Posted on 03/26/2005 7:23:19 PM PST by TheRobb7
First, let me say that I am not giving up yet on Terri Schiavo.
However, if it turns out that she (unfortunately) dies, I want to put out a couple of theories about the fallout of this case. I welcome your comments.
My first theory is that those in Congress who voted against the legislation passed last Sunday will be made to "pay at the ballot box" for their vote (the ones who are up for re-election in 2006).
The vitriol that will undoubtedly arise from Terri's death, if properly focused, could give the GOP even larger majorities in the House and (perhaps) a "filibuster-proof" majority in the Senate.
Then, we can pressure our elected representatives to put Constitutional Originalists on Federal benches to hopefully prevent a replay of this kind of case in the future. Or atleast limit them.
My other theory kind of ties into this. Is it possible that God has brought Jeb Bush and Terri Schiavo "to the Kingdom for such a time as this"????
As much as it breaks my heart, is it perhaps God's will to actually take Terri home in order to effect change for the good of others in the future????
Again, I welcome your comments. I bring these theories to you because I feel at home among Freepers.
God bless.
WOW...I started a thread and it has taken on a life of its own.
I knew I could count on my fellow Freepers. Your opinions are appreciated!
What would an MRI show?
Also she can't get an MRI because of a thalamic implant that was placed several years ago.
Doctors differ.
Patients die.
I demand a second opinion on EVERYTHING. I reckon they churn out coke-snorting idiots from med school.
Glad to hear you're doing well. What type of Ganglioglyoma was it?
Why wouldn't she be able to have the MRI. Does the magnet affect the implant? Other doctors have said differently, but that's just normal for doctors so who the hell knows what the truth is. :)
Minimal fallout.
Nobody in Congress will pay any price, for being on either side of the issue. Most Americans think that Congress did wrong in involving itself. Any residual rage will dissipate as election time rolls around (November, 2006).
I think the GOP will get good gains in the Senate in '06 if they are smart and on the ball. That will have nothing to do with Terri. In fact, anyone who overstates Terri will alienate more people than win over.
Thanks. All my medical records say is ganglioglyoma. My brain surgeon, Dr. Ojemon at U.W., thinks it was caused by the seizures. Kind of a vicious circle. Scarring causes tumor, tumor causes more seizures, causes more scarring. Took them a long time to figure out exactly what the tumor was and whether I would need Chemo. Spent an extra week in the hospital while they debated it. Crazy doctors. LOL
Moved up from MD to Brain Surgeon?
Sounds like Dr.twit who tried to give my mother two paracetamol and told her 'it is all in her mind', two days before her kidneys failed and from a massive tumour resultant of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. (My Mam died a week later).
That consultant suffered (at my pen) afterwards.
MRI's show soft tissue damage better than a CT. CT's aren't used for diagnosing people like Terri anymore. She got her CT scans back when that's what they used. I was the first person in the town where I grew up to get a Cat Scan, and it didn't show squat. Then I got in for an MRI just as soon as they were available and it (6 doctors later) showed a tumor. The doctors I've heard interviewed about it all agreed an MRI would be better than the CT's they did on her.
The reality is that most americans don't know the details of the case.
The problem is that they think they know the details but are in fact working on incomplete or wrong information. That's not to say they are stupid (they aren't).
The perception is more important than the reality (and in many ways perception is reality). The fact that there is a good reason they polled that way (uninformed) isn't as important as the fact that they polled that way. People are not suddenly going to get informed and change their minds when this ends.
As you say, the majority of americans don't know the facts. What you don't grasp is that it doesn't really matter, from a practical standpoint.
I don't know?
I don't know what being in a PVS is like? Maybe it's like being on a constant good buzz from marjuana ...I don't know! Do you?
*******
LOL! I've argued this same point on other boards, that we JUST DON'T KNOW. Why is her life less valuable than yours or mine?
He felt a wee bit foolish.
*****
I'll say!
Precisely.
I'm telling you one thing. I'd sooner be in a PVS than dehydrating to death.
Shoot me first.
There hasn't been anyne "good" in the Democrat Party for ages. Zell Miller hasn't voted with the Democrats in years.
No, not at all. This case is another example of how the GOP has a terrible track record in getting their message across.
Most people misunderstand the Congressional action. The GOP must improve getting the message across. If they had, the polls most likely wouldn't be 70-30 in favor of the morbid position.
It simply isn't good enough to say that people don't understand the issues. It is incumbent on us to communicate them better. The truth is that 1. people don't understand what Congress did, and 2. there is nothing that suggests they will.
It's not about solving this problem - we lost this one. You can't solve a problem once the game is over and it's an 'X' in the loss column. The lesson is that we need to communicate the issues better.
That would go a long way towards addressing future problems.
'We lost this one'????
Huh?
Your language in terms of a life is distasteful, to be honest.
BTW, 'we' (whoever 'we' are) means 'all of us'. Yes! Everyone bears a duty of shame if Terri Shiavo dies. When a mother is denied duty of care to her daughter, over a husband who has another family - we are all to blame. We allowed these laws. We are ALL to blame.
May God have mercy on us all.
Just because someone mentiones one problem (most people didn't know the facts) does not mean they don't grasp that there are other problems. I know we're bad at getting our message out. Republicans and Christians are both bad at that when it comes to politics. The liberals shout us down every time. We have most of the media against us though, so that makes it harder. The media distorted this soooo bad. Can't blame the conservatives for the propaganda campaign. If more people listened to talk radio and got their news on the iternet and from blogs, we'd be a lot better off.
Sorry if my language came off as distasteful. The 'we' I reference isn't meant to speak for all of FR. Sorry about that.
The 'we' are the people who side with the Schindlers (and I side with them mostly because I just don't trust Mr. Sciavo's word). As far as 'losing,' I mean losing the legal case, and secondarily losing the battle of public opinion on the issue.
And I agree with you that we all failed Terri and her family.
Sorry if I spoke too cavalierly. We are basically of like mind on the issue, but I am just a lot harder on the GOP on the general issue of conveying their message.
Everything you say about the media is true. I see that as a reason we have a problem getting the message across. But, I don't see that as an excuse - it's just incumbent on us to become more savvy and effective.
In any case, as I said, the perception is the reality. 70% of Americans think Congress did bad (even though I'd wager over 90% or more don't really understand what Congress did, anyway). I don't see anything that suggests that as this plays out and ends, that perception is going to change.
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.