Has the Schiavo case Become a Political Football?

..... But, very few people are willing to err on the side of life . . . just in case she would have desired to live.

One thing that continues to bother me is the failure of my representatives to stand up and fight this hypocrisy.

I am sorry, but I get the unmistakable whiff of American Taliban in the swift Republican response to its core, Christian political base.

The Republican-led Congress, which struggles and fails to accomplish its constitutional duties of passing budgets and performing oversight of the executive branch, threw all its bullying weight behind an assault on local decision-making.

Though, according to the GOP talking points that circulated Sunday, it was all jolly good politics.

Displaying genuine religious zeal, the leadership of Congress was caught up in long-distance medical evaluations and judicial interpretation. If they strike out with the courts, well, it won't even be the fault of their own hubris and arrogant overreaching.

Nope, blame those activist judges. Again. We live in a nation of laws, as federal judges reminded us, not that their detractors were paying attention.

Hey phoenix...notice how Brandon responded to nearly every one but your post and mine? It must have clarified it for him.

So, am I correct that the federal court hearing the case last night has denied the parents reinsertion of the feeding tube?

TAMPA, Fla., March 25 - A Federal District Court judge here today refused, for a second time, to order that a feeding tube be reinserted into the severely brain-damaged Terri Schiavo.

Judge James D. Whittemore, in an 11-page ruling, said that "the plain language of the 14th Amendment contemplates that a person can be deprived of life so long as due process of law is provided," adding that all claims had "been addressed and been rejected by this court."

But he went on, "The court would be remiss if it did not once again convey its appreciation for the difficulties and heartbreak the parties have endured throughout this lengthy process."

DrewDad wrote:

You consistently ignore posts that factually contradict your position.

I do not read every post in every thread. I do have a life oustide A2K. I usually answer challenges to what I have said.

DrewDad wrote:

You consistently state your opinions as fact.

I challenge you. Cite an example.

DrewDad wrote:

We did not present the thesis that flamethower=ceasing nourishment; you did.

I never made a post which said that death by flamethrower was the same as death by ceasing nutrition. I am hereby calling you a liar and insist that you provide a link to the post in which I said this.

DrewDad wrote:

We did not present a thesis that death by flamethrower is peaceful; you attempted to introduce that as a strawman argument.

I never accused you of claiming that death by flamethrower was peaceful. You appear not to comprehend much of what is said to you. I will go ever so slowly for you. I said that a posted liberal statement that death by starvation/dehydration was peaceful fell into one of two categories:

1. Wrong, because it is quite painful, or
2. misleading because if all that is meant is that she feels absolutely nothing ever, then any form of death, even death by flamethrower, would be peaceful.

Do you get it now, Einstein?

DrewDad wrote:

Brandon9000 wrote:

By the way, you would be wrong anyway. Removing the feeding tube is not ending intervention, since if someone attempted to feed her, they would be prevented from doing so by force.

Really? I presume you can back this up with a source? (A news or legal source, not someone's blog....)

I am prepared to cite a source for you, if you will merely state that you disagree with what I said. Specifically, if you think that someone attempting to feed her would be permitted to and not stopped. Don't ask me to cite sources for blatantly obvious statements that you, yourself agree with.

DrewDad wrote:

Brandon9000 wrote:

You are killing her in the guise of letting her die...

Wrong.
a) She is not being killed. Legally, this is the fact of the matter. No one will be prosecuted for murder, manslaughter, or even a misdemeanor.

She is currently living. They will now deny her food and water and stop anyone else who wants to give it to her. You can say she isn't being killed if you want to play games, but this is sure what most people mean by killed. The people who are murdering her will not be prosecuted because the state is involved in her murder. Many murderers of Jews, etc. in Nazi Germany weren't prosecuted either, but it didn't make them one iota less murderers. Now, if you tell me that Florida is not Nazi Germany, your inability to follow an argument will make me vomit.

DrewDad wrote:

b) I am not involved in the procedure. (Neither is c.i.) Your logic baffles me.

You are involved enough. I am sure my logic baffles you.

Many seem certain that Terri Schiavo is vegetative, does not understand what is going on around her and cannot respond. But Carla Sauer Iyer, a nurse who attended Mrs. Schiavo for more than a year, has contradicted all of this. Moreover, she has painted a very different picture of Michael Schiavo than the one he presents to the courts and to the media.


 But you are not likely to find her eyewitness account of events in the mainstream media.


 According to this nurse, Michael Schiavo complained that his wife wasn't dying fast enough -- only the word he used was not wife or woman but a word that cannot be repeated in a family newspaper.


 The nurse's sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, is that she reported to the police that she had found Terri in both medical and emotional distress after a closed door visit by her husband -- and that she also found a vial of insulin, as well as needle marks on Terri, after Michael Schiavo's visit.

Jpin! Nice to see you! Where have you been? Haven't seen you in a while!

I think it would be more cruel to drag her back at this point.

Everyone should just go away and let her go.

But, this sets a very bad precedent, IMO. Had they had her wishes in writing, it would be different. I think we will see a spate of withdrawal of feeding tubes now. Those people seem infinitely more disposable today.

I think relating her to cabbage is in very bad form. She is a human being. Surprising.

I think relating her to cabbage is in very bad form. She is a human being. Surprising.