Posted on 04/01/2005 7:42:27 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Public opinion may be shifting on the decision to disconnect Terri Schiavo's feeding tube and starve her to death, according to a new Fox Opinion Dynamics survey - with a significant percentage of Americans now saying it was "murder."
When asked about the "decision to remove" Schiavo's feeding tube, 38 percent of Americans told Opinion Dynamics that they disagreed with the decision, with 42 percent backing the move.
A full 20 percent said they were unsure.
A widely circulated ABC News poll last week asked if it was right to pull Schiavo's feeding tube, noting that she's been "on life support for 15 years" with a condition that is "irreversible."
Phrasing the question like that, 63 percent backed the decision to remove her tube, with 28 opposed.
In perhaps the most startling finding on the survey, fifty percent of African Americans told Opinion Dynamics that removing Schiavo's feeding tube was "an act of murder."
Thirty-nine percent of Republicans agreed. Even among Americans under 30, more than a third of the population [35 percent] believe that Schiavo was murdered.
Opinion Dynamics surveyed 900 registered voters on March 29-30, the day before Schiavo died.
// If it's true that he now works as a nurse for the Sheriff's jail... //
Hi, it was confirmed by people who are there in Pinellas County that Michael works as an RN for the PC jail -- hired by Everett Rice in his last 4 days as sheriff, before stepping into his new job in Tally. It wasn't until mid-Jan or so that this became known, and that apparently thanks to the work of the http://www.theempirejournal.com/ -- the St. Pete Times didn't do the story until after it was in TEJ.
Yeah, knowing michael worked at the jail -- not only that he might physically be there, but showing once again which way the wind blows there -- definately affected decisions to get arrested at hospice.
but it's even better than that -- he said in the malpractice suit that he wanted to be a nurse so he could take care of his beloved wife Terri. He declared his undying love for Terri, and his intention to care for her forever.
links to that testimony I believe are still up at the terrisfight.org website -- as well as reposted periodically here on fr. we need some cataloguing system to keep it all straight and readily available, like alamo girl did the downside legacy. that's one thing I was trying to work on.
Its only obfuscation if you can't read. The story is clear that certain subgroups believed it was murder, particularly blacks.
Here is our idea:
http://www.grassboots.org/Flyer-Downloads.htm
The convenient thing is, his too-little, too-late, appearance at the end keeps the left from labeling ALL of the people who wanted to save Terri as "right wing nutjobs". Maybe it has caused some people to think.
The autopsy results might be another thing that makes folks pull their heads out of their arses.
If you thought the audio was good on that one, check out this video.
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/ccb/videos/Terri_Big_Eyes.rm
Here's another good one:
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/ccb/videos/hows_that_cold.rm
And this one is the best - I don't understand Sean Hannity not using these ones?
http://gordonwatts.com/ConversationWithTerri.wmv
Actually the black House Caucus supported Terri in the Congressional legislation before Jackson got involved. Perhaps because of the decrease in the keeping of marriage vows among blacks, the traditional unity of the black Parent-Child relationship is better understood and honored.
And if that were true, IF Terri "never wanted to live that way", why did Michael have the feeding tube inserted in the 1st place????
We have a lot of retired LEOs here at FR. Maybe a couple of them will look into any unusual deaths or unexplained illnesses at the jail that have the same symptoms as insulin shock.
How do you post a link to the videos?? I want to post one that I think EVERYONE should see - the one with Terri and her dad talking to her about her lazy eye.
That is the second video in post #107.
(just copy the URL into the box)
Every pollster knows that the result of polling can be tweaked by predictable percentage points, up or down, depending on the wording of the question. That's why polls can be calibrated to produce the desired outcome.
Compare:
"Say a person is in a permanent vegetative state with no hope of recovery: is it permissible for her next-of-kin to take her off artificial life support and allow her to die with dignity?"
Or:
"Say a person with a brain injury has family which is eager to care for her and provide therapy so she can maximize her potential: should this disabled person's estranged husband be allowed to cut off her food and water in order to deliberately cause her death by starvation and dehydration?"
I guarantee the difference in polling response would be in the double digits.
The interesting thing here is that, even though the polling question was grossly biased AGAINST Terri, substantial numbers of people still said she should be fed.
Yes, we have our work cut out for us. But there's hope.
Mrs. Don-o
With Michael's most recent behavior (not allowing the family to be in the room when she died, not allowing her parents to give her a Catholic funeral, hiding the location of where the ashes are to be buried even from her parents), I believe he is going to lose many supporters. I've witnessed this occurring already.
Thank YOU! I didn't look to see that one - I just assumed it was another one.
I wish they'd take a poll asking people if they knew that the Doctor who pulled Terri's feeding tube and was the Doctor who diagnosed her as being "in a vegatative state" was a member of the "Hemlock Society". THen, in a follow up question ask them would they want a "Dr. Kevorkian type" treating their family member? The more THIS information gets out, the more Michael Schiavo's character will begin to surface and hopefully, the insurance companies will do a massive investigation (it benefits them NOT to have to pay if it was murder). Does anyone know who the insurance company is (please don't tell me its the girlfriends company)
I guess watching a person be starved to death can change minds.
My local paper today had a about 9 people's responses to the the Schiavo case. The overwhelming theme was that "starving to death" was terrible and most mildly disagreed with what ultimately decided her fate.
A concern came to my mind though. Will people now be more easily persuaded in favor of "mercy killing" for the so-called hopeless because the alternative will conjure up memories of Terri's unpleasant death? I find that possibility very frightening. It seems the culture of death is looking for every opportunity to slip further into the abyss.
Dear Lord, forgive us.
You have rightly sensed the next step in the battle, already put forth by Jack the Dripper Kevorkian and his attorney, Jeffrey Fieger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.