Schiavo case

[dean_martin]

What are your thoughts on this case? Do you believe the facts regarding Ms. Schiavo's condition have not been resolved? Do you believe the facts have been decided incorrectly? Should Congress have gotten involved? Even after Congress passed a law granting the Federal Courts jurisdiction, why did the parents lose? Has this tragic case become too politicized, or were such actions that might be perceived as political necessary to save a life?

Ms. Schiavo was a victim of medical malpractice. Her bulimic condition went undiagnosed by her doctor(s) and she eventually suffered a heart attack which led to the brain damage. This unfortunate event has been overlooked in most of the news stories and admittedly I have not yet researched the details. However, a jury awarded her and her husband one million dollars. The case settled while on appeal.

The same Congress that is threatening to take away or limit our rights to hold doctors responsible for negligence and other misconduct has stepped in ostensibly to save a life.

Finally, if you've heard more than you can stand about this case, please post that sentiment too.

What say you?

[paul_pci]

The lenghts that politicians and ideologs will go to lie in the process of co-opting this poor woman's case to prop themselves up into a political spotlight outrages me. Today, local radio hosts were documenting the out and out lies Bill O'Reiley and Sean Hannity were spewing just to wave their conservative flag to save this woman while out the other end of their mouth, they complain government is too big and needs to stay out of citizens' lives. That the Congress and the President should focus any professional attention on one, single citizen is a colossal waste of time and energy and ultimately undemocratic. This jackass who wants to err on the side of life, obviously doesn't follow that principle thousands of miles around the other side of the globe, thus making his motivations suspect, if not wholly insincere. These are the same people who want to limit or excise medical malpractice awards and leave the Schiavo's with nothing more than, "whoops, we're sorry." As with other political skits played out in this country, what we ultimately lose is our national dignity. There's nothing to be proud of in watching a bunch of mental midgets directing a failure of a political drama simply because they cannot discern the difference between biological life and human life.

[Pat D]

What are your thoughts on this case? Do you believe the facts regarding Ms. Schiavo's condition have not been resolved? Do you believe the facts have been decided incorrectly? Should Congress have gotten involved? Even after Congress passed a law granting the Federal Courts jurisdiction, why did the parents lose? Has this tragic case become too politicized, or were such actions that might be perceived as political necessary to save a life?

Ms. Schiavo was a victim of medical malpractice. Her bulimic condition went undiagnosed by her doctor(s) and she eventually suffered a heart attack which led to the brain damage. This unfortunate event has been overlooked in most of the news stories and admittedly I have not yet researched the details. However, a jury awarded her and her husband one million dollars. The case settled while on appeal.

The same Congress that is threatening to take away or limit our rights to hold doctors responsible for negligence and other misconduct has stepped in ostensibly to save a life.

Finally, if you've heard more than you can stand about this case, please post that sentiment too.

What say you?
The original judgment by Judge Greer can be found at the following link. It give the main facts in an authoritative way and one can see that many people have incomplete information and misinformation.

http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/trialctorder02-00.pdf

More information and court documents on the case are available here:

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

The information seems to be that she lacks the requisite parts of the brain. Hence, in any human sense, she died years ago and only her body lives on.

[shokhead]

Where is the money coming from for her care if the parents do get her home to care for her? We have to be talking about big bucks ayear for her home car. Also her parents are not that young and what happens if something happens to one of them?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I am personally disgusted with all of this, and sick of hearing about this case. The conservatives ought to be ashamed of themselves using this woman to further their supposed right to life, anti abortion stance. When you have the majority leader of the senate telling a bunch of conservatives at a breakfast that that Terry Schaivo was the best thing in the world for our agenda, you know this whole thing is politicized.

As a person who personally took care of dying grandmother this I can tell you, when it got to the point that she couldn't do things on her own(breathing and eating) she wanted all of us(the family) to let her go. She believed that once a feeding tub or breathing machine was needed to keep her alive, she was already dead. Her quality of life was severly compromised, and there was nothing to gain by keeping her alive.

