Posted on 03/21/2005 7:15:36 PM PST by RedBloodedAmerican
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc. A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943 Omnia pro aegroto |
October 22, 2003
For Immediate Release:
AAPS Doctors: Schindler-Schiavo is NOT a "death with dignity" issue
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) issued this statement from Jane M. Orient, M.D. in response to the emergency action of the Florida legislature to reinstate feeding and hydration of Terri Schindler-Schiavo:
"Terri Schindler-Schiavo has won a temporary stay from execution by a method too cruel to be used for convicted criminals. And yet her husband's attorney is trying to spin it into a "death with dignity issue" with his comments on Tuesday.
"He says it's cruel to begin rehydration. The opposite is true - dehydration is a cruel, painful death. It is unconscionable that the state would have allowed removal of her feeding tube in the first place-it's nothing less than state-sponsored euthanasia.
"She is not dependent on advanced medical interventions. Nothing is mechanically beating her heart, or forcing oxygen into her lungs. She is simply being fed through a gastrostomy tube. Would we allow a retarded child to be starved to death?
"Some physicians believe that Terri could be rehabilitated to some extent, at least so that she would be able to swallow oral feedings and eliminate the need for the tube. She should be allowed to try, but so far her husband has blocked every attempt to see if she can swallow. Doctors have offered pro bono treatment, if money is the barrier for her husband.
"Although severely disabled, some believe that she does have the capacity to communicate a desire to live. The husband has obstructed efforts at rehabilitation or independent assessments of his wife's true state.
"Where are the "compassionate end-of-life" groups such as the Robert Wood Johnson "Last Acts" initiative, and why aren't they weighing in on this?
"The ethical question for her nurses and physicians is whether they will cooperate in carrying out a death warrant.
"And the ethical question for all of us is whether we will allow the state to obstruct the efforts of people who want to provide medical care to a patient who wants to receive it.
"If we go down that path, who's to say what treatment the state will prevent you from getting."
AAPS is a non-partisan, professional association of physicians in all specialties, dedicated since 1943 to the protection of the patient-physician relationship from third-party intrusion. -30-
You might not be Catholic, but for those of us who are, this is Lent, and we should be fasting anyway, if we can. If we all give up food for a day, and pray for the return of Terri's nourishment, who knows what demons could be exorcised from her persecution?
I don't think there is much dignity here.
Probably because there might be witnesses to see Terri react to being outdoors and that would destroy their case/lie that she is non responsive.
BTTT!!! Thanks much!
that's just gonna make barney frank's mouth water.
Those threads are several years old
Your thread is fine
Okay, thank you.
it is sickening what that man and his minions did to poor Terri.
BTW, Bill O"Reilly said tonight that her care is running $80,000.per month! and that it is being paid by Medicare? What happened to the 2 million that the 'husband' won to support her care?
Oh and btw,
The US Constitution's eighth amendment expressly forbids the use of "cruel and unusual punishments", which is widely interpreted as a prohibition of the use of torture or in other words "intentionally causing permanent damage to vital organs or permanent emotional trauma"
I believe starvation is a "cruel and unusual" punishment.
I also heard this on OReilly, that Terris care was costing 80K a month...or at least that is what I thought he said...I dont think this is correct...I think he really meant to say, her care is costing 80K a year, which is more in line with what nursing homes cost...because think about it, 80K a month, is $960,000 a year.....almost a million a year?...I dont think so...
If we tried to starve and dehydrate criminals to death, I think there would be many screaming that this was cruel and unusual punishent. So why is it okay to use this method to kill Terri?
There is a reason why you constantly read things like the following:
"Terri is in a "persistant vegetative state" and that she is incapable of emotion, memory or thought. blah blah blah"
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