Schiavo and Political Rhetoric (sunday)

[jamaesi]

http://dcinsidescoop.blogspot.com/
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=201

^ About the Talking Points


There's something about that that bothers me. I'm having trouble putting it in words without immediately jumping to brainwashing and BS and bribery. *sighs*

---

The more I keep reading about this, the more hypocrisy I find.
They're the ones playing God.


Why is this fight just centered on Terri?


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/22/05325/6318

Angel Raich currently has a case before the Supreme Court that will decide if she will be given a death sentence. She isn't brain dead, she doesn't need a feeding tube or a respirator. All she needs is the medicine, cannabis, that was prescribed to her by her doctor and has saved her life.

There are no disagreements in her family, her home state agrees too. The people voted, and the courts agreed. Where is the compassion of Bush and DeLay? Schiavo they save, Raich they want to kill.

The cannibus helps her eat, it's no different from Terry's feeding tube.

[jamaesi]

Jeez. I'm sorry for posting so much here.


http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/20/Ta...e_down__.shtml

"Come down, President Bush," Schiavo said in a telephone interview. "Come talk to me. Meet my wife. Talk to my wife and see if you get an answer. Ask her to lift her arm to shake your hand. She won't do it."

She won't, Schiavo said, because she can't.

He made a similar offer to the governor last week, saying lawmakers interferring in his wife's life know nothing about the case. So far, Gov. Bush hasn't responded to the offer.

Weary after an emotional visit with his wife, Schiavo said he is astonished that politicians want to interfere in such a private matter.

"Instead of worrying about my wife, who was granted her wishes by the state courts the past seven years, they should worry about the pedophiles killing young girls," Schiavo said, referring to a local case. "Why doesn't Congress worry about people not having health insurance? Or the budget? Let's talk about all the children who don't have homes."

I'll echo the semiments stated in another thread on this. "Why is this man being demonised?"

"Have they ever met her?" Schiavo said. "What color are her eyes? What's her middle name? What's her favorite color? They don't have any clue who Terri is. They should all be ashamed of themselves."

Schiavo said he was going to stay at his wife's side through the entire ordeal and said he wouldn't back down in his fight to have her wishes carried out.

"Terri died 15 years ago," Schiavo said, referring to the collapse and cardiac arrest that doctors say virtually destroyed her brain. "It's time for her to be with the Lord like she wanted to be."

Why can't people see this is just a PR stunt for Bush and the other smilely glad-hands. These men in charge don't care.

[Scuba Pete]

He IS the photo-op president.

[The Voice of Reason]

Sure he's using a private family matter for political gain, but at least he isn't having his pipes cleaned by a young lady. Anyone that wanted to impeach Clinton for his behaviour while in office should be howling at this one.

I'm NOT saying that what Clinton did was right - so don't even start down that road. What I am saying is that certain individuals were screaming to impeach him for what was essentially a moral lapse (of whatever degree) that embarrassed himself and his family, while these same people have no problem with this circus that the Republican party is staging for the sole purpose of satisfying zealots that know what God wants for all of us. It makes me want to puke.

What a boatload of CRAP!!

TVOR

[thorswitch]

One thing that really gets to me is that when asked about the apparent disparity between the bill that Bush signed in Texas and the current fight over Terri Schiavo, Scott McLellan actually said that the bill Bush signed in Texas was *consistant* with the Schiavo fight, though he failed to explain how. Then last night, I heard an interview in Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" on MSNBC (one of the saner news shows I've been able to find) with a legal analyst from a Dallas paper who explained that the reason Bush's signing the Texas Futile Care Law is consistant with the pro-life stance he's taking as President is that orignally, the TFCL allowed doctors to decide to discontinue treatment for a patient (after reviewing the stiutaiton with an ethics board), and gave the family no time to try and find another doctor or care facility to accept the patient. The "right to life" groups pushed Bush to veto that version of the bill, and two years later the version that allows for a 10-day notificiation, allowing the family 10 days to find a new doctor or care facility, came to him and he signed that one into law. Apparently, the theory is that by rejecting the "no-notification" version but signing the 10-day notification version, Bush was giving these people a chance at life, and therefore it's a "pro-life" measure. ::rolls eyes:: Talk about spin!

[linwood]

The appelate court in Atlanta has agreed with all the other court decisions concerning the removal of Mrs.Schiavos feeding tube.

By a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined early Wednesday to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/23/schiavo/index.html

Where do they go next?

[The Voice of Reason]

On to the Supreme Court - and hopefully this tragic story will end there.

