Terri Schiavo

[mhflierman]

I've followed this sad situation with great interest because of two reasons. First off because of the euthanasia debate and secondly because of the media and politcal crazyness around it.

In Holland euthanasia is regulated by law. We have guidelines for doctors on how and when to perform euthanasia. Personally I can completely understand Terri Shiavo's husband. The way Mrs. Shiavo is "living" right now isn't human worthy anymore in my opinion. It's not like Mr. Shiavo pulls the plug after just a week, this has been going on for 14-15 years. She deserves to rest.

The sad thing about this case is that it's surrounded by media horny dickheads trying to make the most out of it. Rev. Patrick Mahoney and Tom DeLay should probably both have another look separation of powers before they open their mouths. Of course, the role of the Bush brothers has been pathetic as well, but I guess we already sort of knew that G.W. doesn't know what it means to be a politician. The way both have been interfering with the judicial power is completely out of order in my opnion. Funnily enough it's always been the US who claim to have invented democracy, separation of powers etc, they even decide for other countries that that's the way to go.

It's also quite weird to see that the Republicans, who have always advocated liberalism and self-proclamation ("you've bought some land, it's your right to defend it, here, go buy a gun"), are suddenly turning all of that around.

I guess that just shows that US politics (and politics in general, because it also happens in Holland) have become populistic...

 

[PhiLLer]

This is, and remains a family matter. The Goverment shouldn`t be anywhere near this case.
The fact that it has reached state judicial level is already too much but when the Goverment starts intervening in such matters then it just gets silly.

 

[Joe Star]

I can understand how her parents feel.......even if she's just a living corpse they sure wouldnt let her go. As Philler said it is a family matter & the involment of the Government was totally unneccessary. Personally i feel that they should've pulled the plug years ago. I know its hard but you have to move on i guess. But the way its done sorta disgusts me, starving her to death.....

 

[Voltaic Borusse]

But the way its done sorta disgusts me, starving her to death.....

She can't feel it, she's more or less already dead.

 

[TheBlueBalla]

She can't feel it, she's more or less already dead.

Not only that, what is the alternative if she is to be left to die? Surely assisted suicide would rankle conservatives even more. This whole thing is endemic of the way the US media latches onto one thing, and just wont let it go. Nobody, unless they did their homework, heard a thing about this woman for 12 years, and now, its almost as if 10 more kids arent dying in Iraq every day, because were not hearing a damn thing about them. Instead, the right wing in this country, who feel a moral duty in any and all circumstances to politicize issues of morality (see: Abortion, Right to Life, Assisted Suicide, gay marriage, etc etc etc) and make some woman who they couldnt give a flying fcuk about their poster child. They call her husband a murderer: The guy has spend a decade with a vegetative woman, spent a multimillion dollar settlement on her care, and now, when he wants to see her wishes come to life, hes a butcher? These are the same people who, only last year, cynically suggested in the US house of reps that any and all people who were publically opposed to the death penalty start paying into a fund to supply the budget for prisoners who would otherwise be dead. Yet now, when it tickles their fancy, "life is the most sacred gift of all". Im sorry to sound like an embittered punk, but every "compassionate conservative" ive ever encountered is some farsical holdover from Buchanon-ism who is just trying something new. They always wanna lecture you on their morality

Ugh[/rant]

 

[Sir Calumn]

I honestly dont give a damn about this. Euthenasia is murder, murder is illegal, I agree with that and know the law will never be changed - I'm just sick to death of every terminally ill person who wants to die being splashed over the news for weeks and weeks and weeks.

 

[John_Arne_Riise]

The amazing thing i read about Euthanasia in the Netherlands is the fact it is not illegal for doctors to administer "tourism euthanasia" which is people that arent residents of the Netherlands can request to get it done. Although the government is strictly against it.

 

[::shinji::]

the only thing I really disagree with it is how the news channels are handling this. CNN even had a "day 3, day 4" thing going on like it was a countdown to the superbowl or something. pretty disgusting.

 

[theo]

I think it`s disgusting too

 

[Andrejs]

I am for euthanasia but for humane euthanasia.I understand both-the parents and the husband.This is pretty sick...

 

[Run DMB]

Hospitals should not be able to administer death if the patient has not requested it, plain and simple.

 

[Vagegast]

Hospitals should not be able to administer death if the patient has not requested it, plain and simple.

But she had requested, according to her husband. From the Detriot Free Press:

In 1988, his grandmother was hospitalized with a serious illness. She had signed a "do not resuscitate" order, Scott Schiavo said, but when she worsened in the middle of the night, no one looked at her records.

"It took them I don't know how long to get her breathing again. They stuck a ventilator down her throat," Scott Schiavo recounted. But it was to little avail. "She was brain-dead."

All the family could do was wait until medications that kept her heart beating wore off. It took a day and a half, he said.

After the funeral, the family went to the Buck Hotel in Feasterville, Pa. Scott and Terri were sitting next to each other at a large table, when the conversation turned to how upset the grandmother would have been at her final hours.

Terri turned to him, Scott Schiavo said, "and she said, 'Not me, no way. I don't want that.' She says, 'If I'm ever like that, oh, don't let me. Pull that tube out of me.' " Scott Schiavo said he testified about the incident in 2000.

 

[Rocky]

this is the 12th day no?

 

[mhflierman]

It think it would be good to have a debate about euthanasia. In my opnion this is clearly a case where euthanasia is a solution. But apart from that debate, what was really appaling to me was the dubious role politicians have played in this case.

It's abviously a very sad situation for the family. They're now being used by conservatives to get attention. I think it's good that Mrs. Shiavo doesn't know what's going on.

 

[Run DMB]

But she had requested, according to her husband. From the Detriot Free Press:

I can't take her husband's word for it. I understand the situation and I sympathize with him, but I think you ought to have the patient's expressed permission in a situation like that. And if the patient is not in a state to make that decision, too bad but you shouldn't be able to pull the plug.

 

[Chacarita Juniors]

We shouldn't even be talking about this in the first place...




I though "actual problems" like social security, immigration laws, oil were more important to the goverment. The Bush Brothers. <---this doesn't even look like finger !!!

 

[Thelonious]

Hospitals should not be able to administer death if the patient has not requested it, plain and simple.

She is in a state of artificial life though , from my point of view she died 15 years ago , by taking away the feeding tube they are just letting nature take its course . I can't imagine anyone would want to be kept alive in that state ,its a sad situation though , I can't see why some people are desperate to keep a brain dead person alive yet they don't hesistate to give out the death penalty when there is a chance the person could be inocent.

 

[Sir Calumn]

I totally agree with Run DMB on this issue - Euthanasia is murder, to legalise it would be to legalise a form of murder which is not only incorrect in genuine cases but is bound to be manipulated to foulplay and would almost certainly result in severe miscarriages of justice.

 

[Vagegast]

Withdrawing artificial life support is not the same as euthanasia. It happens everyday in hospitals everywhere.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

VERY simple issues at stake here guys and euthenasia has nothing to do with it.

1) You have the right to refuse medical treatment see Cruzan v. Harmon.

2) If one is in a permenantly vegitative state there must be evidence that the person had made their wishes clear. Without that evidence a person in a vegitative state cannot refuse the treatment.

3) A court has ruled that Terry made her wishes clear before being in this state. Unless you call the numerous judges' competance and fairness into question, it's obvious that she should not be kept alive per her wishes.

4) There's no constitutional issues here because she isn't being deprived of life without due process of the law because there has been TONS of due process!