Email Congress to stay out of Terri Schiavo case

[Eric J in MN]

It can be a short note like:

Congress should stay out of the Terri Schiavo case.

It is a judicial matter.

You can find your Congressperson and Senators' contact information by typing their names at www.google.com to find their websites.

Or by typing their last names on the top-left at www.vote-smart.org

[liberalhistorian]

1. No, actually, this is one time

when I'm not going to do that. Removing her feeding tube is nothing short of murder, condemning her to a slow, painful death of starvation and dehydration, which is inhuman. For once, I agree with the pro-lifers. She's not on life support, it's not a matter of just pulling a plug. Her greedy, selfish husband, whom she was on the verge of divorcing right before her heart attack, should have signed her care over to her family, the way they wanted. But no, that would mean he wouldn't have any of the money anymore. THAT is the only reason he didn't do that.

The family's lawyer said that, when the verdict and financial settlement with the hospital was reached, he was furious that he wouldn't get any money and that it would go into a trust fund solely for her care. It was supposed to be used for her therapy, which doctors at the time said might help her. But he suddenly "remembered" her wish not to be in that situation, which her family says is bullshit. Somehow, I believe them over that lying, greedy, selfish murderer.

[Quixote1818]

2. Please read this. It will change your mind and it's unbiased

http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/infopage.html

[femme.democratique]

3. This isn't about pro-life. Congress wouldn't care if.....

...she were a black woman, or non-Christian. Your eagerness to enable and encourage our government crooks to get involved in this while ignoring the REALLY important things that are staring us right in the face disgusts me. Do you realize that this kind of situation isn't uncommmon in this country, and do you see congress using every case? No, the repukes are using this particular case as a strategy of distraction and misrepresentation of pro-life principles for their own gain. The woman is brain dead, she has no life.

Congress getting involved in this is nothing more than a ploy to distract the American public. Seems like they've succeeded if I use you as an example! Oh thats right, you believe you have all the facts about their situation. News flash - its none of your business!

[liberalhistorian]

10. And your total disregard for the life of this woman

and the wishes of her parents totally disgusts me. Yes, it's true that it happens all the time and that the RW congress is jumping on this for political reasons. Does that make her life any less important? Can you imagine the anguish of her parents and brother? All her husband had to do was sign over her care to them, that's IT. But that would mean he wouldn't get any of the money. And for him, that's what it gets down to.

[femme.democratique]

27. She has been incapacitated/brain dead since 1990. And FYI...

...I was friends with someone in a similar position, had a heart attack and serious brain damage and was kept alive for a decade. Someone who has been brain dead since the mid 90's is never going to "wake up" and lead a normal life. I've seen firsthand what 15 years of waiting will do to a family. It isn't healthy, its actually quite sick.

And it is STILL none of your business what her husband wants to do after almost 15 years of suffering! You think you care so much about the sanctity of life - then please go volunteer at the local shelter, do something for people who are actually alive to and able to receive and appreciate that concern!

[Quixote1818]

28. You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Read the facts

Once the court decided it was acting on Terri's wishes their WAS NOTHING Michael could do. The court took Michaels and several other relatives testimony before they concluded Terri would not want to live on life support:


Recently, Michael received an offer of $1 million, and perhaps a second offer of $10 million, to walk away from this case and permit Terri's parents to care for her. These offers, assuming there were two, were based on a misunderstanding of the situation here. Michael lacks the power to undo the court order determining Terri's wishes and requiring the removal of her feeding tube. He did not make the decision and cannot unmake it. The court made the decision on Terri's behalf. Nonetheless, Michael apparently rejected each offer.

http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/infopage.html

[phylny]

31. If she believes in life after death, as I do,

she'd welcome this.

When my mother was dying, I prayed and prayed for her recovery. Then one day, I stopped praying for her recovery, and prayed to God that His will be done. My mother died three days later.

It was a blessing, as my mother had faith in life everlasting. As Mrs. Schiavo's parents have said, Terri did too.

[rodeodance]

40. someone is listening to gossip

[cynatnite]

47. What about the right of self-determination?

This means that no matter what we tell our loved ones, the government can step in and force their will.

This means if I tell my husband to let me die in case I am incapacitated in such a way and his attempt to follow through with my wishes can be stopped.

This means the government can interfere in private personal family matters.

What about the separation of powers?

What about the right of a spouse to make decisions for his/her spouse in circumstances such as this?

What about the patient's rights?

This is one more example of the repubs taking our rights away.

[mondo joe]

51. I don't give a fuck about her parents. I care about HER choices.

Both her expressed wishes on her OWN life and HER choice of legal guardian.

[kliljedahl]

48. As in this case?

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3087387

From a post from yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

What a bunch of fucking hypocrites


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[Dookus]

6. Of course she's on life support

a feeding tube is life support, both legally and medically. It's silly to claim otherwise.

You believe too many right-wing lies. If her husband were greedy and selfish, he would've accepted the millions offered him to give up this fight.

Don't be duped. You are being fed lies by known liars.