Actually, I think the family can file written appeals to each individual member of the Applellate Court in Atlanta (there are 11 of them), but they have to file with EVERY member, and it has to be done by 10 AM today. I got this from reading news sources on the internet - it is not my knowledge - only what I understand the situation to be.

It tears me up to watch the media stick a microphone in the face of the Schindler's attorney, and listen to him demonize the husband with unbelievable character assassination. What a lowlife - anything to accomplish a goal - even if he has to drag this guy through the mud. Sean Hannity must be proud of this attorney.

TVOR

Fox News Network just paraded a doctor out on TV to say that she unequivocally knows that Terry Shciavo is alive, and that she is in fact being starved to death. When asked about the examination, the good doctor revealed that she based her prognosis on what the Schindler's attorney's told her - she has never actually layed eyes on Terry Schiavo. She has never seen the results of any of the tests, or even met with the other doctors that have run the tests - just stating what she believes to be the case by virtue of the lawyers she has talked to.

Could this get any more ridiculous?

[thorswitch]

Over at DailyKos, one of the bloggers has posted an EXCELLENT background article on the Schiavo case, drawn mainly from the findings of the Guardian Ad Litum that was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush following the passage of the Florida law that was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court. The GAL goes out of his way to try and be fair and compassionate to both families in his report, but he makes note of some very interesting facts that most people, it seems, are unaware of (including most of the doctors who are making "diagnoses" based on video tape viewings or what her family's lawyers have said). According to the GAL's report, while the Schindler's are now making a big deal about the fact that Michael Schiavo has moved on with his life, is with another woman and has 2 children with her, they originally ENCOURAGED him to begin dating other women (which would, in my opinion, indicate that they weren't expecting their daughter to recover). In addition, here's how he summarized some of their testimony from the orignal trial held to determine what Terri Schiavo's wishes would be. Be warned - this is some pretty disturbing testimony, but it says a great deal about their mindset:

The Testimony provided by members of the Schindler family included very personal statements about their desire and intention to ensure that Theresa remain alive. Throughout the course of the litigation, deposition and trial testimony by members of the Schindler family voiced the disturbing belief that they would keep Theresa alive at any and all costs. Nearly gruesome examples were given, eliciting agreement by family members that in the event Theresa should contract diabetes and subsequent gangrene in each of her limbs, they would agree to amputate each limb, and would then, were she to be diagnosed with heart disease, perform open heart surgery. There was additional, difficult testimony that appeared to establish that despite the sad and undesirable condition of Theresa, the parents still derived joy from having her alive, even if Theresa might not be at all aware of her environment given the persistent vegetative state. Within the testimony, as part of the hypotheticals presented, Schindler family members stated that even if Theresa had told them of her intention to have artificial nutrition withdrawn, they would not do it. Throughout this painful and difficult trial, the family acknowledged that Theresa was in a diagnosed persistent vegetative state.

I think if more people were aware of the lengths the Schindler's have said they would go to in order to keep Terri alive (beyond the legal fight, that is), and the fact that they'd be trying to keep her alive even if she'd stated TO THEM that she didn't want to be kept alive in this state, I think they'd be less likely to take their claims of "hope" at face value and more willing to question the opinions and diagnoses of the doctors they've brought in.

One thing I find especially ironic about this whole situation is that the Schindlers have found many benefactors who will help pay for their legal fight - including many of the same organizations that funded Paula Jones suit against President Clinton - but to the best of my knowledge, none of these benefactors have contributed ANYTHING toward Terri's actual medical care, which is currently being paid for by Medicaid (which covers any prescriptions she might need) and the hospice where she's staying (which is covering the vast majority of the $80,000 per year her overall boarding and care costs). The hospice is providing this care in line with their policy that they do not turn anyone away.

For anyone who is interested, the full report from the Guardian Ad Litum can be found at: http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/WolfsonReport.pdf There are several pages of legalese at the beginning, but once you get past that (and it's not really necessary to read all of it to understand the rest of the report), it's a VERY interesting look at the case.

[Ardhanariswar]

i think they should let her go. well, same with all people in a vegitative state. most of her brain is gone, its unbelievable they are keeping her a live for no purpose. it is her time... her parents need to realize that. some people say that the husband is out to get money, but that isnt true. from the gov or insurance he got 1 million, family and friends have bribed him with 10 million to just walk away, but he refused. so its not a matter of money. 15 years, people need to move on. her husband fell in love with someone and needs to be with her. one cannot be married to a vegitable. you may think, terri needs to be taken care of, but for what? she is no longer functioning... most of her brain is gone, the head is filled with spinal fluid, there is no use....

well thats what i think....