NEWS: Doctors Remove Terry Schiavo's Feeding Tube

On Friday, the feeding tube was removed from the severely brain-damaged Terry Schiavo. This comes as Republicans in Florida tried to save the woman with last minute subpoenas. It is expected Terry Schiavo will die within one to two weeks, unless someone interferes, as has appended twice before.



This may be a turning point in the situation. The parents have tried to become the legal guardian of their own daughter and also keep her feeding tube, that which has kept her alive for more than 15 years. Michael Schiavo has argued that Terry Schiavo stated she would not want to be kept alive artificially. Christian and anti-abortion groups have rallied and made known their feelings to Florida legislators.
This case has involved at least 19 judges in at least 6 different courts over a period of time. The US Supreme Court had declined to hear arguments.
Terry Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990. A chemical imbalance, caused by an eating disorder caused her heart to stop beating for several minutes. Only able to breathe on her own, the feeding tube has been counted on to keep her alive for over 15 years.



Related News Links:
story.news.yahoo.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Woman Talks After 20 Years of Silence
Should Terri Schiavo be allowed to die. / 10/22/04 UPDATE

[edit on 18-3-2005 by Spectre]

I find myself saying "I'm with the Republicans on this"

It is cruel- Its a crime. That husband of hers couldnt give two hoots about what the woman wanted. He didnt care for her. THE PARENTS DID.

I feel terribly sad for Terry, and her parents. I hope somebody puts her husband out permanently.

Starvation is a horrific way to die. Shell die in excrutiating pain.

Mr. Schiavo will burn in hell.

If you'd seen and followed this case for the past decade, you'd likely feel differently...(it's a local case for me, so I'm pretty familiar with it, see it every night almost)...

The scarier thing here is the flagrant abuses of power that have taken place in all of these last minute stall tactics. They set dangerous precedents, and nobody seems to care....

Originally posted by MrsGazrok
The scarier thing here is the flagrant abuses of power that have taken place in all of these last minute stall tactics. They set dangerous precedents, and nobody seems to care....

I care MrsGazrok. And always nice to see you around ATS.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I find myself saying "I'm with the Republicans on this"

It is cruel- Its a crime. That husband of hers couldnt give two hoots about what the woman wanted. He didnt care for her. THE PARENTS DID.

Hello,
I'm with you on this too. Why even call that man her husband, anyway? He isn't worth it. He's been living with another woman for 10 years and they have children, so therefore, he sure ain't no husband! In my honest opinion, he has no right. It's obvious that he only cares for himself.....every time he talks, it's "me-me-me-me, what I want,"

And when you see Terri, she can respond, and is said she even responds when someone tells a joke. She recognizes people. And it's said that she won't look at her 'husband,' or the guy that used to be a husband to her.

Also, that stupid judge isn't worth being a judge if he can't see all this.

Tiza

Originally posted by dgtempe
I find myself saying "I'm with the Republicans on this"

It is cruel- Its a crime. That husband of hers couldnt give two hoots about what the woman wanted. He didnt care for her. THE PARENTS DID.

I feel terribly sad for Terry, and her parents. I hope somebody puts her husband out permanently.

Why do you say that the husband doesn't care about what the woman wanted? In case you haven't heard, the woman said that she would rather die than live the life of a vegatable, and her husband is carrying out her wishes. Her brain was damaged beyond repair, and she would of never been able to live life on her own. I know that if I was ever like that, I would rather die than suffer for the rest of my life.

Emotion ruins any chance of even having a debate on this one. That's by design. This is part of the divide strategy. No doubt about it.

I've made all my logical points as to the rule of law dozens of times already in dozens of prior threads on this over dozens of weeks (if not months)...

I won't do it again.

But anyone emotionally involved in this case (not related to Mrs. Schiavo) is being played for a fool.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I find myself saying "I'm with the Republicans on this"

It is cruel- Its a crime. That husband of hers couldnt give two hoots about what the woman wanted. He didnt care for her. THE PARENTS DID.

I feel terribly sad for Terry, and her parents. I hope somebody puts her husband out permanently.

Hogwash if he did not care he could have taken the offer of one or ten million and turned custody over to her parents. (I know for sure he was offered at least one million for sure the 10 million is what some news services claimed but was never confirmed). It is clear that he was not interested in the money no matter how much anyone wants to rant and rave.

He acted as he should have, he stood up for her rights as she had told him. When she married him the parents went out of the picture and I am Replublican and sick of the tactics they pulled in this case.

Slayer- THATS WHAT THE HUSBAND CLAIMS. Nowhere did she express those feelings ever. Not to her parents, or any other living person.

