Posted on 09/04/2003 12:14:25 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
What do you call a country that sentences its prisoners to death by starvation and dehydration?
Barbaric, inhumane perhaps?
Fasts, even hunger strikes, often are self-imposed for periods of time. However, no one in his right mind passes up fluids.
Death by dehydration is a painful, agonizing and arduous process that takes 10 to 14 days.
In addition to feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst, the skin, lips and tongue crack. The nose bleeds because of the drying of the mucus membranes. Heaving and vomiting may ensue because of the drying out of the stomach lining. The victim may experience seizures.
As the fluid level in the body goes down, the blood pressure goes down and the heart rate goes up. Respiration often increases as blood is shunted from the periphery to the central part of the body in a desperate attempt to sustain the primary organs. The hands and feet become extremely cold.
Compared to starvation and dehydration, death by hanging, firing squad, even the electric chair seems humane.
What kind of country imposes such a death, even on those guilty of the most heinous crimes?
Look in the mirror! We the people of the United States of America now are guilty of allowing this kind of death sentence to be carried out – not against murders, rapists and child molesters, but on some of the most disabled in our midst.
One week from today, on Sept. 11, 2003, as we observe the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed over 3,000 innocent people in New York and Washington, D.C., a circuit judge in Florida will hold a hearing to decide when to remove the tube that is used to bring food and fluid to 39-year-old Terri Schiavo, who is slated to become the latest death-by-dehydration victim.
We call those people, who programmed and sent the terrorists into our country, barbarians. However, if we stand by and allow the state to kill an innocent woman like Terri Schiavo, whose only crime is being severely disabled, are we any better?
Terri is not on a respirator or any artificial life-support equipment. Any reasonable person who sees this woman reacting to her parents will realize she is not in a coma or, as it is sometimes called, a "persistent vegetative state." You can view the evidence for yourself.
In 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed and suffered brain damage under unexplained circumstances. Having no durable power of attorney for health care, her husband, Michael Schiavo, became her guardian. He filed a malpractice lawsuit against the doctors who attended her and was awarded $1.3 million.
The bulk of the award was placed in a trust fund for her care and rehabilitation. However, in the last 10 years, she has received no meaningful rehabilitation treatment. Instead, her guardian husband hired a right-to-die advocate, George Felos, as his lawyer and began petitioning the courts to have her feeding tube removed, which, of course, will kill her.
Would a jury have set aside this money for her care if it had known that her guardian had planned to ask the court to end her life? Of course not!
Does the fact that Michael Schiavo would inherit any money left in her trust or is living with another woman – with whom he has had a child and plans to marry once Terri is out of the way – a conflict of interest? You bet it is!
Recently, Terri developed a serious infection, but Michael Schiavo refuses to allow doctors to treat her.
If a child is mistreated or denied proper care or medical treatment by a parent or guardian, the state will step in and place that child in the hands of someone who will protect the child from harm. Why should a disabled person be denied this protection?
Have we, as a nation, become so callous that we have bought into the "quality of life" argument that some people simply are not worth the effort to protect or rehabilitate?
Florida's governor, Jeb Bush, wrote a letter to the judge in charge of the case asking him to delay the removal of Terri's feeding tube – stay her execution – until her case could be investigated. He was ignored.
What Gov. Bush should do is have his attorney general bring an action by the state on Terri's behalf.
There has been a federal court hearing, but time is running out.
To date 27,000 people have petitioned Gov. Bush to save Terri Schiavo. That leaves 281,395,000 who should.
From what I've read about the case so far, you have good reason not to trust the husband.
As if you have to live nearby or be involved with the story for a certain time period to be able to see the videos of this woman and know that she should not be killed, that she will suffer a great deal from forced starvation.
What kind of person would do this to a small animal, much less a fellow human being? Get back to me when you have seen death by starvation over a few weeks - I have, in a terminal patient who was much, much less aware and alert, and who still suffered, imo ( vomiting, seizures).
M. Schiavo has had 3 doctors testify that she is PVS and not a good candidate for rehab. The Schindlers have had
A Guardian ad Litem was appointed for a short time, and he found that M. Schiavo was not trustworthy to be guardian, that his insistance that Terri had said she wouldn't want to live like that was unproovable, and that she was a good candidate for rehab. He was mysteriously removed from the case.
A feeding tube does not negate the possibility that, with even limited rehab, a patient could receive hydration and nourishment p.o. - by mouth.
