Teri Schiavo Execution in Florida

[TrophyHusband 0]

how much money did it cost us taxpayers this weekend for these special sessions? it cost a fortune just to get gw to washington to sign this bill. it makes me sick to see our government move this fast on this one issue that will do nothing to improve or defend our country when not too long ago they sat on their asses when our soldiers needed body armor and armor for hummers. how many men and women died because they didn't have adequate protection? the government and george bush's priorities are clearly way out of whack. for this reason i'm changing my political affiliation to independant and may even stop voting. i have lost all faith in our system. secure my borders, defend my country, improve education, and let the states take care of these issues. do your fucking job and let the states do theirs.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[misskriss 0]

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Why does it have to be on paper? Does the law currently require that? No it does not.

Because obviously she can't speak her own wishes and if it were written down then maybe all of this would not be happening. I know that if something had happened to me while I was at the end of my marriage I would not have wanted my husband to have made the decision for me yet legally he would have been the one to do so. I am not saying her husband is lying at all...all we can do is believe what he says and I accept that. If this is something someone feels strongly about it is best to have a living will. It's the responsible thing to do in my opinion. It has to be a tough decision for all of the family members...her husband and her parents. I can't imagine what they are going through. My mother has a living will and all of this has made me decide to have one drawn up as well. It's easy and inexpensive and can save a lot of heartache.

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Do you respect the current laws? Apparently not

[nathaniel 0]

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Why isn't anyone listening to her parents and brother who claim that she is somewhat responsive to stimulae?

Believe it or not, this is a medical issue. A close relative of mine recently died from a degenerative dementia, and the same issue came up.

Medical science has long established that some behaviour and reactions to certain types of stimuli are not governed by the part of the brain responsible for cognition.

It's particularly tempting for family members, esp family members that are physically close to the patient and who observe the patient to infer way too much about the patient's mental capacities based on actions that are basically hardwired into the brain.

It's an entirely understandable and even magnanimous reaction that lots of people have--it shows how tenaciously they cling to hope. But unfortunately it can lead caregivers to seek care that is inappropriate. For example, seeking physical therapy for someone who lacks the better part of her brain.

I wish I could explain it better with examples, but this is not a field of expertise for me. What I know is that it's one area where, to be effective caregivers, we must put aside our instincts and rely on trained professionals for guidance. And in this case, as the court found, the professionals have spoken clearly.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[flyangel2 2]

I've noticed that the video they show us on T.V. is the same one over and over again. Teri's husband was on one of the morning shows, and he said that he has hours and hours of video of Teri not doing a thing.

I would so love to see the family let her go.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[winsor 236]

I'm trying to remember the girl's name in one of the original "right to die" cases, she'd OD'ed on pills and booze. When her family finally won a court order to take her off a respirator, she surprised everyone by going on living for a few more years, until she finally died in 1985. But nobody was allowed to starve her, or press a pillow over her face, or anything else to actively kill her.

[livendive 8]

Here's tshirthell.com's answer (attached).



Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Shotgun 1]

Gotta love tshirthell... one of the most politically incorrect sites I have ever seen... I subscribe to his newsletters and OMG that is some of the funniest shit (but not recommended for the easily-offended).

As for the Terri Schiavo case, the government needs to butt out of it and her husband should have the final say. Lesson to be learned is: have a living will so that your family will be far less likely to ever end up in such a horrible situation.

I would hope that my parents would trust my husband enough to believe him that I did not want to be kept alive in that situation (based solely on his word), but I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like for my mother to have to agree to give up on my life. I think it would at least make it somewhat easier to have my wishes confirmed in writing.

[livendive 8]

On the comedy side, Bill Maher hit the same note as tshirthell.com this weekend. During his monologue, Bill was saying something about all the media coverage on this one isolated case, and then reported that as soon as they removed the feeding tube on Friday, Kirstie Allie called saying "I'll take it!". :-) Like you said, it's not for the easily offended, but goddamn it's funny.