If it were all about upholding a promise made to his wife, he would also be upholding those vows!!! Till death do us part, not " TILL I KILL YOU" He's not trying to do the right thing. He's waiting for a book or even a movie deal from all this publicity. I hope he does'nt get either.
What a panzy. I would have took that million, turned over rights to her parents and lived the good life. Now he, his lawyer, and that pityfull excuse for a judge will have to watch thier backs for the rest of thier lives. Heck in most cases hit men can be hired for wayyy less than a million....

I would hope that if I were in her position (i.e.: brain damaged beyond hope of recovery), my spouse would do what I wished, instead of what others (parental units, included) wished.

I believe quality of life is more important than quantity of life. I don't want to find my self in the same situation, so I have a legal document that clearly states my wishes, should I become incapacitated in a similar way. Everyone probably ought to, or risk ending up like that poor woman in Florida.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Slayer- THATS WHAT THE HUSBAND CLAIMS. Nowhere did she express those feelings ever. Not to her parents, or any other living person.

She didn't express to her parents that she wanted to continue to live, yet they're trying to keep her in the condition of life she's in. It all comes down to wether or not you think that someone in the state of life she's in should be kept alive or be allowd to die. Just look at her, do you really think you're doing her a favor by letting her continue to live?

She's a thinking, feeling person on the inside.

ANYBODY ASK HER?
Blink once for let me live, twice for end it? Of course not.

There's been accounts of people in worse shape than her and they (after 20 years in a coma, which Terry is not in) explain that they know everything thats going on and they "feel"

You know, to her husband, she died years ago. And as for her being in terrible pain being starved to death, she will feel very little if any pain because of her condition her pain receptors in her brain only function on a brain stem level.

Let this poor woman die.

My question is will the doctor that pulled the tube out be sent to jail like Dr. K? I mean, he is committing the same act as Dr. K, assisting a suicide. By her living will or her wishes expressed to her husband a long time ago, she is committing doctor assisted suicide.....jeesh this opens so many cans of worms.

Don't give me santity of life argument either. For some reason it only applies to humans. Where is the santity of life in a spider or a virus, living things like us.

I do think that they should be able to shoot her up and kill her instead of starving...but like I said, if they did that they would have to arrest the doctor for assisted suicide ala Dr. K.

the main problem i have with this is that

1. scientists don't know enough about the brain to say that she has no recognition or cognition...

2. the speech therapist is convinced she could teach her how to communicate due to the obvious signs put forth by terry to "show effort" (the speech thereapist was fired by the husband)

3. the parents and family want the responsibility of taking care of her... and Terry seems to enjoy seeing them...

4. the brother said that she laughs and smiles when they are there... at jokes... maybe just because others laugh... but that is enjoyment... pure and simple...

5. She seems to be more active and responsive than some people in the lab class at my old high school...

so to me that is murder... and the husband is guilty of it...

it is a hard call, but letting her live seems to be the most humane choice..

Originally posted by dgtempe
Slayer- THATS WHAT THE HUSBAND CLAIMS. Nowhere did she express those feelings ever. Not to her parents, or any other living person.

And you know this how? Were you there? No of course not. The courts have ruled that the husband proved his case that is all the proof that is required.

Shots,

I'm glad you're THERE and I'm HERE.

What can i say?

Originally posted by dgtempe
She's a thinking, feeling person on the inside.

How do you know? When was the last time you visited Terri Schiavo? The truth is, none of us can know. We aren't there and we arern't/weren't married to her. Her husband is/was. That makes it his call and his responsibility to make it.

What if you were her? What would you want for yourself? Who have you told? You're married aren't you? Who would you trust to make that decision for you if you couldn't? If it's not your spouse, you better let them know now, put it in writing, and get it notorized.

THATS WHAT THE HUSBAND CLAIMS. Nowhere did she express those feelings ever. Not to her parents, or any other living person.

That's one of many reasons why people have spouses, to have someone to discuss things like that with. Maybe she thought her parents couldn't be trusted to carry out her wishes, so didn't tell them. Their views seem pretty clear from their stated position. Who knows? One thing I'm pretty sure of is that none of us here are in a position to have a very informed opinion on the specifics of this case.

We can debate quality vs. quantity forever. When people start trying to decide those issues for everyone else though, its a problem. It's sad that sometimes people are put into that position anyway.

Let's use this punishment on Death-Row inmates. We are not killing them, by starving them, they will die on their own.

These same idiot judges would call that cruel and unusual punishment.

Starving someone is cruel and unusual, whether you are on death row, or brain damaged.