Voice Your Opinion: What should happen to Terri Schiavo?

[Steve]

Wow I just read some more media coverage of this on news websites... apparently 10 minutes before Terri passed away, her husband came in the room and ordered the parents and Terri's sister to leave - and they had to by law. Then Terri died.

And now he wants to cremate her body and place the ashes on his familiy's plot in Pennsylvania and her parents want to bury her in Florida. This is never going to end...

[hockeymom97]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Steve)

That's a possible reason but I don't buy it. It's also a sin to have sex outside of marriage so if he was holding on for religious reasons, he commited a comparable sin while doing so.

From what I have heard is that he has not divorced her due to medical insurance. If he were to divorce her, she would not have any medical insurance to pay for the little bit they have left on the lifetime policy. The lawsuit funds have been all used up on the medical expenses. 15 years of being in this state I am sure he probably owes more that what he won.

[Mulletman]

A baby might be defenseless, but it it healthy. A baby with the same thing as Terri wouldnt last to its 1st birthday.

As for the governer remark, the only ones that were executed by the state, where murders. Those who willingly went out of thier way to murder. Not muggers, car thieves, or drug dealers. These were gruesome murderers.

[Steve]

Quote: (Originally Posted by hockeymom97)

From what I have heard is that he has not divorced her due to medical insurance. If he were to divorce her, she would not have any medical insurance to pay for the little bit they have left on the lifetime policy. The lawsuit funds have been all used up on the medical expenses. 15 years of being in this state I am sure he probably owes more that what he won.

Wow I did not hear that one. That does shine a bit of positive light on him though.

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Steve)

I don't think you can compare the two because although a baby is defenseless in their beginning, they are also developing. Someone in a persistant vegetative state is not developing...

So are we concluding that someone in a persistent vegetative state is no longer human?

[Mulletman]

No, but the subject at hand wasn't whether either of the two are or are not human. As Steve said, a baby is still growing. That is the primary difference. Terri was able to suvive for 15 years in her state because her body had already matured. A baby in Terri's condition wouldnt last more than a week.

[Higher_Desire]

Quote: (Originally Posted by aussiecreeder)

So are we concluding that someone in a persistent vegetative state is no longer human?

I don't think anyone ever said that a defensiveless person of any age (whether vegatiative or not) is not human. I think you're reading a bit far into that. I believe what is being said is that when someone is in a vegatative state, no longer able fend for themselves, with little to no brain activity, being kept alive only by a feeding tube, has no sence of what is going on or who there are, with no chance of recovery, etc. there really isn't a point to keeping them alive, or to say, keeping them alive is of no benefit to them. Therefore an executive decision must be made by someone close to the person on what should be done. Someone who is capible of making a decision of such a high magnitude. Most usually, a spouse, parent, or other close family member.


H-D

[hayley]

Quote: (Originally Posted by aussiecreeder)

You have a point but isn't the result a slippery slope? What kind of life does the 90 year old man have who can't feed or bathe himself but is otherwise functioning fairly normally? What is the limit? Are we no longer human when we can't do things for ourselves? If so when does a baby become human? Human babies are COMPLETELY defenceless for at least the first year of their lives if not longer.

You have a good point, although babies are different, they are in the safe care of their parents. (Most babies are anyway). Like Mulletman said, they are still developing. To be honest with you, I think being old and crippled, having a mental disease, or anything that does not give you the capibility to live a normal life, is human cruelty. (Obviously with old people it's abit different if they are willing to carry on living, but any other case where nothing can be changed, I consider as cruelty). I have a very strong opinion on that. Do you remember when I told you that I was scared of getting old, it's because I'm horrified of being 80 years old, lying in bed hardly being able to move my body. What kind of life is that? I hate the thought of what will happen. To be perfectly honest, I would rather die before I hit that stage.

Anyhow back to the topic, to me like I said before keeping Terri alive in that condition was absolutley cruel, they said that she wanted to live, but I can just not see how that can be possible. Not being able to do anything it just makes me sick. It's not fair to ANYONE with similar conditions to live in that way, they must want to die. As for old people, well I mean most of them want to stay alive but I just don't know how they can want to, I guess that's a whole different topic though.

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by - hayley -)

You have a good point, although babies are different, they are in the safe care of their parents. (Most babies are anyway). Like Mulletman said, they are still developing. To be honest with you, I think being old and crippled, having a mental disease, or anything that does not give you the capibility to live a normal life, is human cruelty. (Obviously with old people it's abit different if they are willing to carry on living, but any other case where nothing can be changed, I consider as cruelty). I have a very strong opinion on that. Do you remember when I told you that I was scared of getting old, it's because I'm horrified of being 80 years old, lying in bed hardly being able to move my body. What kind of life is that? I hate the thought of what will happen. To be perfectly honest, I would rather die before I hit that stage.

so those who have down-syndrome for instance face cruelty in life? i disagree with that, many people with disablities live very happy lives and are very optimistic people even if they need help with many basic things. i don't like the thought of getting dementia for instance but i think a society should be helping the less fortunate, not getting rid of them. we can agree to disagree.....