[Quixote1818]

9. Actually once the court took a stance their was nothing Michael could do

Here is what it says:

Recently, Michael received an offer of $1 million, and perhaps a second offer of $10 million, to walk away from this case and permit Terri's parents to care for her. These offers, assuming there were two, were based on a misunderstanding of the situation here. Michael lacks the power to undo the court order determining Terri's wishes and requiring the removal of her feeding tube. He did not make the decision and cannot unmake it. The court made the decision on Terri's behalf. Nonetheless, Michael apparently rejected each offer.

http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/infopage.html

[liberalhistorian]

11. Oh, come on, the reason he didn't

accept the money was because that would have exposed his true motives. If I were him, I wouldn't have taken the money, either, no matter how greedy I was. Imagine how that would have made him look, taking the money like that. This way, he can just hypocritically pretend to be the caring husband when he doesn't give a shit and hasn't for years. Fact is, he likely didn't when they were married, either; she was on the verge of leaving him because of his cheating.

[Dookus]

12. bullshit

right wing bullshit, all of it.

There is NO evidence he's acting out of anything other than Terri's interests, and court after court after fucking court has ruled that way. Her parents are the monsters, not Michael.

You are falling for lies, promulgated by liars.

[liberalhistorian]

18. Her parents are the monsters?

For not wanting to see their daughter suffer an agonizing death? Talk to anyone in the medical community regardless of their stance on this and they'll tell you just what kind of a death she'll suffer, a slow and painful one. I don't fucking think so. Michael should have signed over her care to them years ago. The money he won in the settlement was supposed to go for her therapy and care and not for his own enrichment, which is exactly where it's going.

They won the money based on the argument of her need for therapy and care. Suddenly, right after the verdict, he "remembers" that she wouldn't have wanted anything like that (which her family vigorously denies, I'd think they'd know better than her monster of a husband) and refused to allow her to have any kind of therapy at all. The family lawyer even said that he was angry that he, personally, wouldn't get any of the money, he wanted it for himself. How you can even think that her family are monsters is totally beyond me. If I were her parents and siblings, I wouldn't give a shit what a court said, I'd still demand my child be alive. What the fuck would the courts know? Did they know her when she could communicate? ALL they knew of what her supposed "wishes" were what her selfish, greedy asshole of a husband told them.

Then again, what's the life of a human being next to several hundred thousand dollars that he and his new chickie can now enjoy for themselves?

[GodHelpUsAll2]

52. Have

you switched parties yet?

[Dookus]

54. Everything you spout is a right-wing lie

promulgated by liars. Don't be duped.

[girl gone mad]

55. Why are you parroting right wing lies..

and unsubstantiated rumors?

I also believe that her parents are acting as monsters for putting her on public display.

If you want to talk about financial interests, what about the parents? They are making a fortune off of the right wingers. They recently got into some sort of trouble for not disclosing where the money they were getting for their "non-profit foundation" was going.

[LisaL]

15. Exactly. I knew he wouldn't take the money.

[Quixote1818]

38. He couldent take the money

Recently, Michael received an offer of $1 million, and perhaps a second offer of $10 million, to walk away from this case and permit Terri's parents to care for her. These offers, assuming there were two, were based on a misunderstanding of the situation here. Michael lacks the power to undo the court order determining Terri's wishes and requiring the removal of her feeding tube. He did not make the decision and cannot unmake it. The court made the decision on Terri's behalf. Nonetheless, Michael apparently rejected each offer.

[Quixote1818]

37. Their is ZERO proof he was cheeting! Where did you dig that up?

[LisaL]

13. Feeding tube was not always considered life support.

[Dookus]

16. so what?

it is now, both legally and medically.

[LisaL]

19. So what? It wasn't even considered life support while

Terri Schiavo was living a normal life. How could she have wanted her feeding tube removed back then to not "live that way"?

[liberalhistorian]

20. But the difference is

that pulling the plug is a quick death, whereas removing a feeding tube means a slow, painful death of starvation and dehydration, which is nothing short of inhumane murder. You think she isn't going to feel that? Just because she can't communicate with words? She's not comatose. She WILL feel the pain of this over days. How anyone can sanction that is beyond my comprehension.

[LisaL]

22. Exactly.

Even if she said pull the plug if I am incapacitated, she couldn't have meant feeding tubes, if they were not considered to be life support back then.

[Lars39]

32. She has no cerebral cortex; she won't feel pain.

[Dookus]

53. No

people without a cerebral cortex don't feel pain. But just to assuage the fears of some, I'm sure morphine will be administered anyway.

[Eric J in MN]

7. With therapy, she may or may not be able

to swallow someday.

She won't ever be able to communicate with words, again.

[liberalhistorian]

14. So, that makes her less of a person, then, huh?

I don't think so. And her family sure doesn't think so, either. Slowly starving and dehydrating her is simply inhumane and unacceptable.

[Dookus]

17. She's a person.

A person who has expressed her wishes about this matter to the full satisfaction of court after court after court.

[LisaL]

21. Why didn't her husband remember her wishes during the

malpractice trial? She was going to live 50 years according to him and his lawyer.

