Posted on 03/19/2005 11:30:38 AM PST by Ravi
Just heard on Fox that U.S. Senate will convene today in emergency session regarding Terri Schiavo.
I appreciate that you wish to understand more. Ultimately, Terri's case is understandable, though painfully so. If you take away the "evil" allegations that have been leveled against everyone, it's easy to see what you're left with.
You're left with a woman who suffered a heart attack 15 years ago, who essentially died but was resuscitated, though not entirely. Her brain had suffered enormous damage from the heart attack. As time passed, her brain further deteriorated -- to the point where much if not most of her cerebral cortex (the portion of the brain that controls conscious thought, among other things) was literally gone, replaced by spinal fluid. Doctors hired by Terri's husband say the deterioration of Terri's brain left her without thoughts or feelings, that the damage is irreversible, and that Terri's life-like appearance is merely the result of brain stem activity -- basically involuntary reflexes we all have. An independent doctor hired by the court reached the same conclusions. Doctors hired by Terri's parents did not dispute the physical damage done to Terri, but they claim there are new therapies that could improve her condition. In two separate trials, the trial court found such claims of potential improvement to be without merit. Terri's body continues to function without her cerebral cortex. She is sustained by a feeding tube surgically inserted into her stomach. She cannot eat through her mouth without a strong likelihood of choking to death.
You're left with a husband who lived with his in-laws following Terri's heart attack, who apparently provided care and therapy for years but who later came to believe Terri would never recover. He believes she would not have wanted to be kept alive in this brain-degenerated condition by a surgically implanted tube. He is apparently willing to continue his fight to achieve what he believes Terri would want despite ridicule, hatred, expense, and threats.
You're left with parents who were once allied with Terri's husband in an effort to care for Terri and restore her but, unlike Terri's husband, they never lost hope. They believe Terri reacts to them and has conscious thoughts. They believe Terri would not want, and does not want, her feeding tube removed, and that some cognitive function could be restored through new therapies. Terri's parents are willing to continue their fight to achieve what they believe Terri would want despite ridicule, hatred, expense, and threats.
You're left with judges who have been placed in the utterly thankless position of applying Florida law to this impassioned situation. Florida law calls for the trial court to determine what Terri would chose to do in this situation, and after a trial hard fought by Terri's husband and her family, where each side was given the opportunity to present its best case about what Terri would do, the court determined the evidence was clear and convincing that Terri would chose not to continue living by the affirmative intervention of modern medicine -- that she would chose to have her feeding tube disconnected. In a second trial, brought about by Terri's family's claims new therapies could restore her and that the existence of such a therapy would make her "change her mind," the trial court again heard evidence from all sides and determined that no new therapy presented any reasonable chance of restoring Terri's brain function. The propriety of these decisions -- from the sufficiency of the evidence to the appropriateness of the procedures used -- has been unanimously upheld on appeal each time.
You're left with a public that is much confused. Some see video clips of Terri moving, appearing to make eye contact, and making sounds, and they assume such are the product of conscious thought -- that Terri's "in there." Some believe Terri's husband has been motivated by money. Some believe that no heart attack occurred -- instead, Terri's husband beat her nearly to death and has been trying to end her life ever since. Some believe he is a bad person because he has taken up with another woman and has children with her. Some believe Florida's judiciary is corrupt or inept, to the point where death threats have been made against the trial judge. Some are sad that families would fight like this. Some believe that removing Terri's feeding tube would cause her pain and is inhumane (I'm no doctor, but the medical information I've seen on this subject uniformly says the opposite.) Some are disappointed that the law does not allow someone in Terri's condition to be kept alive perpetually if a family member is willing to care for him or her. Some believe no life should be permitted to reach an unnecessary end unless irrefutable proof, or at least written proof, shows the person wanted things that way.
They passed a special law prohibiting them from pulling the feeding tube. The judge struck it down, and that was affirmed by the higher courts.
Recently, they tried to pass another law to stop it, but failed.
"All this while murders and rapists all across the US are enjoying a sanctioned hot meal on a nice Saturday afternoon."
From CNN report on Scott Peterson's transfer to San Quentin:
After Peterson was placed into his 41-square-foot cell, he sat on his bunk and stared at the wall.
"Scott, I guess you want to plan to lay down and take a nap now," an officer said.
Peterson responded, "Man, I'm just too jazzed to even think about sleeping."
And with that, the cell's metal door locked shut and the prison staff walked away.
He was later given a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee..."
Will the judicial federal review allow new evidence to be introduced (all that was kept out by Greer)?
the Native Americans liked nothing better than a young delicious colt.
She's bigoted.
You've got a point, but the dance on the other side will go on too. This is probably going to force that MRI and PRT or whatever it's called to be administered. If those results issue conflicting medical determination, the judge will be forced to step down or amend the decision. He's on the hot spot here even more than her 'husband.' And I don't imagine he has the stomach for the kind of scrutiny Congress can impose upon him and his judgeship. Just my 2cents, of course.
What a great story.
I'll bet the judge pulling the tube knows stories like this one, but doesn't care.
I hope we all can be enough to rescue her.
"....."G-ddamn, ain't that %itch ever gonna die?"
I'm sorry to say I laughed when I saw that (it's not a humorous situation). But you're right. That's exactly it.
The last question Tom Delay took was something like, why did you do this, or something to that effect.
He looked a bit angry and said, "Because the U.S. Constitution protects the life of a human being from being taken by another human being needlessly."
Amen!
Does the President have the legal authority to step in and save Terri? Doe anyone know?
forgot the "needlessly"
Remove Ted Kennedy's whiskey tube, now.
Well then that would be your choice. There's absolutely NO CONCRETE EVIDENCE that being put to death this way is Terri's wish.
IOW it is physically impossible for him to see the video.
It wold like to end this mere rumor.
According to the very liberal St. Petersburg Times, in a puffpiece they did about Greer, his friends say Greer's eysight is very bad and doesn't drive.
Friends say his(Greer's) eyesight is awful. It's so bad, in fact, that he doesn't drive
"so the house can do a voice vote"
I was wondering about that--are they doing a voice vote so as not to have their vote recorded?
Because that's exactly why the provincial parliament in Ontario did a voice vote to pass legislation that deleted all references to "husband" and "wife," "man" and "woman" in all their laws.
If I were her, I'd be afraid.....VERY afraid.
I applaud all of you that have so much faith that Terri will be saved. After DeLay saying that this stays in Greers court, I totally lost all hope.
That is the impression.
It will be "de novo" review.
From square one. I do hope the contain who Felos is representing. Felos does not represent Terri.
There is always another side. None of is so wise as to be able to insist that our own beliefs are ultimately correct. For that reason we ought to not be too insistent. That was Hamilton's point in the Federalist.
Here she is, right on schedule, to ruin a perfectly good Saturday afternoon.
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