Politics and Immorality
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Politics and Immorality
| Tue, 03-22-2005 - 6:52am |
Hey!
What does everyone think about the Terri Schaivo case?
I live down the road from where all this is happening and I am sure many have heard about this, but some have not, so I'll explain it.
A woman named Terri Schiavo had a stroke caused from anorexia 13 years ago. She has been in a vegetative state since then. The only thing keeping her alive is a feeding tube. The husband has been fighting for 7 years to get the feeding tube removed. Information on Michael Schiavo...He says him and his wife have spoken about this before and she said that she wouldn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. Most of her money is exhausted and he will receive very little from her death. He has turned down 2 offers for 1 million and 10 million dollars to divorce her and give rights over to parents and he refused. The father and mother...the Schindlers'....have fought against the withdrawal of the feeding tube, has said Schiavo has done everything from abused her, is trying to get money from her, to wanting her to die because he wants to marry his gf that he has had for 5 years.
The judges have ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo through every appeal. Governor Bush has gotten involved and enacted a bill that was unconstitutional at one time because of this. It was thrown out and last Friday the tube was removed. Then, because Bush didn't stop the removal, he gets big brother involved who takes it upon himself (leaving vacation early) to sign a bill to put through congress. A Federal Court Judge heard the case and denied reinserting the tube now and the battle goes on.
Sciavos' gf has said outwardly that Terri was the love of her bf's life and doesn't want to see her suffer. The Schindlers and Bushs" keep bringing up it is against Christian beliefs and that this man is a murderer and should be charged with murder. All theologists and doctors' agree that this is a humane way of letting her go because she has no brain function and cannot feel herself starving. The people against the right to die constantly use starving her to death as painful and say she is dying a slow painful death.
Number one, should a Governor,or Politics in that matter, get involved in this case? If so, how far is too far?
Number two, how do you feel about this? Would you want this to happen to you?
If anything....hopefully this will ALL make us think about getting a living will so our wishes will be carried out when we die. During this, my mother already said she doesn't believe my husband should have the choice because she gave birth to me. He knows I wouldn't want to live that way! So, if anything....really think about it! It can change your life someday!
Just my opinions!
Love and Blessings,
R-
What does everyone think about the Terri Schaivo case?
I live down the road from where all this is happening and I am sure many have heard about this, but some have not, so I'll explain it.
A woman named Terri Schiavo had a stroke caused from anorexia 13 years ago. She has been in a vegetative state since then. The only thing keeping her alive is a feeding tube. The husband has been fighting for 7 years to get the feeding tube removed. Information on Michael Schiavo...He says him and his wife have spoken about this before and she said that she wouldn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. Most of her money is exhausted and he will receive very little from her death. He has turned down 2 offers for 1 million and 10 million dollars to divorce her and give rights over to parents and he refused. The father and mother...the Schindlers'....have fought against the withdrawal of the feeding tube, has said Schiavo has done everything from abused her, is trying to get money from her, to wanting her to die because he wants to marry his gf that he has had for 5 years.
The judges have ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo through every appeal. Governor Bush has gotten involved and enacted a bill that was unconstitutional at one time because of this. It was thrown out and last Friday the tube was removed. Then, because Bush didn't stop the removal, he gets big brother involved who takes it upon himself (leaving vacation early) to sign a bill to put through congress. A Federal Court Judge heard the case and denied reinserting the tube now and the battle goes on.
Sciavos' gf has said outwardly that Terri was the love of her bf's life and doesn't want to see her suffer. The Schindlers and Bushs" keep bringing up it is against Christian beliefs and that this man is a murderer and should be charged with murder. All theologists and doctors' agree that this is a humane way of letting her go because she has no brain function and cannot feel herself starving. The people against the right to die constantly use starving her to death as painful and say she is dying a slow painful death.
Number one, should a Governor,or Politics in that matter, get involved in this case? If so, how far is too far?
Number two, how do you feel about this? Would you want this to happen to you?
If anything....hopefully this will ALL make us think about getting a living will so our wishes will be carried out when we die. During this, my mother already said she doesn't believe my husband should have the choice because she gave birth to me. He knows I wouldn't want to live that way! So, if anything....really think about it! It can change your life someday!
Just my opinions!
Love and Blessings,
R-

Oh my gosh, I can't believe you posted this question - I was coming to post the same thing! They did a piece on it on NPR yesterday...
My heart's breaking for all of them. It's such a hard, hard, situation, and I can't imagine it being turned into a political circus the way it has. Of course my opinion (and everyone's, I guess) is shaped by life experience - I've worked in extended care facilities, had hospice patients, rehabbed brain injured folks, seen the various levels of coma, weaned people off feeding tubes... I think this decision is a very difficult and personal one, likely to be different for each individual, based on what he's seen in his life.
But let's explore politics and morality, shall we?
Who needs 3 branches of gov't anyway? Judicial will just get wiped out by legislative, and apparently the executive & legislative are one and the same anyway.... Forget the morality of this particular case, how moral is it to do away with our nation's system of checks & balances? Egads!
Dh & I are going to do living wills (although I think everyone I know knows what *I* want, anyway. In case you didn't already notice, I'm not exactly meek with my thoughts. LOL)
The thing that upsets me the most is the way they (Gov. Bush and her family) are portraying Michael Schiavo. It is just as tough on him to make the decisions he is too and unfair for them to call him abusive and a murderer. If he never visited her (which he does at least weekly) and took money for these actions, I'd be concerned. I don't think it is fair to be rude and badmouthing to him. Funny thing is, he never really says anything bad about the Schindlers and only occasionally about Bush because he doesn't believe Government should get so involved in family matters.
