Lieutenant governor candidates say Muñoz court ruling was wrong

[alp227]

Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

DALLAS — A district judge in Tarrant County was wrong to let a pregnant, brain-dead woman be removed from life support and the Legislature needs to address the life-and-death dilemma when it returns next year, the four Republicans hoping to be the state’s lieutenant governor next year agreed Monday night.

The situation of Marlise Muñoz, who was kept on life support in an attempt to let her unborn child develop enough to be delivered, drew much focus during the first televised debate in the race for for lieutenant governor.

All four candidates — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples — said the state district judge shouldn’t have let Munoz’s husband, Erick, remove his wife from life support.

“This case was decided wrong,” Dewhurst said. “I’m a strong believer of the sanctity of life. ... This baby could have been born. If I had been in that judge’s shoes, I would have ruled differently.”

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/27/5518456/lieutenant-governor-candidates.html

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More coverage: Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle

[Lobo27]

1. So having a good life does not matter...

The baby would have been born with so many problems. They baby was not receiving enough oxygen FFS.

[rebecca_herman]

2. Guess they only care about life before its born

A baby born with those problems would likely have a short, painful life. But I guess how much it suffers doesn't matter to these people as long as it is born.

[QuestForSense]

17. These guys are immune to the suffering of others.

Not only of the infant, but its mother, father and family. It's not that they're short on empathy; they lack it completely.

[Heather MC]

18. Don't forget they wouldn't want that baby to have any healthcare after it was born

because if it's pre-existing conditions.

[blkmusclmachine]

3. TexASS

[Democat]

4. Small government is bad

Texas Republicans begging for bigger government. The Democratic candidate should point that out.

[LovingA2andMI]

5. Disgusting

How can Texas vote folks into office who seek to control their body over God's will? Without the help of a machine, Marlise Munoz would have died late November 2013, after her severe brain bleed. This is not GOD's WILL. This is MAN WILL OVER GOD. This is what the Democratic Candidates for Lt. Governor in Texas need to make sure to darn well point out.

[blkmusclmachine]

9. Who called in the god patrol?

[riversedge]

6. vote out the teaparty Republicans in #Texas

Simple as that.

[appleannie1]

7. What is it about she was dead do they not understand? And the fetus was so deformed it probably

would not survive. It had an enlarged head full of fluid, a heart defect and was so deformed from the waist down they could not determine the sex. Wanting to see something like that suffer is ghoulish not holy. And who in the hell gave them the right to change the will of God?

[blkmusclmachine]

10. Who called in the god patrol?

[blkmusclmachine]

8. The radicalized Republicans are a direct result of the DEM Party Apparatus surrendering TX long ago.

[aquart]

11. Do not let this man get a judgeship!

[ReRe]

12. The baby would not have lived...

... It had so many things wrong with it, already. I doubt it's little lungs would have been developed enough to even take it's first breath. Judges are NOT Doctors! And if there ever was a judge who was also an MD, I guarantee you he wouldn't agree with those four Republican religious fundamentalists who call themselves "Judges." I say check their resumes pronto. I suppose they practice "natural law."

[Justice]

13. Hospital said in court papers that the fetus was not viable. Why do these people deny this?

We can only speculate about the extent of the fetus's condition - but ultimately, the hospital's medical conclusion was the fetus was not viable. I believe that is what the judge based the ruling on. If the hospital had said the fetus was viable, I suspect the ruling would have gone the other way.

On Fox on Sunday morning show, I watched for a few moments, and the priest that came on lied - he kept saying the fetus was 22-24 weeks and thus was viable and therefore life support should not be removed. He kept saying the fetus was viable and no one corrected him - but also the hosts did not respond to what he said.

Tragic loss of life - the mother and the child. No one loved the mom and the child more than the dad. Really cruel to suggest he did not act in her best interest.

These people should not be in charge of a light pole let alone a government/state.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. Get the Government Off Our Backs

and into our bedrooms and hospital rooms!

[davidpdx]

15. What a bunch of dumbasses

The baby was abnormal in a dead mother. The chances of it living were zero.

[sinkingfeeling]

16. When do they acknowledge reality? Maybe they should get to stand by and

watch a loved one's body decompose for a couple of months and not be allowed to bury it.