all the injuries, however, from osteoporosis.
But an orthopedic surgeon, a friend of mine, opined that the results he sees on the bone scan are more consistent with trauma than with osteoporosis, especially given someone Terri's age.
Dr. Walker, the doctor who interpreted the results, was deposed regarding these injuries. It was his opinion that the injuries occurred more likely within the previous 12 - 18 months of the scan having been taken. I'm not sure who it was that posted that deposition. I'll ping a couple FReepers who may know where to locate his comments, or knows who's posted Dr. Walker's testimony on another thread.
I agree; and I don't believe Terri is in a vegetative state. I do believe that that is what Dr. Baden believes. There are numerous doctors, however, that disagree with him. Regardless, it is interesting that, even though he does not/may not understand Terri's mental state (after all, he is a forensic doctor, not a neurologist or other similar type of physician), he is able to understand her injuries as pertains to the bones, etc.
Dr. Baden is not a neurologist; he does not specialize in that. He is capable, however, of understanding trauma to bones and other type of injuries as he is a forensic doctor. My friend is an orthopedic surgeon, again not a neurologist. He did not comment on that which is out of his field. He did state, however, that it was his opinion that what Terri's bone scan shows is Terri suffered from TRAUMA rather than osteoporosis, as claimed by HINO and Felos.
It's suspicious, that's for sure. People don't get broken bones and not have their lives affected, even stress fractures.
Thanks for your civil response.
And you assumed I was cantankerous. :-)
If we inflicted this type of death on such subhuman criminals as the Carr brothers or Alejandro Avila there would be huge demonstrations in this country and other countries and the UN would all get into the act.
Yet in the minds of Judge Greer, Michael Schiavo and others it is a wonderful thing to do.
See my post #63. I vote for Terri's parents.
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