terri schiavo case...agree? o disagree?!

[mannyamador]

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Maybe Michael plans to do the same thing to his current girlfriend! He'll be a court-approved serial killer!

[ellie]

Maybe Michael plans to do the same thing to his current girlfriend! He'll be a court-approved serial killer!

yeah, right!..

[mannyamador]

Beyond the Terry Schiavo Case
Sometimes Animals Enjoy More Legal Protection

LONDON, MAY 28, 2005 (Zenit.org).- During their visit to Rome last
week Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, thanked the
Pope and Vatican officials for the Church's help in their attempts to
keep their daughter from being starved to death.

The withdrawal of food and water that led to Schiavo's death in
Florida last March 31 was condemned in a statement by Vatican
spokesman JoaquÃ*î Navarro Valls. In a declaration issued the day of
her death Navarro Valls described the event as "an arbitrary
hastening of death." He also expressed the hope that the experience
would lead public opinion to a greater awareness of human dignity and
to improved legal protections for life.

The Schiavo case is by no means an isolated instance. Shortly
afterward the Telegraph newspaper in British reported April 17 on an
81-year-old widow from the American state of Georgia, Mae Magouirk.
In spite of having drawn up a living will she was deprived of food
and water for 10 days after being admitted to hospital for heart
problems, which, according to the Telegraph, were considered
treatable by doctors.

The widow was not comatose or even in a so-called vegetative state.
But a problem arose when her granddaughter, named in the living will
as her guardian, decided that Magouirk was "ready to go home with
Jesus." Her life was saved when other members of the family
successfully took legal action to restore nourishment.

Last week the issue of withdrawal of food and water also came up in
Britain, with what the Guardian newspaper described May 16 as "one of
the most important right-to-life appeals to come before the English
courts in recent years."

The case involves Leslie Burke, who suffers from a progressive
degenerative disease. He fears that in the future, once his situation
has deteriorated, doctors will decide to stop feeding him. Burke won
a high court ruling last July, which declared the guidelines by the
General Medical Council to doctors on the withholding of
life-prolonging treatment were unlawful in some aspects.

Who decides?

The General Medical Council is now appealing the ruling and last week
both sides presented their arguments before three appeals court
judges. According to Burke's attorney, Richard Gordon, the issue was
about "who decides," the BBC reported May 18. In the original case
Burke argued that the General Medical Council advice, which gives
doctors in cases such as his the final say on what treatment to give
a patient in the final stages, was an infringement of his human
rights.

In his ruling last year Justice James Lawrence Munby agreed with
Burke, saying that if a patient is competent -- or, if incompetent,
has made an advance request for treatment -- doctors have a duty to
provide artificial nutrition or hydration.

A lawyer for Patricia Hewitt, the British health secretary, told the
appeal court that the National Health Service should not have to give
life-prolonging treatment to every patient who requests it "because
that would mean a crippling waste of resources," reported the Times
newspaper May 19. The Health Department is supporting the appeal
against last year's ruling.

The government's position was criticized by Derrick Wilson, reported
the Times. Wilson has a son who for the last eight years is in a
"vegetative state" and he has refused to give doctors permission to
end his life.

"I think this is the thin end of the wedge for euthanasia -- not only
for people like Duncan but for people like me who are just getting
old," he said. "It stinks of euthanasia, the government backing
something like this. It's very distressing."

Last year's judgment does, however, have some defects, noted the
Catholic bishops' conference of England and Wales. A note released
May 17 by the Catholic Communications Network explained that the
bishops are intervening in the appeal because they are concerned that
by elevating the principle of patient autonomy to the level of an
absolute, there could be "potentially dangerous implications for
assisted suicide and euthanasia."

The declaration did stress, however, that the bishops are not opposed
to Burke's attempts to ensure he will continue to receive
nourishment.

Patients deprived of food and water die first of thirst, and this is
not a pleasant experience, noted Dr. David Stevens, executive
director of the Christian Medical Association in the United States.

On March 23, in the context of the Schiavo case, Stevens rejected
claims made by some that dying in these circumstances is not painful.
Based on his 13 years of work in Africa, where he saw many die of
dehydration, Stevens criticized the "so-called experts" who have not
seen someone die in this manner. "Contrary to those that try to paint
a picture of a gentle process, death by dehydration is a cruel,
inhumane and often agonizing death," he said.