On the living will side, I agree completely. This hasn't prompted me to put one in writing, since I already have one (among other such documents), but it has reminded me that I need to update it. Mine describes specific scenarios in which I would like to be turned off (e.g. vegetative, quadriplegic, etc), and allows discretion for those scenarios I can't predict. On the discretion front, my mom has first authority, as her and I share similar viewpoints and will treat each other with respect and compassion regardless of legality. The thing is this has reminded me that my ex-girlfriend still has secondary power of attorney and authority in my living will (if my mom's incapable of taking the reins). While she's a good woman who I trust would look out for my best interests, that's one of the things that never crossed my mind during our breakup.

The good thing in the Terri Schiavo case is that she's brain-dead, not simply paralyzed. That means at least she's not suffering. Both sides of the case are pulling on the heart strings right now, with the family saying "she's capable of thought and response and moods" and the husband saying "she didn't want to live like this." Luckily (though unfortunately), right now I seriously doubt she gives a fuck.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Muenkel 0]

It's clear I am in the minority on this subject. I truly understand the points of view on most of the posts here, but none of it has changed my mind on the topic.

I definitely see things more from a spiritual point of view rather than scientific. I guess that's what makes it interesting around here. We all come from different perspectives.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[ltdiver 3]

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I've noticed that the video they show us on T.V. is the same one over and over again. Teri's husband was on one of the morning shows, and he said that he has hours and hours of video of Teri not doing a thing.

That video was taken 5 years ago. The family will not let current views be seen by the public.

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I would so love to see the family let her go.

Ditto.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[jakee 1,489]

Why should a spiritual point of view make it any different? In Teri's case, the woman's mind is dead, she's probably already floating around with the angels, if she isn't then you're just keeping her in limbo.

If you think that there is still some small part of her left then why 'spiritually' is it better to force her to hang on. If you have someone (hypothetically) in great physical discomfort/pain, unable to carry out the most basic functions who almost certainly wants to die then why 'spiritually' are you going to force them to live with that pain for as long as is medically posible before they can go to the happy place?

I don't get it.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[tkhayes 348]

The federal judge just announced that they will NOT hear the case again, (20 minutes ago), so the feeding tube will NOT be put back in. Hmmm, let me see, that would be the 18th judge to hear the case.......


Maybe her husband is right? Maybe we should all shut up and in a few days it will be over.

Glad someone at the federal level has some common sense.

TK

[Jimbo 0]

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I definitely see things more from a spiritual point of view rather than scientific.

She's brain dead. How much her, how much of her spirit is left? It's not our blood and guts that make us who we are, it's what's upstairs. In Teri's case there's nothing left.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Lindsey 0]

I haven't watched this very closely, but from what I understand she's not actually brain dead. She's in a permanent vegetative state. Her brainstem, but no other part of her brain, is functioning. So she has certain reflexes, she breathes, and her heart beats. She has no capacity for any thought or feeling whatsoever. It is a little different than being brain dead though. I sure hope that this judge's word will be the final one. Bless her soul....

Peace~
linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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It's clear I am in the minority on this subject. I truly understand the points of view on most of the posts here, but none of it has changed my mind on the topic.

I definitely see things more from a spiritual point of view rather than scientific. I guess that's what makes it interesting around here. We all come from different perspectives.

Chris

Try this on for size. Imagine being her husband and having to live out her death for 15 years? He could have divorced the empty shell that has been sitting there many years ago, but he didn't. This is a man that is trying to do, out of love, what his wife asked.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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The federal judge just announced that they will NOT hear the case again, (20 minutes ago), so the feeding tube will NOT be put back in. Hmmm, let me see, that would be the 18th judge to hear the case.......


Maybe her husband is right? Maybe we should all shut up and in a few days it will be over.

Glad someone at the federal level has some common sense.

TK

Watch GW make some sort of last minute move to remove more freedoms and rights.....

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Nightingale 0]

Personally, I feel that without some indication of the person's wishes, that the decision maker should err on the side of life rather than death. However, the ultimate decision lies with her husband. By not having a written indication of her wishes, Teri Schiavo, by marrying her husband, indicated that he was to be the one to make this kind of decision if there was a point where she could not decide for herself. I think that the government needs to step back and let the poor man make it in peace.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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Personally, I feel that without some indication of the person's wishes, that the decision maker should err on the side of life rather than death. However, the ultimate decision lies with her husband. By not having a written indication of her wishes, Teri Schiavo, by marrying her husband, indicated that he was to be the one to make this kind of decision if there was a point where she could not decide for herself. I think that the government needs to step back and let the poor man make it in peace.

