Posted on 04/01/2005 8:05:46 PM PST by FairOpinion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Polls leading up to the death of Terri Schiavo made it appear Americans had formed a consensus in favor of ending her life. However, a new Zogby poll with fairer questions shows the nation clearly supporting Terri and her parents and wanting to protect the lives of other disabled patients.
The Zogby poll found that, if a person becomes incapacitated and has not expressed their preference for medical treatment, as in Terri's case, 43 percent say "the law presume that the person wants to live, even if the person is receiving food and water through a tube" while just 30 percent disagree.
Another Zogby question his directly on Terri's circumstances.
"If a disabled person is not terminally ill, not in a coma, and not being kept alive on life support, and they have no written directive, should or should they not be denied food and water," the poll asked.
A whopping 79 percent said the patient should not have food and water taken away while just 9 percent said yes.
"From the very start of this debate, Americans have sat on one of two sides," Concerned Women for America's Lanier Swann said in response to the poll. One side "believes Terri's life has worth and purpose, and the side who saw Michael Schiavo's actions as merciful, and appropriate."
More than three-fourths of Americans agreed, Swann said, "because a person is disabled, that patient should never be denied food and water."
The poll also lent support to members of Congress to who passed legislation seeking to prevent Terri's starvation death and help her parents take their lawsuit to federal courts.
"When there is conflicting evidence on whether or not a patient would want to be on a feeding tube, should elected officials order that a feeding tube be removed or should they order that it remain in place," respondents were asked.
Some 18 percent said the feeding tube should be removed and 42 percent said it should remain in place.
Swann said her group would encourage Congress to adopt legislation that would federal courts to review cases when the medical treatment desire of individuals is not known and the patient's family has a dispute over the care.
"According to these poll results, many Americans do in fact agree with what we're trying to accomplish," she said.
The poll found that 49 percent of Americans believe there should be exceptions to the right of a spouse to act as a guardian for an incapacitated spouse. Only 39 percent disagreed.
When asked directly about Terri's case and told the her estranged husband Michael "has had a girlfriend for 10 years and has two children with her" 56 percent of Americans believed guardianship should have been turned over to Terri's parents while 37 percent disagreed.
The "polls" leading up to Schiavo's murder were designed by a bunch of creeps in the Liberal MSM who were doing the bidding of their euthanasia-loving pals. The euthanasia crowd wanted certain "results" from these "polls" and their toadies in the Liberal MSM got them their "results." Once again, the Leftist MSM has snookered the American public. Some people will never learn.
Relevant info:
Schiavo Raised Profile of Disabled
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19752-2005Apr1.html
For many disabled Americans, seeing the final images of Terri Schiavo was like looking at a terrifying picture of themselves -- undervalued and at the mercy of others.
"We do not identify with the spouse or the parents," Diane Coleman, president and founder of the disability rights group Not Dead Yet, explained just days before Schiavo's death. "We identify with her. She is one of us."
"The concern is that our guardians are being given carte blanche to starve and dehydrate us to death without any meaningful safeguards," she said.
Some disabled people were unconvinced that Schiavo had no higher-brain functioning. Others argued that even people in her condition have the ability to bring meaning to other people's lives. But overwhelmingly, the objections centered on personal fears.
Even many who have a living will worry that a time may come when they are unable to communicate their desire to live, and a nondisabled person will make faulty assumptions. Many talk of a "slippery slope" on which the life of a disabled person is increasingly devalued.
I think you nailed it.
Perhaps, but his conduct during the election left his character in doubt.
I do thank him for asking questions based in Truth. Since he would appear the only one to have done so, even if after the fact.
Oh my gosh, this is really scary!! If that is the ENTIRE question ("If a disabled person is not terminally ill, not in a coma, and not being kept alive on life support, and they have no written directive, should or should they not be denied food and water,"), it could apply to ANY disabled person.
9% of respondents think they should be denied food and water????
Should someone with Multiple Sclerosis be starved to death? Cerebral Palsy? Spinal cord injuries? Down's Syndrome?
How could anyone have said we should deny them food and water? Now our media can extol how some people think disabled individuals should be put to death, without concern for the degree of disability. That ANYONE said yes is the bigger concern.
Well, duh!
Only the real brain dead want to attach themselves to and defend the indefensible act of sentencing her to die of thirst. I bet the swamper Boys from Brazil don't like this one little 'ole bit, nor their supporting gaggle of goons.
Read 'em and weep you freaking ghouls!
If nothing else it shows the bias of the other MSM polls, and how wording can affect the percentages drastically.
Your version of this question is really the only fair and accurate one that can be asked and, unless the respondent is of Felos leanings, the answer would be a unanimus 'NO'.
So, this will be all over the newspapers and TV news tomorrow, right?
That is the real shame, because I am convinced that the pro-Terri politicians backed off on the basis of polls. They needn't have, because an honest poll would have bolstered their position overwhelmingly.
Another relevant article:
Terri Schiavo case could affect disabled voters' views
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=348632005
Then Eleanor Smith, a self-described liberal agnostic lesbian, whose childhood bout with polio left her confined to a wheelchair, argued that "At this point I would rather have a right-wing Christian decide my fate than an ACLU member." Ms Smith protested last week outside the hospice where Mrs Schiavo lay dehydrating and starving.
In fact, surveys of disabled Americans suggest a strong tilt towards the Republican Party. According to the campaign group, the National Organisation on Disability, back during the 2000 presidential elections, the Democratic candidate, Vice- president Al Gore, outpolled George W Bush among disabled Americans by 56 per cent to 38 per cent.
But only four years later, at the 2004 presidential contest, Mr Bush beat Senator John Kerry by 52.5 per cent to 46 per cent - a 24.5 point shift.
Liberalism once championed the interests of society’s most vulnerable members. Today, it increasingly champions their "right to die". No-one should be surprised if this affects their decisions as they exercise their right to vote.
They must be brought to heel!
Yes, when I heard the actual question from that ABC Poll .. I kind of figured what was up
poll with honest questions - ping
Motives will resonate.
What was the Democrats motive? Pro-death; for fear it would affect their abortion and euthanasia agenda.
What was the Republican motive? Pro- life; to save the life of an innocent disabled woman.
Choose thou.
ABC poll doomed Terri. The scheming morons at ABC put out a false premise question, well before many of the dupes, er ah pollees, knew what, who, how, or why about Terri.
Egregious and complicit.
The Dems must of had internal polls that looked more like this one. That is why they did not act like liberal's in public.
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