If they’re going to enact legislation, how about requiring the term “persistant vegitative state” to be listed as “fucking dead for chrissakes, not coming back, gone for good, a corpse kept moving in a sick vision of the horrors of post-modern life that would make Orwell crawl into a bottle and not come out” in all medical records? I would imagine they could put it in as some sort of Medicare rider. And while they’re at it, all the doctors who have been trying to convince her parents that involuntary ticks are her way of communicating should be barred from practice, preferably in a posthumous manner.
I have seen many distasteful political ploys in my day, but wrapping yourself up in the empty husk of some poor woman to appeal to the wrong-headed is the bottom of the barrel.
I’ve been following this case for perhaps too long now. IIRC, Michael Schiavo was awardeda 1 million dollar settlement which was put in trust for Terri’s use. There is approximately 40-50K left and is quickly disappearing. Michael stated he was willing to give the balance to charity.
If you don’t believe he’s not interested in financial gain, why hasn’t he accepted the recently made offers of 1 million and 10 million dollars?
For those of you who continue to claim that this is Michael Schiavo’s decision. At this point, you are wrong. The decision to remove the nutrition tube was not made by Michael Schiavo, it has been made by the Florida courts and not even Michael can change that decision.
I think that what should be done is that Hasbro should release a Persisten Vegatative State playset.
The starter set would be somebody in a hospital bed, maybe with an IV.
Deluxe set would be an entire hospital, nurses and assistants.
Follow ons would be a federal court set, a family set (ex husband not included).
Maybe a board game, in which the winner gets to decide whether to remove the feeding tube or not.
And a deluxe attachment set that has an interface between the PVS doll and the board game (bluetooth enabled, perhaps). If the winner chooses to remove the tube, then just before the doll ‘passes away’, the computer generates a voice saying something like ‘wait… I’m not dead yet, Actually, I’m feeling much better!’.
Get the Feds out of this–or at least in this guise. This poor, poor woman–to be used in such a way. She might as well be in a travelling show likes they used to do for freaks etc.
I feel for the husband–what I do not understand is HOW the parents EVER got their “day in court”–he is the legal next of kin.
No matter–Bill Frist is a lame excuse for a doctor, IMO.
And just a note for all of you–a Living Will doesn’t do a whole lot. It may indicate your leanings re: end of life issues, but you need a DPOA for healthcare or other advanced directive so that your wishes will be honored.
These parents do NOT love Terri–IMO, they are mentally ill and colluding with whoever will jump on their band wagon.
To think that this has gotten to this level–this is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Given how many people in general, and politicians in particular, are willing to just give away their souls, I doubt it has that kind of market value. It might be worth an extra fifty votes for dog catcher, or thereabouts.
How fortunate that the federal government is run by the space aliens they have hidden in Area 51, and so is unaffected by the average American’s intellectual limitations… :rolleyes:
What two million is that? A dig about money he won in a settlement a decade ago and has had to spend caring for Terri and fighting with her parents in this unending string of court cases? “Mistress” is equally classless (gasp) since he’s been with this woman for years and there’s been no secret about it.
IIRC, it was a 1 million dollar settlement, managed by a trustee, all expenditures are approved by a judge and there’s 40-50K left, the remaining balance will go to charity as per Michael Schiavo’s statement.
If you are married to someone and nailing another, you’ve got a mistress, I don’t care what condition your wife is in.
I have no problem with him moving on with his life. But he should have divorced her first instead of staying married to her and shacking up with the other woman and creating 2 kids with her.
Can you explain what your snark has to do with what I posted? My theory is that you are either disagreeing with my claim that the average citizen is stupid, or you are attempting to state that the Federal government is as prone to stupidity as state level governments.
If the former, I will just assume that you are one of the stupid, probably feel a brief moment of pity for you and then move on to more productive interactions.
If the later, I will state that I can see how you would think so and conditionally agree with you. The condition being that Federal level government, by its very nature, must focus on the bigger picture and as such at least has a shot at being wiser.
Again, I can see pros and cons to both ways of thinking and am still working out how I feel about the matter. All of that being said, thank you for your blindingly insightful post (and with emotocons even!)
Are you going to come back and defend any of this or was your post a drive by?
Regarding the girlfriend and the children: IIRC he would like to marry the girlfriend but would have to divorce Terry to do so. Once a divorce is finalized, he would not be able to have any control over the situation. So he has remained married to Terry to honor her through his belief that she would not want to live this way. Scumbag bastard?
I can’t even imagine someone trying to take a decision like this out of my wife’s hands if I were in a similar state. I would be so pissed off I would probably snap out of it even if it was my mother, father or sister. I married my wife for a reason and the thought of someone trying to override my choice in the matter is infuriating.
I am curious, what have use seen that leads you to this conclusion? Nothing I have seen makes me think that stripping him of his spousal rights and responsibilities is warranted.