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And now the Florida Supreme Court has issued a death sentence to someone that cannot care for themselves. Yesterday was a sad day indeed.
Quote:
Unanimous Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Special Law That Overrides Medical Decisions in Terri Schiavo Case
September 23, 2004
http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=16537&c=27
All I can say is that if it were me in her situation, I'd never want to live the way she's been living. She is in a "permanent vegetative state", and her parents have been fighting her husband to keep her alive. This is why I have a living will, and my parents and my husband both know I don't want to be kept alive on life support. She has a feeding tube in her stomach, she wears diapers, and she doesn't know what's going on around her. The only thing she's able to do is breathe for herself. IMO, letting her go with some kind of dignity (if there's still time for that) is the only humane thing to do.
And the kicker is the HUSBAND is supposed to have some say in this but he doesn't and that alone pisses me off, not to mention she is brain dead. What are these people thinking, that it's gods will? Sometimes I support these things because I think people have a right to govern their own local communities but to me, I wonder if the family really has their daughters BEST interest in perspective.
There appears to be alot more to this than just a euthenasia issue. Of course the web site is on Terri's side, but the information is interesting.
http://www.terrisfight.org/
Brain dead peole do respond to some stimuli. No secret there. For instance in some cases you can press a finder and the body will react. These reactions are measures and compared to known low level responses. They definitely do not imply higher level consiousness. If there was some there, then the argument is vain and cold. That means for over a decade she has lived in a personal prison of NO escape.
It is interesting reading. However, it's also, most of it, false. For every specialist they've had to say she will recover, her husband has had one who says she won't. For every accusastion they've flung at her husband (going so far as to accuse him of abusing her and putting her in this situation) there's never been any evidence indicating the accusations are true, (and these accusations were fully investigated by the police) on the other hand, there have been actions made by her husband that would point to his desire to let her go and let her be in peace.
Personally, I find their stance offensive, because we chose to let my grandmother pass away rather than subject her to a "simple tube" to feed her with. They make it sound like she would be awake and suffering the whole time she was dying, when this is completely untrue. And reading further into that website gives a clear indication of what's really driving her family...a misplaced need to please the Catholic Church.
I would never put my child thru this, and would hope that the rest of my family would have the same respect for me.
I cannot re-iterate enough how important it is to have a living will. You can go here to find out how to make a living will, and to find out the answers to any questions you may have regarding a living will.
I have worked around hundreds of people with severe disabilities for over ten years. My sweetie has had more than 25 years of experience dealing directly with them. We have both watched the video of her. We both agree that to call her brain dead is to have no clue about what you are talking about. She clearly responds, not just to "stimulus", but to her surroundings and the people therein. Thus, while she may be severely brain damaged she is far from brain dead. Could she ever "recover"? Almost certainly not.
The problem here is the husband. He is in a situation where he can benefit from her demise and so, since she cannot respond in an acceptable fashion, he holds the power of life and death over her. The parents, OTOH, have nothing to gain and wish to keep her alive. If the husband had any compassion he would let the parents maintain and care for her..... But then he wouldn't get his benefit, (an insurance policy IIRC).
The whole issue seems to me to be about greed.
I see $2.25m right here, only $600k of which is her husbands. I wonder who gets the remainder when she dies? And go ahead and read the rest of the timeline.... It's really rather incredible that the law is allowing this man to continue as her guardian.....
Watch the videos here and tell me she's brain dead....
Her husband is the one who needs killing........
I agree with your living will Deb - in fact, mine reads DNR in big red letters across the top, and is posted by my hospital bed if/when I'm admitted for whatever reason, just for that reason. No disputes, no issues, no litigation. It's signed by me, my attorneys, and 2 witnesses. My folks, wife, and kids can all grieve over my rotting corpse after it's dead rather than keep me alive with machines.
From the very little i read, the above seems to be very true. From the little i could bring myself to watch, i would have to agree with Tiger and his Sweety. The lady is not in a brain dead state what so ever. Brain damaged, beyond repair at todays level of medicine, without doubt.Quote:
The whole issue seems to me to be about greed.
The husband has started a new life and whilst i would not pretend to hold any morale high ground. There is a vested interest outside of his relationship with his wife.
Life Insurance is a racket and should be outlawed.
So wait its gods will that she is kept alive by machines and modern medicen, but modern medicen gose agenst gods will by doing things lke stem cell reasearch....sorry folks things don't swing both ways, but lets let this ase be a shineing example as to why every one needs a liveing will