When cows suffer

When it comes to animals, by contrast, legislators and judges seem to
have fewer problems protecting victims. At the very time Terri
Schiavo was dying, a newspaper report from Vermont described how a
farmer was convicted of starving his cows to death.

Christian DeNeergaard received a suspended one-year sentence as well
as 30 days of work crew assignment as part of a deal with
prosecutors, the Times Argus newspaper in Barre reported March 24.
Last October the then Washington County State's Attorney Tom Kelly
said he would seek at least some incarceration for animal neglect,
which claimed the lives of at least 11 cows.

"We think some jail time is appropriate," said Kelly. "The cows
suffered tremendously."

Shortly afterward the Los Angeles Times reported on the case of Fred
Purcell who cannot develop his land because of fears that it may harm
some cave bugs. An March 28 article explained that Purcell, along
with some business associates, bought 216 acres northwest of Austin,
Texas, 22 years ago, intending to build houses and sell them.

But his plans were blocked because tiny cave bugs, which are believed
to be unique to this zone, live below ground in limestone caverns. So
far his legal actions have failed and he is now attempting an appeal
to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Pets also enjoy increasing legal protection. Last Sunday, the New
York Times reported that 27 states now have laws enabling pet owners
to establish legal trusts. In this way owners can set aside funds in
the trust, so their pets will be looked after once they have died.
The article also noted that since 1990 it has been legally possible
to leave money to a pet in a person's last will.

According to the New York Times many pets are killed once their
owners die. Last year Amy Shever started PetGuardian, a company that
sets up pet trusts. Clients can also stipulate how they want their
pets treated. One client, for example, stipulated that her dog be fed
barbecue chicken in the morning and grilled ribs at night.

In a declaration just after Terri Schiavo's death on March 31,
Cardinal William Keeler, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee for
Pro-Life Activities, commented that her plight brought to light a
critical question: "To be a society that is truly human, how should
we care for those most helpless patients who cannot speak for
themselves?" He added: "We pray this human tragedy will lead our
nation to a greater commitment to protect helpless patients and all
the weakest among us."

[cyberdud3]

strongly disagree!

[Empress_Of_Drac]

@unofficialplayer

'Twas an act of *euthanasia*. She was still alive when they pulled out the feeding tube, effectively dehydrating and starving her to death. She died of dehydration not other natural causes.

I say Judge Greer also be put to death by dehydration and starvation, along with Michael Schiavo.

..think one of the factors why people jaz cant get over this case is about...the issue of euthanasia*err mercy killin'*....which for sometime has already been questioned by moral groups especially the catholic church...for me euthanasia serves both good for the victim and to her relatives or family as well.....it quickens and diminish the agonies and pains that are bein' suffered by the patient...for me 8's a moral act and it is the better if not the best thin' to do...prolonging the life of a patient which has no more hope to be revived to it's normal state only adds to the burdens that are bein' experienced by the patient and by her family as well....wot's the use of spendin' more and more bucks and efforts wen the situation cant be handled anymore by the hands of medicine?...y let the patient suffer wen at d end...death is still the course that she will end up to?..better end her life in a nice and unpainful way as much as possible...the only big MISTAKE dot happend in tis case is that they killed her in the most unhumane way by starvin' her to death...BUT they just announced to the public that it is euthanasia....a very bad thin' to be just incurred easily by people who are very insensitive and soulless...(toink!)...

ot: wot i reli min s....by wishin' death to someone whom u don't even know is the very opposite of euthanasia....*sigh*

[Empress_Of_Drac]

@mannyamador

Beyond the Terry Schiavo Case
*Sometimes Animals Enjoy More Legal Protection*

...ot::sometimes only...mostly it's humans...so there's nothin' to be jealous about...it is still great to be a human rather than a meek animal....pax

[battouter]

wla man gud ta makadungog sa side ni terri... we will never know the truth

[Spec-V]

The Results of the Autopsy of Terri showed that Her Brain suffered so much atrophy that it shrinks half of its normal size & theres no way to reverse the effect & no medication can help her.

So there you go Folks....Results are conclusive!

[mannyamador]

The Results of the Autopsy of Terri showed that Her Brain suffered so much atrophy that it shrinks half of its normal size & theres no way to reverse the effect & no medication can help her.

So there you go Folks....Results are conclusive!

This misses the point. There was NO WAY TO KNOW this at the time when the decision was made. You do not kill human beings thinking that they MIGHT not be worth it.

[Empress_Of_Drac]

she's worthy to die...coz to live on this planet in such situation is hell...