Terry Schiavo has passed away

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by No*s

I agree with you. The media who took pictures the whole time and pestered the family is far, far more shameful than any of the political actions taken to take advantage of it. With the media, we had corporations funded by almost the whole nation's interest in a dying woman's suffering .

Sadly, even posting this thread makes me part of the problem, but it adds closure to the whole situation.

No*s, I have to disagree with you here. This would not be an issue with the media if it were not a political issue. It is interesting to note that the elected officials acted #1 against the will of the people - more people in America supported the removal of the tube because they value liberty and #2 against the rule of law. The policians who ruthlessly, heartlessly, relentlessly, and selfishly battled to keep Terri alive artifically and against her will both abused their power in their actions and trampled on Terri's human dignity.

I am outraged and disguisted that the Christians who were so emotionally distraught at the thought of the removal of the tube are now happy that Terri is dead. What a dispicable response. They mourned when Terri's fate was in the court, and mourn not when she is actually dead. Jesus wept profusely at the death of Lazarus - he did not take death lightly.

Happy at death, and yet unwilling to allow that death to be with dignity, and with the political ambition to make everyone in America suffer the same fate. No care for quality of life, only the symbol of a dilapitated human hanging on a thread.

[No*s]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

No*s, I have to disagree with you here. This would not be an issue with the media if it were not a political issue. It is interesting to note that the elected officials acted #1 against the will of the people - more people in America supported the removal of the tube because they value liberty and #2 against the rule of law. The policians who ruthlessly, heartlessly, relentlessly, and selfishly battled to keep Terri alive artifically and against her will both abused their power in their actions and trampled on Terri's human dignity.

I am outraged and disguisted that the Christians who were so emotionally distraught at the thought of the removal of the tube are now happy that Terri is dead. What a dispicable response. They mourned when Terri's fate was in the court, and mourn not when she is actually dead. Jesus wept profusely at the death of Lazarus - he did not take death lightly.

Happy at death, and yet unwilling to allow that death to be with dignity, and with the political ambition to make everyone in America suffer the same fate. No care for quality of life, only the symbol of a dilapitated human hanging on a thread.

I'm not going to say I agree with your interpretatio of the morality of this, because I have mixed feelings on the whole subject. I'm certainly not certain on Terry's will in the matter. It depends on who you talk to there.

However, I strongly differ with your interpretation of the situation. Politicians generally do what they do for the political advantage. They wouldn't have pushed this anywhere near what it was if the media hadn't created a feeding frenzy. In fact, in order for this to be something for politicians to take advantage of for political ambition, it must be something that already is important to the people. The media preceded the politics IMO.

[Bastet]

I'm glad she can finally rest in peace.

[angellous_evangellous]

Despite our different views, No*s, I must say that there is a quantitative difference between the damage that the media has done and the damage that the conservative politicians have done, attempted to do, and still have on their agenda.

The quantitative difference is this:

1) The media will hound folks for a story, for pictures, etc for a short time. In this case, because of the restrictions the Michael imposed on the media, I don't think that the media caused Terri much greif. Had the parents not taken it to court and made it a political issue with politicians seeking to sooth the Christian right (ie, Jeb and George Bush and others), the media would not have a story.

2) The politicians are seeking to affect change with the force of law to take away fundamental human rights in the name of religion. I might add that they want to do so with little regard for human rights and are not respectful of the rule of law (ie, limitations of their power of representation and they are scoffing at judicial rule).

I really don't think that you have a case for the media causing more harm than politicians. The politicians are attempting to take away a fundamental human right for Americans to refuse medical treatment. The media are observers.

[No*s]

This is something, again, that I differ on. I don't think we can separate the media from the politicians here. Again, there would be no political problem if there weren't a media problem, and so the media problem and the American people's feeding frenzy on it each have their fair share of responsibility in everything that has transpired, including the political problems.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by No*s

This is something, again, that I differ on. I don't think we can separate the media from the politicians here. Again, there would be no political problem if there weren't a media problem, and so the media problem and the American people's feeding frenzy on it each have their fair share of responsibility in everything that has transpired, including the political problems.

Yes, the two do seem to feed one another. I am viewing it from long and short-term damage to American liberty, which is the aim of the politicians.

[Jayhawker Soule]

"May her memory be a source of comfort for those who mourn."

Death is always a matter of import, and I've more than once found solace in those words. But not here. Why? Because I cannot fathom how the memory of that long dead person can be more than a faded murmer drowned out by the cacaphony called "The Terri Schiavo Story".

I feel sad for the family: sad for those who sustained their loss for so many years, and sadder still for those who denied it. I feel contempt for an executive branch that would seek to leverage this local travesty for national advantage, and for a press that callously transforms this personal & political tragedy into some circus of grief. I feel dismay at the curious marriage of sympathy and superstition that allows so many to manifest so much angst when confronted by the long since victim of higher-brain death, yet manage to remain silent in the face of Darfur.

And I feel more than a little proud of the separation of powers found in this country and of a judiciary that defends it.

There was a time in the not too distant past when the standard for death was cardio-pulmonary death. Only recently has brain-death become a viable category. Hopefully we are approaching a time when higher-brain death, the death of the person, will become an acceptable standard. For it is the person who is of import.

"May the memory of that person be a source of comfort for those who mourn."

[The Voice of Reason]

Amen

TVOR