Considering Glenn Beck claims that homosexuality is a communist plot, I think “mental deficiency” is too fucking kind.
I couldn’t agree more. The Democrats need to speak out loudly in defense of the rights of the individual to choose how their own life should end. They should fight with all their might against the Republicans’ efforts to crush the rights of the states and of the individuals. Those who want to parade the lifeless body of this poor woman in front of the cameras should be called out.
I’m not going to take a side here, because I do not know which side to take. I think the media and everyone should back away.
However, as a disabled person I must say that all this talk about Terry being “already dead” is very disturbing and frightening to me. I am categorically seriously disabled, which means I would not survive if not for regular medical assistance. Since I would not survive without assistance, am I already dead? I have more brain activity than Terry, but where do we draw the line? I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m really curious of peoples’ thoughts on this. When exactly does a person lose their status of “alive” and become open season to being called a cripple, vegetable, radish, etc?
I don’t think anybody has expressed an opinion that could be taken as “disabled people are dead.” The line IS brain function. Nothing that made her who she was, mentally, is left.
Vegetable is a medical term, and having zero cognitive ability seems like a pretty good spot to draw the line.
The two situations are completely different.
TS is in a persistent vegetative state–she is MORE than disabled–she has only primitive brain function–no cerebral cortex. No matter whatever your other limitations–your cerebral cortex is working just fine.
How does this threaten you? I don’t get it. Not many people get by in life w/o medical assistance at one point or another–and many are in the hospital more often than they are out of it-that is not the issue here.
I do think you should (as we ALL should, no matter our state of ability) do some serious thinking as to what you want done in case you are unable to make your own decisions re: your health care. And put them in writing. And tell people you trust and those close to you.
We all need to do that. But it shouldn’t involve Congress.
You are typing on a message board. You are interacting with the world. You are, to use eleanorigby’s wonderful phrase, participating in your own life.
Terri Schiavo is not. She is unaware of her surroundings and unable to communicate, and she is never going to improve. She has zero quality of life. That’s the difference.
The day Democrats say they are for euthenasia, is the same day I am switching my party.
If I am in such a state that doctors say there is no hope for me, I declare that they are not trying hard enough to save me, and are looking for the easy way out. That is what the husband is doing.
this saddens me beyond measure.
Medicine is an art, not a science, although science pervades it.
Science does not have a cure for all that ails mankind–nor will it, really, in our lifetimes or even our grandkid’s, if ever. It is not a matter of medicine “not trying hard enough”–it is the fact that, (shows like ER to the contrary) there are definite limits to what is possible.
If you are diagnosed with, say, inoperable brain cancer–there is nothing the doctors and HCPs can do to save your life. We can, however, either buy you time and/or ensure that your leaving this life is done in comfort, dignity and with those that are important to you.
That is a helluva lot, if you ask me.
Wow, you’re really in denial, aren’t you?
It’s a helluva a lot more than most people in history have enjoyed.
If you were in Terry’s state, you couldn’t declare shit. You could spell it out in drool, perhaps. Don’t confuse your personal feelings with the facts in Terry’s case.
Hey, it’s a big tent. That also means there’s a big flap. I prefer that the Democrats fight for the individual’s right to choose.
Not even that, in her case. It would require even a vague semblance of cognition, which she, sadly, is permanently without.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
I thank God that my SO loves me enough to end my life. She is prepared to do whatever it takes to save me from zombiehood, including breaking the law. And I believe she’s strong enough to let go. I only hope I could be as strong if the opposite were true, but I’ve given my promise to do my best.
samclem --not to nitpick, but there is so much ignorance here–please dont’ even suggest that he could spell in drool if he was in a PVS. He wouldn’t even know he was drooling.
Sorry to nitpick, but I have seen what we are up against in at least 3 threads.
Personal commentary: what the hell is wrong with us as a people? Do we fear death so much? Are we that ignorant about medical issues and diseases etc? Do we live in a great Pablum fed bubble where no bad things happen or they’re resolved in 30 minutes?
sorry, rant over.
Please tell us what doctor has the cure for not having a cerebral cortex.
At least somebody is standing up for the right to choose something these days…
I have to ask-what about religions that shun any medical treatment? Wouldn’t Teri have been long dead?
I don’t think anyone is denying that Teri is a human being. Of course she is. But her soul, her person, the very thing that made her TERI is gone.
I don’t see how this would be actively killing her-it would be allowing nature to take its course.
Earlier duffer expressed incredulity that Terri would’ve expressed her views on this type of situation to her husband and not her parents. Given what we’ve seen of her parents, and the fact that they’re widely known to be devout Catholics, perhaps she didn’t tell them because she knew they wouldn’t listen or they would argue with her. Or maybe, just maybe, she did tell them but her parents didn’t believe her, didn’t think she was serious, or thought she didn’t know what was best for her.
Outside of Madison, Wisconsin, there’s some family that decorates a makeshift memorial and the site of a fatal car crash. According to the season, they put up a Christmas tree or decorate a nearby tree with Easter eggs. I’m sure they loved whoever died very much, but it seems rather morbid to me. I imagine this family is of a very similar mindset to the Schindlers.
Since when does that require cognitive ability? Are you new to the internet? 
Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I still think she shouldn’t be considered dead though, since her heart is still pumping. We’re either respectful of all life or not, right?
I didn’t know vegetable was a medical term. Learn something new every day. What is the definition, exactly?
On a completely different point - how do we know if Terri is experiencing any pain or awareness? Can we determine that sort of thing with brain scanning equipment, or are we just guessing?
I don’t see why you’re either on this bus or off it. This is not life as anybody would like to live it or as most people define it. I’d rather be dead than continue like that.
I guess ‘vegetable’ isn’t, but ‘persistent vegetative state’ is. I’ll let a doctor who’s likely to get it right handle it.
If the part of the brain that handles a particular function is gone, the person can’t do it. She doesn’t have the faculties to respond to or be aware of anything. I’m not 100% sure of what the situation is with pain here.
I love my wife and can’t imagine what he is going through since the beginning of this tragic turn in their live. However, if the situation were reversed and it was me in that bed I would hope she would take what ever action necessy to end my time in this state. If it were her, I would do whatever it took and it’s because I know from many discussions what we don’t want. I remember the 70 year old man sentanced to prision for putting his loving wife of many, many years out of her pain from a long term disease because the doctors feel that they must take any steps to maintain the life functions despite what they wanted.