Our Future After Terri Schiavo/ What Hangs in the Balance.

by prophecor 63 Replies latest jw friends

fairchild

Abaddon, i don't have acrobat reader and can't download it. I would like to read this. is there any way you can post the text or something?
one_ugly_time

I disagree with "letting" someone starve to death.

I disagree with JTP's line of reasoning that we wouldn't keep a dog alive by a feeding tube. Why not carry that line of reasoning further and say we wouldn't keep an infant alive by a feeding tube.

We do keep animals and babies and adults alive by feeding tubes and IV's. It is done everyday, whether you are in the room to see it or not.

And nobody is "letting" someone starve to death ! They are removing her ability to eat, thus forcibly killing her ! This could easily be done in prison for those on death row... why don't we ???

Years ago, I lived in the same house with Johnny - a mentally incapable individual with conditions I was too young to understand at the time. His mother would move him, feed him, bath him, change him, and all the rest - day in and day out. He was the equivalent of a 4-6 month old, day after day after day. He was loved and taken care of very well.

Another option --

Is this issue involving the state, since they control the life support? If they are going to stop feeding her, then DISCHARGE HER !!! Her husband will then have the responsibility of taking care of her. Since he does not want to and the parents appear more than willing to accept this burden - Let them.

There is never a clear cut "right" answer when it comes to the preservation of life and/or the lack of preservation. However, there are still choices within these decisions that maintain dignity and honor, not only of the individuals involved, but our society...

I agree that Dr. Kevorkian should be allowed to pursue his beliefs. This too, unfortunately, is a slippery slope. As soon as he is allowed to assist individuals legally, we will have door-to-door con-artists ushering in the latest feel good method to end misery... all the while taking poor souls that happen to be down on their luck, to the financial and emotional cleaners... and eventually to death.

May Terri rest in peace...
and may her last memories be filled with the love that she sought...

OUT
prophecor

... if you are going to blame this on "activist judges" as so many on the right want to do, you are only falling for their propaganda and playing right into their hands. ...My issue surrounding these judges is the need for them to be held accountable concerning the choices they've made. Not allowing a lifetime tenure anylonger to be the status quo. It would be good if they come to have term limits attached to their positions of power. Not a lifetime guaranteed appointment. I believe this may be the begining of change in this regard.
To me, this raises the question of "why is Dr. Kevorkian in jail?" His machine helped people like this who had no hope, had decided that they wanted to die with dignity and sought his help. It would certainly be more humane than a death that takes two weeks or so. ..............As it stands now, I too believe Kevorkian is being imprisoned unjustly. What he has done is in no way unjustified as what has been done to Mrs. Schiavo, theses individuals at best had a choice in the matter and they were the ones that put themselves to death, Kevorkian merely afforded them the means to do so............. In the case of Mrs. Schiavo, on the other hand, I don't believe there was ever any written legal documentation as to her actual wishes concerning her not wanting to be kept alive. All this is based on the hearsay and conjecture of a husband whose motives for wanting to see her die need to be questioned, especially when it comes to his desire to immediately destroy the remains, with no means of investigating any of the allegations of abuse at his hands.
Also, you mention life time appointments being a thing of the past...My statement should have reflected this having the capacity to become a thing of the past. This could be the start of holding these judges accountable, not giving them carte blanche control over issues of life which may require adjustment over time. When the facts show that certain judges have voiced there decisions improperly, they should be able to be booted out of office.
Ern. Thank you for your input. Arthur
BrendaCloutier

My principle concern is for the death of Mrs. Schiavo, and the manner in which it's being done. How does anyone go to the point of starving a person to death. There is nothing for which can be gained from killing her in this form and fashion.
I agree completely. If her body comes into any discomfort the medical staff will give her a sedative. It is very unfortunate they are not allowed to give her body enough sedative that it shuts down quickly and die quietly in short time. However, it seems an odd coincidence that she is dying in this manner, because it was bulemia that caused her heart attack, stroke, whatever, that brought her to this point.
Sadly, I have seen quick death by lethal injection. In my cat Blackie who had a massive stroke. We called the vet to our home instead of packing him up, stressing him out, and taking him in. I saw him go, and it was peaceful, fast, and humane. (Please don't think I'm equating the life of a human with the life of a cat. The cat is far superior.)
We have the legal documents. We are in the process of filling them out so our wishes are on paper and the attempt can be made to fulfill them. To me this is more important than a standard will.
I bet even if Terri had a Living Will, her parents would have made a fuss, claimed her "abusive" husband had forced her to sign it, etc. They seem the type. They have attempted to foul his name, but I don't think they have suceeded.
DanTheMan

