Posted on 03/22/2005 3:58:24 AM PST by billorites
Shameful! There's really no other word to describe what is now both the Terri Schiavo ``case'' and the Terri Schiavo ``law.''
Before there was a ``case'' or a ``law,'' Terri Schiavo was just a 26-year-old woman, wife to Michael Schiavo, daughter of Bob and Mary Schindler. Then in 1990 a heart attack, likely resulting from an eating disorder, cut the oxygen to her brain, putting her in what doctors describe as ``a persistent vegetative state.''
Since then Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers have played dysfunctional family - neither willing to relent on who should have the last word on Terri Schiavo's care. They have fought out their battle over 15 years before 19 different judges in six different courts and the Florida Legislature, which attempted - ultimately unsuccessfully - to intervene. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to intervene in the case on three separate occasions.
Common sense has long since gone out the window as politicians, first at the state level and now in Congress, have shamelessly used the case to pursue their political agendas - and as the equally shameful relatives of Terri Schiavo have allowed themselves to be so used.
Ah, but there's so very much shame to go around here. The U.S. Senate, of course, passed the Schiavo bill ``unanimously'' on a voice vote with only three members present Sunday because, well, all of those future Democratic presidential contenders like Sens. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry [related, bio] wouldn't want to actually put this to a debate and roll call.
Then, of course, there's the utter shamelessness of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - Dr. Frist, a heart surgeon, remember - who insisted after watching a video that Terri Schiavo ``has a level of consciousness.''
Most doctors actually examine a patient before rendering a diagnosis, but not when that doctor ends up in Congress.
And then, of course, there was the 203-58 vote in the House, in which a lot of good Republicans who as a matter of philosophy want to keep the federal courts out of people's lives were perfectly willing to make an exception in this case where the political stakes were high.
The only question is whether Terri Schiavo's due process rights were protected. And the answer is more than those of any patient, anytime, anywhere.
The only question is whether Terri Schiavo's due process rights were protected. And the answer is more than those of any patient, anytime, anywhere.
How can due process rights be protected if the girl never had a lawyer there to protect them....?
One heck of a mistake mate. The Manchester Union Leader has a good reputation, well-earned, and an editorial like this is completely out of character for that paper.
I know that I've learned one thing from this. I don't ever want a guardian ad litem (particulatly in Florida) appointed for me.
I'm not disagreeing.
Although I will say this. Approximately 70-75% of people in this country do not have living wills.
And yet thousands of families a day in hospital across this country make decisions exactly like this without benefit of living wills.
Which guardians are you talking about? Her supposed loving and ever faithful husband? Judge Greer himself? Or the one who Greer kicked out after a few weeks because he dared tried to bring in evidence against hino? Which court documents are you referring? The ones which were allowed by Greer or the stack upon stack of witnesses and interested parties (Terri's friends, nurses, doctors, etc.) and requests he ignored? Do you serious want to take the word of a judge who appointed himself guardian but has never in all these years ever visited with his ward?
No one is asking you to take anything on faith.
Since when are guardian ad litem reports and court documents considered "faith"?
I think what we need to come out of this with, regardless of the outcome, is a law that says no one can be put to death or allowed to die under law without a jury trial, even if it is completely voluntary.
No, I don't recall that procedure was ever performed.
In 1990 as last ditch effort Michael took Terri to California for an experimental thalmus stimulator. On the Abstract Appeal site there is a time line It was November of 1990.
http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/infopage.html
Scroll down to the timeline.
I don't know but as the Surgeon General is mostly a figure head.
I thought the Surgeon General should do some real work.
One little image slice isn't enough to determine much if anything, especially when there's about 60 sheets of about 100 images on each sheet. Believe me, I've had both an MRI and CT scan before (November 2004). The weight of just the MRI scan results is about 10 pounds of paper.
Just because a document is filed in court doesn't mean the contents are true. I worked in a law office for long enough to know that court documents prove nothing at all, unless they have independent credibility.
Maybe those tests are not going to tell anyone more than hat they already know. My mother has had several strokes. They have seen these via CT scan everytime. Never has it been suggested they could get a better picture of what's going on in her brain if they did an MRI. Never.
The liberals are going to get a can of whoopass opened up on them 10x in the next election, and these activist judges shunning common sense have just sealed there fate!
Please, let's go full boat and take care of this "Culture Of Death" mentality by demanding accountability!
The guy who's seen 10,000 of them has a different opinion on the matter. Why do you think yours is more correct than his?
Hi, Peach.
DOn't forget that Michael also ignored strong medical advice to have the impants removed after completion of the therapy. They could be a source of infection, so the doctor told Michael to have them removed.
When Michael didn't have them removed, he threw away any excuse they presented for not having the MRI.
And I believe the probes were sources for infection at least once over the past years.
How's it going?
Isn't is Ironic that today is WORLD WATER DAY?
By what authority would he do that? Another new law? How many people in her condition are we going to have the Surgeon General take care of? Maybe we should start up a whole new federal bureaucracy. I mean, the federal governemnt does such a great job caring for things like Medicare and SS.
Most of those folks, I believe, meet the criteria for brain death and/or or are being ventilated. If I remember correctly. Please correct me if I'm wrong. We've had an experience like that. Neither of those things applies in this case. For folks who don't have a living will, all I can say if they'd better get one or pray they've got family members more loving than Michael Schiavo.
Right. We haven't even gotten to the judicial nominee process in the Senate, and near as we all can tell, the Democrats plan to filibuster every single one. Just more horsesh** obstruction from the left.
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