# 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:** 50
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/981 "2005-03-28T19:10:58Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > There’s nothing that says Catholics cannot be cremated. It doesn’t preclude her from having a Catholic funeral-or even a Catholic burial, for that matter. My ex-boss died recently. He was a Catholic and per his instructions he was cremanted and received a proper Catholic burial. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/982 "2005-03-28T19:13:57Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > He’s not estranged at all; he’s not indifferent to her. They are using the word completely incorrectly. Big surprise there. That’s nothing. Yesterday, on CNN, Jerry Falwell repeatedly asserted that Michael Schiavo no longer had any relationship to Terri, since he was in a “common-law marriage” with another woman. I’m sure the IRS agrees with him. No wait, that’s stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/983 "2005-03-28T19:32:03Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _pause_ > _yoink_ > _die_ [Terry in the Afterlife, Sounding Like a British Man Poorly Impersonating a British Woman] _die_?? You were allowed to _die_?? If ONLY I was allowed to die!! In my day they’d stick a tube up your nose and keep you alive for 15 years!! What I would’ve given to die! Death? LUXURY! [/TITASVLABMIABW] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/984 "2005-03-28T19:34:31Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > TITASVLABMIABW I think that’s the name of the next Pope spelled backwards. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/985 "2005-03-28T20:30:03Z")
Okay, please forgive me if 1. This seems like a hijack, or 2. This has been asked and answered in the last 20 pages. (Or 3), Hi Opal!) But out of a weird sense of curiosity, as we’re not supposed to wish death on folks in the Pit, are we violating some sort of rule on this thread? I’d suspect not- it’s a common sense thing- but it just came to me as an odd, ‘huh’ question. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/986 "2005-03-28T20:40:43Z")
> [@ArrMatey!](#): > > But out of a weird sense of curiosity, as we’re not supposed to wish death on folks in the Pit, are we violating some sort of rule on this thread? If it was a problem, I imagine the mods would have pointed it out somewhere in the preceeding 985 ( **!** ) posts. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/987 "2005-03-28T20:43:42Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > If it was a problem, I imagine the mods would have pointed it out somewhere in the preceeding 985 ( **!** ) posts. Quibble. 986 posts. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/988 "2005-03-28T21:14:01Z")
This episode has also lain bare how eager people like the national review cornerites are to buy into nonsense, dumb arguments, and lies. [http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/corner.asp](http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/corner.asp) Most recent case in point: Rich Lowry, continuing in the vein of subtle nudges about how people get better if just given a chance. Completely ignoring, of course the fact that PVS is only considered to be permanent after at least three months, and these cases involve time periods much shorter than that. Of course, Lowry doesn’t come out and SAY in this post that Terri would have magically woken up if only Michael Schiavo wasn’t such an evil man, but that’s the pretty clear implication given his history of posting on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/989 "2005-03-28T21:56:21Z")
Did anyone hear the Religious Right[sup]tm[/sup] on - I think - NPR today? From people calling for amendments to the Living Will statutes to exclude people with a “clear conflict of interest” (ie, Michael Shiavo, since he has another, “common law” family), to people calling for Michael Shiavo to be arrested on counts of Premediated Murder, even Cecil himself has to be amazed at how often the stupid ones breed. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/990 "2005-03-28T22:14:46Z")
Go ahead, pass a law, it won’t help Terri. Morans! ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/991 "2005-03-28T22:28:03Z")
> [@5 time champ](#): > > I see the Religious Right has all the nutjobs mobilized now, including AMBASSADOR Alan Keyes. Ambassador Keyes? I’m impressed. I didn’t know that the Land of Stupid had gotten themselves organized enough to have a government, let alone ambassadors. Good for them! ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/992 "2005-03-28T23:58:18Z")
milroyj’s problem is that he hasn’t gotten with the program. The government is God, if they agree to legally starve someone, by gum, they can. Suck it up. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/993 "2005-03-29T00:27:19Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > milroyj’s problem is that he hasn’t gotten with the program. The government is God, if they agree to legally starve someone, by gum, they can. Suck it up. You are a fucking idiot. There is no other word for it. You aren’t entitled to have an opinion about this case because you’re obviously either too stupid or too lazy to learn anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/994 "2005-03-29T00:36:08Z")
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… duh-dun… duh-dun… DOUCHEBAG ATTACK! ---
**Author:** ![archmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/archmichael)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/995 "2005-03-29T00:46:31Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > milroyj’s problem is that he hasn’t gotten with the program. The government is God, if they agree to legally starve someone, by gum, they can. Suck it up. Jesus Christ. You are an idiot. How many times does it have to be repeated? The government isn’t killing anybody. The courts have decided multiple times, that it was her wish to not be sustained like this. The government is saying that YOU are not God. It is her fucking decision, and her’s alone. Stay the fuck out of it! ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/996 "2005-03-29T01:02:27Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > milroyj’s problem is that he hasn’t gotten with the program. The government is God, if they agree to legally starve someone, by gum, they can. Suck it up. As has been pointed out multiple times in the past week by several Dopers who know better than I, death by withholding sustenance happens _every single day._ Medical technology makes it inevitable that in some cases, the next of kin will have to choose when their loved one will die. When the choice is made, there is only one legal method. If you’re outraged, lobby your state government to make lethal medication legal for doctors to administer when someone is ready for their life to end, as I understand Oregon has. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/997 "2005-03-29T01:07:22Z")
I’m not sure I’m adding anything new to this totally preposterous thread here, but… this is a situation where I’m just baffled that it’s a controversy. I mean, things are supposed to be controversial when there are good arguments to be made on both sides, and a decision has to be made. For instance, if science indicated that TS might recover, but her legal guardians disagreed, controversy. Or if one court ruled one way about what her wishes were and another court ruled another way, controversy. But this is the rare case in which what I would want for myself or anyone I loved, and what her husband wants, and what all the courts have ruled, are all in agreement. How can there possibly be controversy? And where are the intelligent and decent Republican dopers (and I know there are some) standing up and decrying the truly despicable and evil acts of their elected representatives? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/998 "2005-03-29T01:18:24Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I’m not sure I’m adding anything new to this totally preposterous thread here, but… this is a situation where I’m just baffled that it’s a controversy. I mean, things are supposed to be controversial when there are good arguments to be made on both sides, and a decision has to be made. For instance, if science indicated that TS might recover, but her legal guardians disagreed, controversy. Or if one court ruled one way about what her wishes were and another court ruled another way, controversy. It’s astonishing that Congress decided to intervene. The only conclusions I can reach are that they were ignorant about the Terri Schiavo case or that did this purely for political reasons. Probably a mixture of both. Either explanation is a very bad sign for our Republic. Did they really think that a cabal of evil judges were killing off a self aware Terri Schiavo just for shits and giggles and all these years of litigation were just a sham? I try to give Congress the benefit of the doubt on this, but logically I can’t come up with any other explanation. ---
**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 29, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/999 "2005-03-29T01:19:17Z")
Well, I’m watching Nancy Grace on Court TV and someone just reported that Michael Schiavo is going to ask for an autopsy to silence everyone who’s saying that she’s not brain dead. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029/1000 "2005-03-29T01:23:20Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Well, I’m watching Nancy Grace on Court TV and someone just reported that Michael Schiavo is going to ask for an autopsy to silence everyone who’s saying that she’s not brain dead. I think that’s a good idea, but not necessarily for that reason. (Though it won’t hurt.) It’s quite possible that by examining the brain and nervous system of someone who has been in a PVS for so long, they may learn something. At least I hope they can. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-the-poor-woman-die-already/295029.md?page=51)