[Quixote1818]

42. Of course they would make the point that she would have lived a healthy

life if the doctors had not misdiagnosed her. What is wrong with that?

The Second District's first decision in the case used these words to describe Michael's care for Terri:


Theresa has been blessed with loving parents and a loving husband. Many patients in this condition would have been abandoned by friends and family within the first year. Michael has continued to care for her and to visit her all these years. He has never divorced her. He has become a professional respiratory therapist and works in a nearby hospital. As a guardian, he has always attempted to provide optimum treatment for his wife. He has been a diligent watch guard of Theresa's care, never hesitating to annoy the nursing staff in order to assure that she receives the proper treatment.
Recently, Michael received an offer of $1 million, and perhaps a second offer of $10 million, to walk away from this case and permit Terri's parents to care for her. These offers, assuming there were two, were based on a misunderstanding of the situation here. Michael lacks the power to undo the court order determining Terri's wishes and requiring the removal of her feeding tube. He did not make the decision and cannot unmake it. The court made the decision on Terri's behalf. Nonetheless, Michael apparently rejected each offer.

[mondo joe]

49. Because he still believed there might be recovery at that time.

Five years later he knew better.

[liberalhistorian]

24. The only way the courts

"know" what her "wishes" are in that regard are what Michael has told them, and certainly not from her family and friends. And, like someone else pointed out in this thread, even if she had expressed such wishes it would have likely been for the removal of life support, and a quick death, as opposed to days of slow, painful, agonizing death from starvation and dehydration. I know I would want to be removed from life support, but sure as hell not from a feeding tube and especially if I were NOT in a coma. Terry is NOT COMATOSE. There is a major, major difference.

[Quixote1818]

45. Actually she is worse than comatose. She is gone.

Here is a Doctors Opinion on Terri's brain scan,

In my profession (clinical neuroscientist that works in the field of Alzheimer's disease research), I have seen hundreds of neuroimaging scans of patients with significant atrophy and Schiavo's is among one of the worst that I have seen. Her ventricles are showing what is termed, "ex vacuo," changes...a finding common in hydrocephalic children, late-stage Alzheimer's patients, and severe brain damage.

What's most notable about her scan (i.e., axial plane image) is the COMPLETE loss of gyral ridges in the parietal and occipital lobes. In the picture this shows up as a smooth region on either side of the brain. I find this significant because it means that she has LOST ALL PHYSICAL MATTER known to control visual processing, long-term memory storage, complex visuospatial processing, and working memory. She still has some gyral structure (though severely affected and showing what is termed "knife blade" atrophy) in the frontal and superior temporal regions, suggesting their may be some rudamentary simple stimulus detection remaining but no capacity for comprehension of this stimuli. In effect, she probably only retains the brain/functional capacity of a lower organism with rudamentary stimulus detection skills (e.g., worms, flukes, etc.).

She is no longer human or alive, if one subscribes to the Descartian theory of consciousness/awareness as the defining characteristic of being human. From decades of neuroscience, the PHYSICAL EVIDENCE is clear that Schiavo DOES NOT have the necessary materials for consciousness or understanding of her surroundings. Period.

[Eric J in MN]

30. America doesn't have limitless medical resources

Wouldn't you prefer for a medical team tend to someone who has been able to communicate with words within the past 14 years?

[phylny]

29. I work with patients with dysphagia (swallowing disorders)

and with no cerebral cortex, and no ability to follow directions, no amount of therapy will help her swallow. There would need to be a swallow study first, and I don't know of a speech-language pathologist or a radiologist who would perform a study on someone who isn't awake, alert, and participatory. In fact, no speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist worth their license would even attempt it, let alone therapy. It's a sure way to a lawsuit and loss of licese, and to aspiration for the patient.

[rodeodance]

41. thanks

[mondo joe]

43. The fact that you think this will be painful proves you don't know

what you're talking about.

[spanone]

4. Already did it.

[phylny]

5. Me too. n/t

[Eric J in MN]

8. Thanks (nt)

nt

[Auntie Bush]

23. I just sent all three Vermonters a letter.

Thanks for the address!

[Eric J in MN]

26. You're welcome (nt)

nt

[RetroLounge]

25. Done

and the asshats who are complaining here are just like the repugs in congress.

RL

[rodeodance]

33. Randall Terry just had a news conference for RW's to email Congress

to "save Terri"

We best overwhelm ALL congress people -not just ours.

[rodeodance]

39. thanks, I just did (short and sweet memo)

[Hans Delbrook]

34. I did it

Both senators and my congressmen. Good idea. Of course, 2 out of 3 are freepers so a lot of good it will do but I felt better.

[UTUSN]

35. Thanks for the Link

I tried calling and the offices are CLOSED.

[karlrschneider]

36. Probably won't hurt but I don't think it will help (change any minds)

I wouldn't waste the electrons on my rethug wingnut fascist congresscritters...

[Eric J in MN]

50. I like reminding Repubican officials of Democratic citizens (nt)

nt

[Eric J in MN]

44. Let Congress know that

not everyone agrees with interference in this.

[kliljedahl]

46. Done, both Senators & my Rep

http://www.kliljedahl.net