# Let the poor woman die already! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029 "2005-03-17T19:11:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/561 "2005-03-24T14:30:14Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Another tape of Mr. Schindler interjecting questions in between her reflexive groans (uh, I mean, “conversing with her during a lucid moment,”) would appear, right? You appear to have _almost_ [nailed](http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/24/schiavo/index.html) it, **Larry**. > [@](#): > > The Schindlers, in their Supreme Court brief, said that “a miraculous event occurred during the weekend,” citing the report of Barbara Weller, an attorney with the Christian Legal Society. > > Weller said before the feeding tube was removed Friday, she urged Terri to say “I want to live,” and Terri responded “Ahhhhhhh waaaaaaaa,” which she interpreted to mean “I want to live.” ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/562 "2005-03-24T14:46:15Z")
The quote above reads like parody. I didn’t expect it to actually be in the news story, but it is. Then there’s this: > [@](#): > > Earlier Wednesday night, Bob Schindler accused Florida Judge Greer of being “on a crusade” to kill Terri. > > “I don’t think that the courts are going to be helpful at all. Actually, **they have banded together to uphold this one particular judge** ,” Schindler told CNN’s “NewsNight with Aaron Brown.” > > “We’ve had very little success in the courts. **They’re not hearing any of the evidence that we’ve presented them** , and our only hope at this point as we see it is through the governor (of Florida) and the Department of Children and Families.” > > Schindler said he believes Gov. Bush can exercise executive authority to prolong his daughter’s life, at least until the legal issues are sorted out. > > “She has been really railroaded into a death sentence by this particular judge, the circuit court judge. … **He has a crusade to kill this girl**.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/563 "2005-03-24T14:50:43Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > The quote above reads like parody. I didn’t expect it to actually be in the news story, but it is. I’m glad someone else read it before it gets edited out or replaced by updates. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/564 "2005-03-24T14:59:06Z")
Change my opinion of Mr. Schindler from delusional to paranoid and dangerous. The _judge_ is intent on killing Terri? WTF? I have a question for legal types or social workers–why DCFS? Teri is an adult. Is it because she is dependent(well, no shit!)? I thought she was being taken care of in a hospice (but not on a hospice service)which means she is not a hospice patient), not at home? So, wouldn’t it be the State that would have the authority to investigate abuse, not DCFS? And wouldn’t it be the hospice that would be charged with neglect, if any existed? **Dr. J** --any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/565 "2005-03-24T15:03:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Weller said before the feeding tube was removed Friday, she urged Terri to say “I want to live,” and Terri responded “Ahhhhhhh waaaaaaaa,” which she interpreted to mean “I want to live.” What Terri _actually_ meant by that was that she wanted to see _The Miracle Worker_ instead of _I Want to Live_—she’s just not a big Susan Hayward fan. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/566 "2005-03-24T15:20:56Z")
> [@widdleytinks](#): > > So are the words “love, honor, and cherish”, Auntie. I can think of no man who would have stood by his wife for 15 years in the face of such strong opposition as has Michael Schiavo. Believe me when I tell you that up until about 3 weeks ago, I held the same perspectives and raised the same issues as you have here. I agree wholeheartedly. My view (today) is that he has done more than his duty by Terri, and that if he could bring himself to walk away at this point, no one would fault him. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/567 "2005-03-24T15:24:02Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050324/ap\_on\_go\_su\_co/scotus\_schiavo](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050324/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_schiavo) ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/568 "2005-03-24T15:24:08Z")
You might want to amend that to say, “no one RATIONAL would…” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/569 "2005-03-24T15:24:32Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I agree wholeheartedly. My view (today) is that he has done more than his duty by Terri, and that if he could bring himself to walk away at this point, no one would fault him. Except himself. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/570 "2005-03-24T15:36:03Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > What Terri _actually_ meant by that was that she wanted to see _The Miracle Worker_ instead of _I Want to Live_—she’s just not a big Susan Hayward fan. That’s the sad thing. She has never, since her heart attack, been able to nod or shake her head. She has never been able to blink once for yes and twice for no. Given the evidence I’ve seen, she isn’t there to communicate, but even if she were, there is no way to tell if “ARGGGGGGGGGGGH” means “let me live” or “please release me from this tortured existance” or “I want to see Patty Duke movies” or “retrain me to swallow, I really want some Rocky Road Ice Cream.” I think most of us over a certain age have had to make/been involved in/ or at least closely watched end of life decisions. Decisions were made at the end of both my Grandfather’s lives and most recently at the end of my Grandmother’s life. We could have kept them breathing and their hearts operating longer - and chose not to. We elected to withhold antibiotics from my paternal grandfather - dying from diabetes and congestive heart failure and unable to recognize his own wife - he still rallied and beat the infection, only to never come out of the coma. I think that those decisions were much easier with my 92 year old grandmother, were much harder with my 74 year old grandfather, and I can only imagine how much harder they’d be with someone who should have had a lot of life left to live. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/571 "2005-03-24T15:39:01Z")