I think Terry Schiavo parents may be doing their daughter a serious disservice. Because I went through this myself, I want to ask them are they doing this for her, or because they can't let go. My grandmother died four times. Each time her heart stopped, I went crazy trying to get the doctors and nurses to revive her. Each time they did, my grandmother begged me to let her go. She was ready, but I wasn't ready to see her go. She finally had to beg me not to revive her the next time her heart stopped. I cannot tell you how hard this was for me. Everything I have done successfully in life(playing keyboards, marching in drum corps, graduating at the top of my high school class, graduating from film school) my grandmother either taught me, financed it, or pushed me. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but this was what she wanted. She really didn't want to be hooked up to any machines, but that was not written down anywhere(that is the last time this will happen to me)

If the parents are able to keep her alive, how will they take care of her? Do they have the money to pay for her care? How long will they let her live in this state?

I am really disappointed with the President, the congress, and the senate for getting involved in this. We have to many problems that effect millions of people. For them to spend their time at this doesn't serve he interest of the whole country. This is a family matter that should be handled by family member(in this case the spouse). What they did was try and get points from the voters, and in the process interfere in family matters. Shame on them for using this woman to further there "right to life" cause. What about this woman's quality of life now.

[topspeed]

Honestly, I haven't followed this case too much. Then again, I don't watch the news. From what I've gleaned here and there, my stance is to keep government out of people's lives. It is her life and she should be able to able to determine whether or not it is worth living (if you can call here current state as "living"). This really has become far too political, and Sir T's mention of an "agenda" nails it. Pathetic really, and politicians wonder why many consider them no better than prostitutes.

[cam]

Feeding tubes get diconnected all the time. I am Canadian so I don't for a second claim to understand American government, but it does seem odd that congress would come to the forefront as they have. A very public right to die case would seem like a good platform to do some politicing. Sounds shamefull to me.

[shokhead]

I havent seen so much political grandstanding in i dont know how long.

[mystic]

I havent seen so much political grandstanding in i dont know how long.






The polls I have seen indicate the majority of voters don't approve of the political grandstanding on this issue. It puzzles me why the Repulicans would risk alienating voters who are not religious conservatives. Is it that important for them to play to that conservative core or did they just misread the public mood? I hope it was the latter.

[shokhead]

I havent seen so much political grandstanding in i dont know how long.

On Both Sides,Dem's and Rep's.

[shokhead]

From what i listened to last night,she has no right to decide if she wanted to live or die as some were saying last night. These people have decided whats best for us in there opinion. They will decide for us,not us for us. I dont know who in the hell these people think they are. Way worst then the gov.

[piece-it pete]

Well she's dead.

Pat thanks for the link, that was very interesting and I agree with your assessment on the info therein.

The issue I believe was the medical condition in the report accurate. I don't claim to know.

I think the furor over this was a good thing, as the court appointed guy said it was close.

One lawyer I heard said his problem with the whole thing was that there should be more due process to review these cases than the same as taking someones' refridgerator!

Pete

[karl k]

What are your thoughts on this case? Do you believe the facts regarding Ms. Schiavo's condition have not been resolved? Do you believe the facts have been decided incorrectly? Should Congress have gotten involved? Even after Congress passed a law granting the Federal Courts jurisdiction, why did the parents lose? Has this tragic case become too politicized, or were such actions that might be perceived as political necessary to save a life?

Ms. Schiavo was a victim of medical malpractice. Her bulimic condition went undiagnosed by her doctor(s) and she eventually suffered a heart attack which led to the brain damage. This unfortunate event has been overlooked in most of the news stories and admittedly I have not yet researched the details. However, a jury awarded her and her husband one million dollars. The case settled while on appeal.

The same Congress that is threatening to take away or limit our rights to hold doctors responsible for negligence and other misconduct has stepped in ostensibly to save a life.

Finally, if you've heard more than you can stand about this case, please post that sentiment too.

What say you?

If Congress could actually prove they care about Americans by doing what we put them there for instead of pretending to care by interfering where they don't belong. Didn't we go through this before with the "Grandparents Rights"? Next, there will be "Parents Rights"! Pretty soon, your in-laws will be able to dictate your conduct in your marriage whether your spouse is dead or not! When she got married, did her father not "GIVE HER AWAY"?

Nuff said.