With all due respect prophecor, your initial post sounded like a copy and paste from JerryFalwell.com or something.
This Schiavo thing is just another excuse for the religious right to get a foaming-at-the-mouth-with-self-righteousness fix.
BrendaCloutier

I agree, and I think Dr. Kevorkian should not be in jail.

Actually, I completely agree with that.
Dr. Kevorkian served a wonderful purpose. He brought the concept of Death with Dignity to the forefront of our consciousness. Unfortunately, a couple of his "patients" were not terminal. One had FibroMyalgia with Chronic Fatigue, and the accompanying depression. Her husband forced her into the suicide. Her husband was a physician! Another had advancing arthritis and did not want to live with the pain. This I could understand. A woman in Seattle had just been diagnosed with MS. She went out via Kevorkian death machine after playing a game of tennis with her husband. She was still healthy in body and mind. I thank Oregon for their Death with Dignity law that has been in effect since 1997. It has restrictions as to who can get the script for their final dose. It is only for truly terminal patients, and many of them have choosen not to end their own life... not to take the drugs they could have. Some died before their state approval came in. John Ashcroft had tried and tried many times with many tactics to bully Oregon and our law. But to no availe. Yeah Oregon!
prophecor

I think that there ought to be Federal laws passes allowing people to die with dignity by lethal injection, like Kevorkian has been promoting. That would prevent the ridiculous situation like this, where the only legal options are to live in an unwanted vegetative state, or starve to death.

To die with dignity should be granted to those who are in such a condition as would warrant such a service. To allow one to die early as opposed to being made to lengthen an already agonizing process would be prefered, even by me.
Whether this was in reality a wish for Mrs. Schiavo remains in question, as there is no legal documentation to verify her desire to not be kept alive. When in doubt, it would be best to ere on the side of life, as opposed to death.
purplesofa

we don't wish to be confronted with the quality of life issues that Mrs. Schiavo suffers under.

I have avoided all the threads here on the Shiavo situation. I thought for a long time, her quality of life was in such poor shape, why would she want to live.
Although everything may not be functioning in her properly, could she still have a conscience. The being of who she is may still be there. (I really wish I knew more)
I find the denial of her parents to care for her horrible. They certainly have some joy in her living. So why not let her live?
If she said before she died she wanted to give someone a million dollars.........Is not the only way that could be done is through legal documentation?
How more so would the wishes to have your life taken away need proper documation?
I find the response of the court systems and medical profession tardy and confusing. I feel sorry that this family has had to go through all this.
I was talking with a friend of mine about the quality of life issue........and we got to the point we were saying.......Well, He's lost my legs...........lets do away with him. He is blind .....he surely does not want to live. How do we know she does not savor this quality of life for her. We all make comprimises.
As for the way that she is dieing. I still can't believe it is happening. And the daily dairy we have of this whole affair. I hope this topic never comes up again. I am sure there will be laws to keep this from happening.
As I have said I have not kept up with this that much. My conclusions may be totally inaccurate.
Valis

IMO what lies in our future is polotical vultures and self righteous aholes making a mockery of the courts. I mean 15 different judicial descisions? Think of all the time and money involved in that. I think it really calls into question what people really feel about those sitting on the bench. It seems that littigation has become a matter of OK we lost in this court so we'll try another and another and another. The court system becomes a grocery store. Then they drag congress into it..sheesh! I heard on the news that the parents went to court today and swore before a judge that she said two weeks ago "I want to live". They should be thrown in jail for perjury. Just my two cents.
Sincerely,
District Overbeer
NewLight2

In another thread I found comments that fit nicely into THIS thread topic also, so I'm posting the links.

Posted by Yizuman
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/87617/1458523/post.ashx#1458523

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/87617/1458891/post.ashx#1458891

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/87617/2.ashx

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/87617/3.ashx

Our Future After Terri Schiavo/ What Hangs in the Balance.

Share this