If this has been brought up before, my apologies. Why are the voyeurs into this family’s tragedy interested only in the husband and his imagined motivations in wanting to let her go, and not into the parents and \*their \* motivations in trying to keep this imagined hope alive that she’ll recover somehow? One can speculate about that just as irresponsibly and uselessly. How about this, then - the heart attack that killed whatever was identifiably human was the result of bulimia. That’s a psychological issue related to self-image, something that isn’t the product solely of the self’s own imagination. Are the parents guilt-wracked over the way they raised her, over their own possible contribution to the psychic pain that led her to this condition? Is keeping this hunk of meat pumping their way of avoiding facing responsibility for their own role in causing this situation, whatever that conduct may have been? Is this endless legal case their way of trying to make up for it, even if she’ll never know? Is there any way to avoid concluding they should grow up and let her go? Be fair, now. There’s two parties involved in the case. ---
**Author:** ![Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misery_Loves_Co)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/572 "2005-03-24T15:39:57Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050324/ap\_on\_go\_su\_co/scotus\_schiavo](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050324/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_schiavo) Thanks for the link and halleluja - ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/573 "2005-03-24T15:53:03Z")
A doctor made a good point today…that Terri’s suffering from lack of food and water will be “horrendous.” He said that’s not true, that they will and can give her painkillers. Unless Governor Jeb does something incredibly stupid and unconstitutional, RIP Terri. It’s been a long haul, but it’s almost over. Good night, sweetie. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/574 "2005-03-24T16:04:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If this has been brought up before, my apologies. > > Why are the voyeurs into this family’s tragedy interested only in the husband and his imagined motivations in wanting to let her go, and not into the parents and \*their \* motivations in trying to keep this imagined hope alive that she’ll recover somehow? One can speculate about that just as irresponsibly and uselessly. > > How about this, then - the heart attack that killed whatever was identifiably human was the result of bulimia. That’s a psychological issue related to self-image, something that isn’t the product solely of the self’s own imagination. Are the parents guilt-wracked over the way they raised her, over their own possible contribution to the psychic pain that led her to this condition? Is keeping this hunk of meat pumping their way of avoiding facing responsibility for their own role in causing this situation, whatever that conduct may have been? Is this endless legal case their way of trying to make up for it, even if she’ll never know? Is there any way to avoid concluding they should grow up and let her go? > > Be fair, now. There’s two parties involved in the case. Hmmm…you raise a very interesting point. I never thought of that. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/575 "2005-03-24T16:05:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > How about this, then - the heart attack that killed whatever was identifiably human was the result of bulimia. That’s a psychological issue related to self-image, something that isn’t the product solely of the self’s own imagination. Are the parents guilt-wracked over the way they raised her, over their own possible contribution to the psychic pain that led her to this condition? I can’t help but wonder if her eating disorder wasn’t fomented by the same control freakiness we’re witnessing now in Bob & Mary. I’m not saying it’s so, I’m just saying I can’t help but wonder. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/576 "2005-03-24T16:10:18Z")
It wasn’t bulimia! Michael tried to strangle her! Jeez, don’t you people listen to Randal Terry? :rolleyes: I understand Michael’s horror of making his personal life public, but either he or his representatives should make more press statements. I saw him on Larry King, and he seemed very calm, resigned, and saddened by this whole mess. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/577 "2005-03-24T16:13:03Z")
Does anyone else find it sad that in 21[sup]st[/sup] century America, a person who does not wish to be imprisoned in the perpetual non-life of PVS must be subjected to death by starvation and thirst (however horrendous or benign you perceive it)? A bolus of morphine followed by potassium chloride and the result is achieved quickly, peacefully and without the terrible strain on the patient and survivors. Anyone who thinks withholding nutrition and hydration under these circumstances is any less deliberate than euthanasia is just fooling themselves with semantic contortions. Perhaps this sad event will push us towards a serious reexamination of end of life issues and euthanasia. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/578 "2005-03-24T16:17:34Z")
The Fox News coverage on this is some of the most blatantly biased and dishonest shit I’ve ever seen. There isn’t even a pretense at objectivity. It’s out and out cheerleading for the parents, villification of Michael, and relentlessly mawkish characterizations of Terri as a woman who is “suffereing” and “starving to death.” Factors like the crazy nurse with the fabricated (and officially discredited) affadavit are accepted uncritically and with affected shock and head shaking. Terri’s brother was just on a few minutes ago saying that Terri was able to go to movies and sporting events (no, asshole, you may be able to wheel her fucking body around but don’t confuse that as any sort of action or awareness on Terri’s part). Every few minutes, one of the Fox News anchorbots has to make some wretched expression of sympathy for the parents. There is no attempt or pretense at genuine news reporting, it’s pure, manipulative propaganda. I shudder to think what the religious right (and their news channel) is going to do if Terri dies tomorrow. Some dipshit at a rally a couple of days ago (I don’t remember who, it might have been that fucking tool, Tom Delay) was making some sort of bizarre comparison between Mary Schindler (Terri’s mother) to the _Virgin_ Mary. I have no idea what the similarity was supposed to be but can you imagine what these deluded, fanatical whackos are going to do if Terri bites it on _Good Friday_? If Terri dies tomorrow, I’ve got $20 that says at least some of these imbeciles will expect a resurrection on sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/579 "2005-03-24T16:20:15Z")
Whay are you torturing your Dio by watching Fox? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/580 "2005-03-24T16:20:27Z")
Whay are you torturing yourself Dio by watching Fox? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029.md?page=30)