She may not have a brain, but goshdarnit, she still has a WOMB!

[El Fuego]

It all makes sense to me now! She may be in a vegetative state, but she is probably still a fully functional baby machine. And that is the only real purpose of a woman to a religious extremist. Of course they see her as a person of value!

Rational people might see the lack of a cerebral cortex as something of a deal breaker, but to conservatives, a brainless woman may be closer to the ideal. Now I see why they maintain she is merely "disabled" -- the brain isn't the important part of a woman anyways.

At last, some logic. At least they are consistent in their wacka-doodleness.

:bounce:

[Withywindle]

1. I've long thought she's the ideal RW woman...

No will, no opinions or ambitions of her own, the perfect blank slate they can make into a symbol of whatever the hell they choose and she'll do nothing to disrupt their perfect projection. She's the anti-Hillary.

[Ms Chicklet]

12. Terri Schiavo, Laura Bush, same difference

:P

[efhmc]

2. That is what I said a long while back. She is a reproducing white

woman. Therefore the rws love her. That is unless she wakes up and has an unwanted pregnancy and wants an abortion. Then they will want her and her DR. wiped off the face of the earth and the sooner the better.

[El Fuego]

5. Exactly. A WHITE woman.

And as we all know, a few weeks ago a BLACK baby in Texas died in his mother's arms when the hospital took him off the respirator because his mother could not pay to keep him on. Thanks to a bill signed by Governor GWB.

Yes, this is their "culture of life." It makes me ill.

[Warpy]

3. Yeah, but her eggs are expired

Yes, I know some women get pregnant after 40, but they're the exception, not the rule.

[Eloriel]

4. And what about those of us who are NOT fundamentalist,

are feminist and consider ourselves extremely liberal but who are NOT in any way comfortable with what's being done to her?

My problem is your basic premise that "she doesn't have a brain." I don't know that that's true (conflicting reports), nor do I know that her wishes were not to remain in a state like this (whatever it is and again, it's not clear), NOR do I trust her so-called husband.

Your post is extremely offensive to those of us who are liberals but not on the side of what we worry is euthanasia (maybe not even as GOOD as "assisted suicide").

[efhmc]

8. I I do think the RW is interested in

her primarily because of who she is and that makes a big difference in their attitude toward her. Someone here suggested last week that she be given to the parents (and, I added, to the bushes) and that they pay for her care and stay with her for 24 hours and do all the things necessary to keep her alive, cleaning her bottom, and turning her to keep from having bed sores, never getting to go out together because one person needs to always be there with her, etc. Take all the responsibility since that is what THEY want to do.(I did this for my MIL for about 4 years, who repeatedly asked when she was coherent to die.) It does not matter if this is the best thing for their daughter or if she really wants to be in this state. This would solve all the problems as far as I am concerned. Let's see these people put their all of their time, energy, life force and money into keeping their daughter alive.

[El Fuego]

10. Medical reports say her cerebral cortex is liquified.

She only has those parts of the brain left which control basic bodily functions like sleeping, breathing etc.

I agree with you about the husband. I don't understand how he can still be her legal guardian when he is in a new relationship and has children with the woman. He should have turned over guardianship to the Schiavos. It's sick that he should be allowed to decide Terri's fate when he has a new "wife."

It's a tragic case, but I myself am offended by those who are using her to advance their political and/or religious agendas.

[Bunny]

13. You DO realize that Michael did not "decide" Terri's fate?

At least tell me you understand that the courts (some 24 of them) determined Terri's wishes and "decided" Terri's fate. Not Michael. Tell me that you've at least educated yourself that much.

[El Fuego]

14. Michael made the decision to initiate the whole thing.

Since there was no living will, Terri's wishes were only attested to by Michael. Michael elected to withhold the feeding tube based on what he said were Terri's wishes. The Schindlers fought him. And then the court battles ensued to decide what Terri's wishes really were. Had Michael not decided to end her life in the first place, it would never have been in court.

[Bunny]

15. Well, attested to by Michael and several other witnesses.

I think there were five witnesses, actually. But don't let the truth get in your way.

And, since the court decided what Terri's wishes were, why on earth would Michael ignore them? Are you saying that the husband should disregard his wife's wishes?

[El Fuego]

16. I think the courts have thoroughly reviewed all the information

and have made the best decision possible in accordance with Florida and U.S.laws.

I just don't see why he couldn't divorce Terri when he acquired a new "wife." A case could be made that she would not have "wished" to stay married to Michael after he had started a new life with another woman. What Terri would have wished is a slippery slope.

BUT I REALLY DON'T CARE TO SECOND GUESS THE COURTS! What I have issue with is the way she is being used by fundamentalists as a pawn in the anti-abortion war. All these court battles were totally funded by right-to-lifers. They're trying to establish that she is legally equivalent to a fetus. I'm angry at this circus they have created. They are using her to advance their political agenda and have robbed her of all her dignity in death.

[Bunny]

17. Perhaps he didn't divorce her because he wanted to be sure

that she got the best care? Perhaps he just didn't trust her parents?

Anyway, I am in complete agreement with your last paragraph. For the fundies to use her in this manner is abhorrent. There will be a nice cozy place set aside for them in hell.

[Nikki Stone 1]

6. Your post is too glib for a serious issue like this

And I don't think Terri's gender or her uterus has anything to do with the current fight.

[Generator]

9. Au contraire

I think that the fact that she's a daughter and not a son may have a good deal to do with it on a subconcsious level.

Woman in the "traditional" and certainly Catholic or religous sense are lauded for being docile, subservient and just well there.

She's like a living doll.

The brain is not important to them at all. Just the body apparently.

I don't think a son sitting in a vegetative state for 15 years in the prime of his life would be as acceptable as a woman.

Life for life's sake. No quality, no meaning. Over romantizination of life. Just drooling forever, innocent and hopeless and subservient to your parents wishes. The eternal fetus that never grows up.

[Nikki Stone 1]

11. Au contraire to your au contraire!

Parents who want their kids--"Just drooling forever, innocent and hopeless and subservient to your parents wishes. The eternal fetus that never grows up"---are not especially picky about gender, especially the mothers.

In my ethnic group--and I won't tell you which one that is--the ideal son is a boy who never gets cut from the apron strings. Mothers in my culture have their sons by the balls and they never get free, much to the consternation of their wives.

I can see some of my own female relatives in heaven with a son in Schiavo's condition. ;)

[NightOwwl]

7. Yep...that's one woman who knows her place.

She never talks back or voices an opinion. She's completely pliable and has no will of her own.

In other words, she's perfect!