If you live in Tampa, shouldn't you know all this? I'm not trying to be rude, just curious. Many people here have read hundreds of pages of documents (including sworn testimony) with regard to this matter. Have you?
And lastly, my son was born 3 months early. He required a feeding tube because his suck-breathe-swallow reflex had not yet developed. How long before the right-to-die movement comes for the preemies? The elderly? How long before someone you love is targeted? By then it'll be too late. We are ALL only an automobile accident away from Terri's condition. If you don't want these means taken for you, by all means, sign a living will. But if my son were in the balance, in this situation, and he hadn't signed a living will -- you'd better have VIDEO of him stating specifically his wishes. The parties in this case are assuming. That's not proof. And if someone can't prove my son said those kind of things, they'll be in deep, deep trouble. You just don't mess with mommies.
should be suck-swallow-breathe
So all the medical professionals in Russia and here, who thought she would never be normal, who encouraged us to pass her by, were wrong. We brought her home at age 3, she weighed only 19 pounds and wore a size 18 months, and she did not speak.
Now age 9, she is a busy and easily distracted child who reads above her age level, and speaks very precocious English. God works in His own due time, and to His own will.
And the medical profession, which employs me and has for many years, often misses the boat, and doesn't know everything.
As opposed to the "fake" medical drs, including the one nominated for the nobel prize? Did you know that one of the REAL medical drs was nicknamed "Dr. Humane Death" and the other is an advocate of euthanasia, specifically chosen for their right-to-die views?
She does need "artificial life support". It's called a feeding tube. She cannot even be spoon fed because she doesn't have the ability to swallow her food. If spoon fed, the food would enter her lungs and create infection.
How does anyone know this, if she has not been allowed a swallow test? Oh I forgot, those REAL doctors said so. But it is said that she swallows her own saliva, and her parents have asked Judge Greer to simply grant permission to TRY, but he refused. And who cares if food infects her lungs - they're trying to kill her anyway! Maybe a good old fashioned lung infection would be more timely than starvation and dehydration, what do you think?
The eye movement, shouting, etc. has been determined, again by real doctors several times, to be impulsive.
Those REAL doctors sure know their stuff, don't they? The Schindlers must know they have no grounds on which to stand, not really, or they wouldn't keep soliciting those useless FAKE doctors.
Mrs. Schiavo's parents should let their daughter go with dignity and not keep her artificially alive.
Go with dignity, right. I tell you, when I die, I want to go like they intend for Terri - no food or water for days and days. I'll be able to hold my head up high, knowing I'm going with dignity. Well, at least until my skin starts to split and holding my head up becomes too painful...
They will never be able to have any kind of real relationship with their daughter ever again.
Why don't you tell the parents of the severely disabled boy in my church that they might as well give it up because they will never have any REAL (you like that word, don't you) relationship with their son. I mean, after all, he is practically blind, a quadrapalegic, requires a bib and a bag to catch the saliva that is constantly flowing from his mouth, a colostomy bag, he can't even power his own chair! Man, they sure are wasting their time.
IMO, they are hung up on their son-in-law not collecting the life insurance money when she does die.
You mean the 1.7 million malpractice award he got, right?
Yet, he has said time and time again that he would donate ALL of the money to charity if he ever received any insurance settlement.
Oh so THAT'S where all the money went, all that settlement money - earmarked for Terri's treatment after he gave a heartfelt courtroom testimony to that effect, that he wanted to take care of her but just lacked the means - that settlement money that used to be over a million dollars but is now around 100k - he donated it to CHARITY! Silly me, and I was suspicious of him.
Mr. Schiavo simply wants to let his wife die with dignity THE WAY SHE WANTED. That is what he promised her when she was still alive and well. He is only carrying out his promise.
There you go again, suggesting that starvation is dignified. And might you have a link with more information on that promise? It's the first I've heard of it. Sounds like they had an extensive conversation ending with his emotional assurance. And here I thought this whole thing was always based on a hearsay comment that he and his siblings say she made once while watching a movie two decades ago. Of course they can't remember when or what movie it was, but she surely said it, otherwise no one would ever be trying to let Terri "die with DIGNITY."
My son is now a wild and wooly 4 year old who is, thankfully, napping right now. He is very bright, compassionate and energetic -- traits every preemie I've ever known has. You should see the reunion the NICU where my son was born. About 150 preemies. Wow! They have it in a big park and the place is still swirling with energy, happiness, and LOVE.
Hmmmm, you forgot to mention the part about her being a delight to be around.
She is not in a persistent vegetative state!
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.