In all aspects, though, it is tough on everyone. I hope God does what is right and not our government. My biggest point in all this is GET A LIVING WILL!!! LOL!!! I definitely am!
R-
Oh, wanted to add, from what I understand from Hospice, starving to death isn't such a big deal - you feel hunger pangs, then more euphoric. But dehydration is quite another story...and that can go on MUCH longer.
(I did always wonder how hospice KNOWS this... have a lot of people come back from dying of dehydration and starvation and TOLD them???)
I wonder how many things aren't true that are supposedly validated. From what I heard in her case, because she is braindead, she can't feel either dehydration or hunger in her state. That came from 2 different scientists...one for and one against. Also, when her tube was removed the previous time, the hospice nurses told the media she would not be able to be rehabilitated and there was a court appointed guardian that took over for a period of time when Bush passed that first unconstitutional law and he told everyone that there was no abuse, she was receiving therapy everyday and there was still no sign of improvement.
It is definitely a tough call! I guess each person goes by how they would feel if they were Terri Schiavo. I couldn't stand it if I was like that...even if I knew what was going on. I think what would hurt the most would be the pain I would feel for my family. Especially my husband and kids. I would rather see them get on with their lives than to hold on to hope for years and years...that is, if I knew what was going on! But, again, only my opinion! I am sure others have differing ones...that's what makes the world so interesting! LOL
R-
Wow what a dilemma and one I hope I never have to make a decision on. My own personal view would be that I would not want to be kept alive under those circumstances. I have always told my dh that if anything happened to me and I was unable to care for myself, even if I had full mental capacity I would not expect ANYONE to devote their lives to caring for me. That would be too much of a burden for me to carry and I would prefer that they lived their lives to the full and put me into a home to be cared for. Of course I would want them to visit but not take on the responsibility for me. I would also prefer that I was not kept alive on a ventalator and I don't think that there would be any conflict within my family about that. When my sister was killed in an accident at age 16 my mum said she was glad it had been instant and that she hadn't suffered or ended up in a vegative state as she had always been so full of life.
I think our laws are different here and I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a living will here so that would be out of the question anyway.
I really don't know who should have the right in the circumstances and my heart goes out to all of the family. I have always thought the husband but I never looked at it the way your mum does about being the one to make the decision having given birth to her and I have tried to think about it if it was my dd and in all honesty as much as I feel for me it would be the right thing I am not sure I could make that decision if it was my dd. Logically yes, but emotionally I really don't know. I guess it is one of the things where you have to be in the situation to really know how you would react. I have had situations in the past that I always thought if I was faced with the particular situation I would react in a particular way but in reality although I usually do react how I expected there have been occasions when a situation has occurred and my reaction hasn't been what I would have previously expected because the emotions involved have led me to react differently. I definitely think that you really do have to be in the situation to understand fully the complexity and dynamics of the situation and the emotions and feelings involved. We can of course imagine how we would feel but it is not the same thing at all. For that reason I wouldn't condemn anyone in that situation for their reactions.
Think I have just talked myself in circles here without coming to any conclusions!
Carol
I'm convinced there are underlying issues and a history that we will never know about in the relationship between Terry, Michael, and her parents.
To get off the subject a bit, I know quite a few other things that need to be resolved that NO president or congress has EVER come back early from vacation for! What about the gas prices? What about education? I know in Florida we have a horrible educational system. I can go deeper than just those concerns, but I won't because they happen to hit a bad nerve with me and I don't want to get too riled up!
We supposedly live in a free country. What is going on with Terri is between the families. Not Gov. Bush or President Bush. I honestly wish the Bush reign of terror would end.
It saddens me that Terri's husband is called a murderer and all and it saddens me that her parents can't let go of her. You are right. She is just a shell now. One thing that makes me wonder and is never on the news is this: Maybe Michael Schiavo finally needs closure. He waited a pretty long time before he even asked the courts for permission to take out her feeding tube. I wonder if maybe he can't let her go either if he doesn't say a final farewell. If he divorces her...she could go on like this for years and years. Such a tough call. I really feel for everyone involved....EXCEPT THE BUSHS'!!!! LOL
R-
This has been the subject of much heated debate at work recently. First I would say what everyone has already said…We must all have a living will. That is perhaps the biggest lesson that has come from this. I am hearing people talking left and right about that one. I am calling my lawyer to have one drawn up. We have to remember that we are not invincible. I have thought about it in the past, but never followed up because I was not married and my immediate family knows my feelings about it. This is proof that it doesn’t necessarily hold up. I grew up in a family that spoke openly about this for as long as I can remember…so it seemed to be a given.
"In short, all good things in life are wild and free." ~Thoreau
About the situation you were talking about about being open and thinking your loved ones know your wishes. About 12 years ago, my dh's bro-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Melanoma. my sis-in-law was with him night and day and did everything in her power to help him. In the beginning, her rational thoughts told her, when it got bad, let him go. I remember that Christmas, he looked like a walking skeleton. He definitely knew it wasn't long, but she got irrational and would not let him go yet. She had them up his pain meds, brought him to more specialists, etc...although she knew deep down under her panic, he wasn't going to live.
One day, she went out grocery shopping and left him with my mom-in-law and a hospice nurse. He told them that he had to go and couldn't handle the pain anymore. They knew about how long she would be, gave him a large dose of morphine, and he died quietly about 20 minutes after she got home. It was a tough decision for my mom-in-law, but she knew that she wasn't going to give him his wishes in her state. She doesn't know to this day what happened, but as she accepted things, she realizes now how overemotional she was at that time and how she became irrational.
I do have to say, hats off to all hospice workers and volunteers! What a selfless group of people! There is not many organizations who will grant wishes, but they sure do with love and respect.
Love and Blessings!
R-