# Schiavo: What are the ironies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389 "2005-03-26T20:16:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Newton\_meter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/57b2e6/32.png) [@Newton\_meter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newton_meter)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/41 "2005-03-28T16:28:53Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Why are you saying her death is not ‘slow’? Well, on the one hand it is _extremely_ slow, since it’s taken 15 years already. But on the other hand, since she isn’t aware of any difference between her state today and that of ten days ago (or even of the passage of time), it is meaningless to characterize it as a “slow” death. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/42 "2005-03-28T16:56:24Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > In the interests of fairness, **Bricker** posted at least a couple of times in a couple of the pit threads on the subject. > > I think the main thrust of his opinion was that it isn’t a matter for federal legislation. I wasn’t criticizing **Bricker** , just noting his lack of recent participation in this topic. And upon further review, I probably should have just said “silent”, rather than “ **strangely** silent.” ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/43 "2005-03-28T18:54:18Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > 1. Attempting to force-feed a woman who was bulemic. All the tut-tutting about how her destructive behavior brought her to this state, but try pointing that out to an AIDS patient… No feminist organization has come forward in an attempt to stop a man from killing his wife. Then again, maybe they consider her brain a “non-viable tissue mass”. In which case they could’ve saved everyone years of effort by talking him into having her head scraped out back when her continued existence first became inconvenient. Like they do in all other such instances. > [@BobT](#): > > And of course people who were opposed to states rights arguments in the past now espousing states rights positions. Equally ironic is the people in favor of a LARGER government (not to mention opposed to the state execution of convicted murderers) are actually _against_ it using its constitutional powers to save an innocent life. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/44 "2005-03-28T19:33:20Z")
> [@Tygr](#): > > All the tut-tutting about how her destructive behavior brought her to this state, but try pointing that out to an AIDS patient… Like Arthur Ashe? Ryan White? Georgia Bloodworth? Millions of African children? AIDS isn’t always about destructive behavior, nor has there ever been Federal intervention in forcing an AIDS patient with almost no cerebral cortex to stay alive. > [@Tygr](#): > > Then again, maybe they consider her brain a “non-viable tissue mass”. In which case they could’ve saved everyone years of effort by talking him into having her head scraped out back when her continued existence first became inconvenient. Like they do in all other such instances. Likewise what a damned shame that Terry Schiavo isn’t black and indigent and on death row with no hard evidence connecting her to the crime. Then the Republicans could be falling over each other to flip the switch that would shuttle her off this mortal coil. > [@Tygr](#): > > Equally ironic is the people in favor of a LARGER government (not to mention opposed to the state execution of convicted murderers)[/size] are actually _against_ it using its constitutional powers to save an innocent life. Yeah, people who want more funding for education and healthcare research also don’t think that the Federal government should be able to force a woman who has had no clear attempt at communication and no hope of cognitive processing in four presidential administrations to remain alive- isn’t that inconsistent with… uh… wanting better infrastructure… of which people in PVS are the basi…uh… what was your point again? ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/45 "2005-03-28T20:52:43Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > isn’t that inconsistent with… uh… wanting better infrastructure… of which people in PVS are the basi…uh… what was your point again? Focus, son. Focus. (Jeez, that’s the hardest part of debating with pinko-hippie types - they can’t put the weed down long enough to follow a train of argument.) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/46 "2005-03-28T21:04:28Z")
How about the folks arguing against “frivolous lawsuits” and “trial lawyers” pushing for _yet another court hearing_ for Terri? > [@ivylass](#): > > Stealing oil? > > Oh, I suppose that’s why my gas prices are down around 50 cents a gallon…because we stole Iraq’s oil. Silly **ivylass!** The oil wasn’t stolen for _your_ [benefit.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1402682,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/47 "2005-03-28T21:39:40Z")
> [@Tygr](#): > > Focus, son. Focus. > > (Jeez, that’s the hardest part of debating with pinko-hippie types - they can’t put the weed down long enough to follow a train of argument.) 😛 And the hardest part of debating with the Tygr Tygr Burning Dims of the world is that Terry Schiavo could beat them at chess. I’m trying to follow the clew of your logic as to how it’s inconsistent that people who want more government funding of social projects can also think that an individual’s right to die is more of a matter for family and local courts rather than Congress. Please elucidate (and libelously accuse me of drug use one more time and I’ll get really really really really nasty, pookie-pye). ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/48 "2005-03-28T22:38:54Z")
President and Congress trying to stop a brain-dead woman from starving to death when MILLIONS of totally functioning brains of black men, woman and children have starved and are starving due to war and famine in Africa ie. Rwanda, Congo, Sudan. Where was the government outcry then and where is it now? I guess some issues aren’t very newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/49 "2005-03-28T22:53:45Z")
[QUOTE=Tygr] All the tut-tutting about how her destructive behavior brought her to this state, but try pointing that out to an AIDS patient… [QUOTE] Putting aside the many other comments I’d like to make about this statement, where has anyone been “tut-tutting” about Theresa Schiavo’s bulemia? If by “tut-tutting” you mean “blaming,” (which it sounds like to me), I have seen no evidence of this in the case of Ms. Schiavo. The devastation wrought by bulemia is horrible and sad, as is the devastation of AIDS, regardless of its mode of transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/50 "2005-03-28T22:57:46Z")
Damn. Bad coding. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/51 "2005-03-28T22:58:58Z")
> [@kezami](#): > > President and Congress trying to stop a brain-dead woman from starving to death when MILLIONS of totally functioning brains of…men, woman and children have starved and are starving due to war and famine… If the suffering, hungry & destitute people from all over the world used their _fuctioning brains_, they’d realize they should stop having children they can’t afford to feed, raise or care for in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/52 "2005-03-28T23:04:47Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > If the suffering, hungry & destitute people from all over the world used their _fuctioning brains_, they’d realize they should stop having children they can’t afford to feed, raise or care for in the first place. Bet you’re glad that fate had it that you _are_ who you are, and that you \*live \* where you do so you can make comments like _that_. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/53 "2005-03-28T23:09:39Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > If the suffering, hungry & destitute people from all over the world used their _fuctioning brains_, they’d realize they should stop having children they can’t afford to feed, raise or care for in the first place. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389/54 "2005-03-28T23:27:36Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > If the suffering, hungry & destitute people from all over the world used their _fuctioning brains_, they’d realize they should stop having children they can’t afford to feed, raise or care for in the first place. My irony meter just spiked off the charts. > [@](#): > > [From the Christian Science Monitor](http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1105/p07s02-woaf.html) > > Just over a year ago, these rooms were packed with women, mostly poor and from the surrounding slums, who came for low-cost contraception, prenatal care, and general reproductive health services. > > But funding for family planning has been drying up. Groups are starting to feel the effects of Bush administration regulations that ban aid to those who perform or advocate abortion. At the same time, the battle against HIV/AIDS - which includes prevention as well as issues like AIDS orphans - has taken precedence over more general family planning. And because the two efforts are not integrated, family clinics are finding they’re losing ground. Interesting typographical error, BTW. “Fuctioning brain” indeed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schiavo-what-are-the-ironies/296389.md?page=2)