Quote: (Originally Posted by - hayley -)

Anyhow back to the topic, to me like I said before keeping Terri alive in that condition was absolutley cruel, they said that she wanted to live, but I can just not see how that can be possible. Not being able to do anything it just makes me sick. It's not fair to ANYONE with similar conditions to live in that way, they must want to die. As for old people, well I mean most of them want to stay alive but I just don't know how they can want to, I guess that's a whole different topic though.

how can you assume to know what ANYONE would want? if there is any doubt shouldn't we err on the side of caution? the way she died (starvation) to me is cruel. anyway i don't want a start an argument over this but a lively debate i can handle!

[hayley]

Quote: (Originally Posted by aussiecreeder)

so those who have down-syndrome for instance face cruelty in life? i disagree with that, many people with disablities live very happy lives and are very optimistic people even if they need help with many basic things. i don't like the thought of getting dementia for instance but i think a society should be helping the less fortunate, not getting rid of them. we can agree to disagree.....

I can't put it into the right words without making it sound horrible. I didn't actually mean people with down syndrome, I know that most of them live happy lives, I have a cousin who is effected by downsyndrome and he lives a good life. I meant people who have diseases that leave them capable of nothing at all. Like in Terri's case, you know the kind of diseases that I mean, I just don't know the names of them, lol. I think today's society with down syndrome is great, here we are very supportive and there are alot of events that they can go to, etc, it's really good here. And it would be great if the society could help the ones with incurable diseases, but there is nothing we can do! Nothing. That's why it's cruel to leave people like that alive, there is nothing anyone can do, I say it's better to put them to rest in peace.

Quote: (Originally Posted by aussiecreeder)

how can you assume to know what ANYONE would want? if there is any doubt shouldn't we err on the side of caution? the way she died (starvation) to me is cruel. anyway i don't want a start an argument over this but a lively debate i can handle!

I just can't understand why anyone would want to be kept alive. I honestly just don't understand, why would you live for nothing? Don't get me wrong I feel absolutley awful for everyone in the world that has to live with some kind of disease, but why would there be a point in life? It just makes me sad!

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by - hayley -)

I can't put it into the right words without making it sound horrible. I didn't actually mean people with down syndrome, I know that most of them live happy lives, I have a cousin who is effected by downsyndrome and he lives a good life. I meant people who have diseases that leave them capable of nothing at all. Like in Terri's case, you know the kind of diseases that I mean, I just don't know the names of them, lol. I think today's society with down syndrome is great, here we are very supportive and there are alot of events that they can go to, etc, it's really good here. And it would be great if the society could help the ones with incurable diseases, but there is nothing we can do! Nothing. That's why it's cruel to leave people like that alive, there is nothing anyone can do, I say it's better to put them to rest in peace.

I see what you're saying with people like Terri! I think that unless people tell their family and friends what they want in this type of scenario then they should be kept alive. If there is any doubt as to their wishes then surely they need to be kept alive. Oh I didn't know about your cousin but most down syndrome sufferers are really happy people but I agree its not the same when I think about it ( not comparable to Schiavo).


I

Quote: (Originally Posted by - hayley -)

just can't understand why anyone would want to be kept alive. I honestly just don't understand, why would you live for nothing? Don't get me wrong I feel absolutley awful for everyone in the world that has to live with some kind of disease, but why would there be a point in life? It just makes me sad!

But you still can't claim to know what others would want. If a diehard right to lifer was in that scenario I'm not sure if that would change their minds. That is why people need to discuss this stuff with their family just in case as morbid as it sounds. I just hope I never have to much such a decision......

[RMadd]

well, i haven't the time/patience to read all the posts above mine, but my opinion, in brief, is that 1) any person should have the right to die, if they so desire, and 2) it wasn't up to her parents, but, rather, her husband, so all the appeals to the SC, etc were quite useless and really just a pain in the ass to hear about
in my mind, she's been in that condition for 15 years, she simply wasn't going to get better w/ a feeding tube stuffed in her. is it cruel & unusual to take it out & let her die sans nourishment? perhaps. but, not to sound too cold or cruel, that's life. seems pretty cruel & unusual to keep someone alive in that condition with no real hope for chance of success. and all the videos of her family waving things around her, showing her "following" the movement? IMO, quite demeaning. those sort of antics are typically reserved for babies and animals.