Let's not dis those who care about patients. The idea is to grow our party

[genius]

There are a great many Democrats who agree with Jackson and, if we ever want to become the majority party again, we need to show a little more open-mindedness. Both Nader and Jackson are in agreement here. They are the liberal end of our party.

If we say that killing is wrong, then we need to be open to taking a stand against it everywhere.

It's seems kind of hypocritical to say we oppose killing in some places but not others. The Democratic Party is deeply divided on the issue of the Shiavo case. I think Bush was wrong to try a 3-person Bill of Attainder. I also think that the girl's parents are right.

[Webster Green]

1. I didn't think Nader is a Democrat....

Have I missed something?

[Bluebear]

2. Genius, I don't buy it for the following reasons:

First of all you think they are killing her. That is your right and view on it. The issue was and is what her wishes were. 20+ "activist judges" have proclaimed the husband as credible. This goes on every day in this country without the hootenanny that this has become.

Secondly, 82% of America did feel that Bush and the Congress were wrong, as you state. A solid majority also say that if they were living like Mrs. Schiavo they would choose to not live like that.

Finally, I am so sorry for the parents, but I do question their motives now that I learned they have sold their mailing list to RW organizations for profit.

Just my .02

[Career Prole]

3. I think it's fair to expect respect of multiple court decisions

in the party.
As I've said before, the patient is none of our business when you dig right down to where the difference really lies...it's about the balance of the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative.

[SaveElmer]

4. This is NOT KILLING...and I frankly I resent it

Are you agreeing with the righties that we are the party of death ? Are you saying that we who support Terri Schiavo's right to die as she wishes are trying to have her killed ?

This is about allowing a women ro die with dignity per her wishes. It's about liberty and the freedom to control how one dies. It has nothing to do with killing, or starvation, and everything to do with right wing politics!


The Democratic party is not deeply divided about this...in fact the country is not deeply divided. Overwhelming majorities support her right to die the way she wished to...and even more think politicians should butt out entirely!!!

Jesse Jackson is just plain wrong...and in my opinion his motives for getting involved now are HIGHLY suspect.

[Lauri16]

5. My problem with Rev. Jackson

is his putting himself in with the likes of Randall Terry. That just sickens me.

As for the topic at hand.
I denied having a feeding tube for my Mother in the final days of her battle with alzheimer's, because those were her wishes. (Yes, she had a living will, but as a living family member, and the only one with durable power of attorney, I could have gone against it.) Does that make me a murderer? If it does, then so be it. She died the way she wanted. In peace, pain free and at home. Hospice made sure of that. I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, just clarifying.



*edited cuz' I forgot to add at home.

[smoogatz]

6. You think the parents are right?

I've got a question for you: would you choose to go on living if you were in Terri Schiavo's condition? If you had no cerebral cortex, were unable to move or speak, had no thoughts and no emotions--if you were just a body with a brain-stem, requiring round-the-clock care, fed through a tube surgically inserted into your abdomen?

[SW FL Dem]

7. I disagree -

I don't view this as killing Terri, I view it as letting her go in peace and dignity. What Terri was ceased to exist years ago, people who know a hell of a lot more that you or I do about this case decided that she wouldn't want to live this way. For me, that is the only fact that matters. Yes, it would have been easier if Terri had expressed her wishes in writing, but what 20 something does that? Unfortunately, the judicial system has to make its best efforts given the testimony before the court. We allow courts to exercise that discretion every day. We can't abandon a system that has worked for over 200 years because we are uncomfortable with one highly publicized case.

[applegrove]

8. We are open-minded. We don't have to grow the party..we just have

to be the people we are. The adults. The empathetic ones. We need to be open to people 'not exactly like us' just as in the past. We need to unlearn the targeting Karl Rove has taught all America.

[Malva Zebrina]

9. this is the second time I have seen this "open mindedness" thing

here on DU this morning.

In this case, that means we are to be so open minded as to willingly ignore the judicial system that has been involved for years and years in this case, the Constitution, the rights of a husband over parents, the medical profession and it's unassailable diagnosis of permanent vegetative state, and the right of any person to declare, and expect their wishes be granted,as to the way they wish to leave this life if being kept alive artificially.

Thank you, but no thank you. You know, too much open mindedness and your brain falls out.

Where is this stuff coming from--"open mindedness", Terri is "disabled","killing" and a bunch of other not so clever language manipulations intended to sow dissent? It is, imo, coming from right wing religious fanatics, theocrats and enemies of our Constitution.

Further, killing and murder are not the same thing. Murder is a legal term . You avoided saying murder and chose "killing" instead. Does that mean that you agree that this is not a case of murder?

[Walt Starr]

10. If they agree witht he likes of Terry Randell, they are my sworn enemy

Sorry, that's just the way it is.

[BlueManDude]

11. The people outside that hospice are fucking crazy

and they can cloak themselves in whatever perversion of Christianity they want - but THEY are outside the mainsteam - NOT ME. There are not a "great many Democrats who agree with Jackson" - check the polls. Jackson has chosen to allign himself with dangerous zealots who threaten the lives of people who disagree with them. Screw these nuts and their phony "faith" and screw Jackson.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

12. The legal system...as strongly conservative as it is...

...believes that her parents are wrong. And they were judged to be wrong multiple times over the last decade.

I see that you failed to mention that the GOP is just as divided on this issue as the Democratic Party, if not more.

Nader relinquished his right to speak for progressives and Democrats since his campaign took money from the GOP to run Gore-critical ads late in the 2000 election.

And Jesse Jackson never met a camera he didn't like.

[Bridget Burke]

13. Many of us care about patients.

And we agree with the multiple court rulings that found it time to let Terri Schiavo's body go. As do most of the people in the US.

Rev Jackson has his good points & his bad points. Nader has nothing whatsoever to do with the Democratic party; his aid to Bush in 2000 wiped out whatever good he'd done.

[smoogatz]

14. You haven't answered my question.

Would you choose to live for ten or twenty or forty years the way Mrs. Schiavo lived out her last fifteen? If not, how can you possibly say you support the parents? Isn't that hypocritical?