" Michael Schiavo has gotten a court order to remove the feeding tube, contending that his wife told him she wouldn't want to be kept alive artificially ."
Assuming that Terri, at some point, did say- " Oh, I never want to be hooked up to machines."
Which is a common sentiment expressed by young people, without illness, who have no concept of what it means to fight for one's life.
How can the husband and Judge Greer know that Terri did not change her mind or never really believed that sentiment, but, just said it to go along with the crowd ?
If Terri really believed that she would not want to live unless she was supported by machines ( and a feeding tube is not a machine ) she would have signed a Living Will.
If Terri was completely non responsive-flat EEG,no response to pain or any stimuli, unable to breathe on her own- she would be in a vegetative or comatose state.
From the videos I have seen, poor Terri looks no different than many brain damaged children, stroke victims and patients suffering severe brain trauma .
Perhaps the Judge should visit some rehab facilities and see first hand what can be accomplished with dysphagia therapy and PT.
Is Schiavo also claiming that Terri said she wouldn't want to have rehabilitative therapy ?
If seems that if only Terri could swallow, the husband and Judge would be thwarted.
The Schaivo case is like watching a slow mo snuff film , with the blessings and assistance of the court.
Also consider that in 1990, a feeding tube was not classed the same as a ventilator or respirator. It was only included, in Florida, in 1999.
If seems that if only Terri could swallow, the husband and Judge would be thwarted.
Judge Greer won't take that chance. He's ruled twice that Terri is not to be fed by mouth.
Actually, that's incorrect.
Those same thoughts about Terri's wishes have crossed my mind many times.
You have to wonder if the judge isn't influenced by his own fear? Perhaps he projects his own terror of being incapacitated onto Terri.
Perhaps he imagines if he were in her situation he'd rather be dead. Maybe he's supposed to be objective in his decisions but I'll bet he's not the first judge to bring his own emotions to the issue.
If you ever have a case that goes before a judge the first thing your lawyer will tell you is a lot depends on what judge you get. Just as liberal judges rule along liberal lines, and conservatives along conservative lines, you have to believe judges also rule according to their emotions.
This judge seems hell-bent, so to speak, on enforcing Terri's wishes, when as you point out, there's lots of room to wonder what she would have wanted, and the person telling us what she wanted lacks credibility.