Stay out of Terri Schiavo's family business.

[dazzleman]

It's kind of surreal the way the media focuses massive attention on one case, when there are probably many other reasonably similar ones that are ignored.

It's kind of like the Jon-Benet Ramsey case that people are still talking about.  How many other children were murdered in this period that we never even heard about?  The media's focus on these celebrity cases gives the implicit impression that these cases are unique, and that may not be true.

In fairness, the Schindlers and the Schiavos made this case public business by not being able to agree.  Terri's family sought the intervention of the courts and the politicians.  It's not as if their intervention was unwanted by any of the participants in the case.

I have heard both sides of the case and it's a tough call.  To me, the issue centers around whether a feeding tube represents life support.  I used to think it didn't, but now I'm not so sure.  I have talked to a person in the medical field, who said that the purpose of feeding tubes is to temporarily nourish those expected to recover, not to artificially nourish a person who is unable to eat over a period of years.

I think it's a slippery slope either way.  I have heard of many cases of a hopeless patient being repeatedly revived, and kept alive through artificial means, because kin are unable to let go.  Once life support is hooked up, it is very difficult to terminate it.  And sometimes people like to keep close family with no hope of recovery alive, for their own selfish reasons.

At the same time, I fear that we're perilously close to the line of taking active measures to kill the brain-damaged, the incapacitated, the so-called useless.  This has already gained acceptance in Europe, and I don't agree with it.

I think it's a shame that the family couldn't work something out among themselves.  There are so many compromising factors in the case that it's hard to sort it all out.  But the family did request governmental intervention in the case, and we shouldn't forget that.  It was not imposed without their wanting it, as it was I believe in the Karen Ann Quinlan case, with the government taking the position that she must remain on life support even when the family wanted to turn the life support off.

[ATFFL]

Yep, the Republicans definitely did it for political reasons. Here's the memo.

Unless Mel Martinez and his counsel are suddenly members of the leadership your comments are inaccuarate.

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From Slate Magazine

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Yep, the Republicans definitely did it for political reasons. Here's the memo.

Unless Mel Martinez and his counsel are suddenly members of the leadership your comments are inaccuarate.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

From Slate Magazine

Did I say that party leaders distributed the memo? All we know is that Martinez distrubuted it to some other members of Congress.

[cwelsch]

What an inane, ill-informed position.

This is not "an issue for the family to settle." That's cowardly. The family is fighting in court, and whenever the justice system is involved every US citizen is automatically entitled - legally and socially - to hold and express an opinion. The question is HOW the justice system ought to handle the dispute. If you don't care if they kill Terri, then say so. Don't cop out by saying it's not your business. US law is every American's business.

[??????????]

What an inane, ill-informed position.

This is not "an issue for the family to settle." That's cowardly. The family is fighting in court, and whenever the justice system is involved every US citizen is automatically entitled - legally and socially - to hold and express an opinion. The question is HOW the justice system ought to handle the dispute. If you don't care if they kill Terri, then say so. Don't cop out by saying it's not your business. US law is every American's business.

I have argued this point in other places and been called a Nazi for it.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

What an inane, ill-informed position.

This is not "an issue for the family to settle." That's cowardly. The family is fighting in court, and whenever the justice system is involved every US citizen is automatically entitled - legally and socially - to hold and express an opinion. The question is HOW the justice system ought to handle the dispute. If you don't care if they kill Terri, then say so. Don't cop out by saying it's not your business. US law is every American's business.

Both sides of this dispute are in agony by having to decide when is the appropriate time to give up hope and pull the plug...and since this very difficult decision doesn't involve a member of my family, I think it is wise for me not to take sides....That was my point.

On the question of the courts, I believe they followed Florida law, which states that the spouse, not the parents, has custody.

[angus]

Both sides of this dispute are in agony by having to decide when is the appropriate time to give up hope and pull the plug...and since this very difficult decision doesn't involve a member of my family, I think it is wise for me not to take sides....That was my point.

On the question of the courts, I believe they followed Florida law, which states that the spouse, not the parents, has custody.

Concise and judicious.  I couldn't have put it better.  Good post.

[??????????]

What an inane, ill-informed position.

This is not "an issue for the family to settle." That's cowardly. The family is fighting in court, and whenever the justice system is involved every US citizen is automatically entitled - legally and socially - to hold and express an opinion. The question is HOW the justice system ought to handle the dispute. If you don't care if they kill Terri, then say so. Don't cop out by saying it's not your business. US law is every American's business.

Both sides of this dispute are in agony by having to decide when is the appropriate time to give up hope and pull the plug...and since this very difficult decision doesn't involve a member of my family, I think it is wise for me not to take sides....That was my point.

On the question of the courts, I believe they followed Florida law, which states that the spouse, not the parents, has custody.

Hopefully the Florida legislature will put laws in place to prevent ill intentioned people like Mike "beater" Schiavo from saying his wife wanted to die and then allowing her to be murdered.