Well said. The gov't and everyone else needs to stop forcing their morals and religious guilt on this family.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[aerohaga 0]

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I definitely see things more from a spiritual point of view rather than scientific.

She's brain dead. How much her, how much of her spirit is left? It's not our blood and guts that make us who we are, it's what's upstairs. In Teri's case there's nothing left.

-
Jim

I understand that she is "brain dead", but tell me, what then would it hurt to let her parents (who are totally willing to) care for her? Why does her so-called husband keep holding on? Is he doing it to spite her family? Whatever her wishes may have been 15 years ago, she has no idea that they aren't being followed. Let her parents have her.

For my part, I know nothing with any certainty,
But the sight of the stars makes me dream.
-Vincent Van Gogh

[Ron 10]

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I understand that she is "brain dead", but tell me, what then would it hurt to let her parents (who are totally willing to) care for her? Why does her so-called husband keep holding on? Is he doing it to spite her family? Whatever her wishes may have been 15 years ago, she has no idea that they aren't being followed. Let her parents have her.

His wife asked that she not be kept alive like a plant.

He is trying to follow the wishes of the woman he loved.

The easy road would have been to run away. The hard road is to show his love by following her wishes.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[billvon 2,989]

>I understand that she is "brain dead", but tell me, what then would it hurt
>to let her parents (who are totally willing to) care for her? Why does her
>so-called husband keep holding on?

Because he made a vow to do that, perhaps? Because he wants to see her wishes carried out? Because she can't fight for her rights herself? Hard to say.

>Is he doing it to spite her family? Whatever her wishes may have been 15
>years ago, she has no idea that they aren't being followed.

If you wanted to donate your organs after your death, and your parents said "let his organs rot; he's in no shape to complain that his wishes aren't being followed" would you be OK with that?

Here in the US we consider that people have a right to say what is done with their bodies, both before and after the end of their conscious lives. I think we would all be upset if those wishes were ignored depending on public opinion.

[pajarito 0]

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His wife asked that she not be kept alive like a plant.

There is no proof of that. If there were, there would be no argument.

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He is trying to follow the wishes of the woman he loved.

Based on his actions in the past, he hasn't demonstrated that he's had her best interests in mind.

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The easy road would have been to run away. The hard road is to show his love by following her wishes.

You're assuming way too much without any evidence.

[justinb138 0]

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There is no proof of that. If there were, there would be no argument.

There's no proof that she didn't either.

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Based on his actions in the past, he hasn't demonstrated that he's had her best interests in mind.

Based on what actions?

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You're assuming way too much without any evidence.

I think you are.

[pajarito 0]

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There's no proof that she didn't either.

You can't base human lives on "he said; she said." In the absence of proof of her wishes, this is euthenasia. We don't even starve animals to death. That's considered inhumane and you'll go to jail for doing it. If they're just going to kill her, they aught to give her a lethal injection and get it over with. Wait...that's illegal. By "starving" her to death, they can avoid the personal responsibility, close their eyes, and wish it all away. Pathetic really.

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Based on what actions?

Watch the news.

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I think you are.

Really? Where's your proof of her stated wishes?

[flyclearjohn 0]

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I understand that she is "brain dead", but tell me, what then would it hurt to let her parents (who are totally willing to) care for her? Why does her so-called husband keep holding on? Is he doing it to spite her family? Whatever her wishes may have been 15 years ago, she has no idea that they aren't being followed. Let her parents have her.

She reacts to aversive stimulus so it's a good assumption she feels pain and discomfort. How many more years of would you subject her to simply because her parents are unable to let go?

I don't know her 'so-called' husband but I'm going to assume his intentions are hororable and he is following Teri's wishes for he has absolutely nothing to gain here.

Rest in Peace (finally), Teri.

John