Terry Shiavo: Right to live, or right to die?

[LyricGirl]

There is a lot of conversation going on about Terry and whether she has the right to live or die. My thing is, I see her with her family, and she smiles, and she seems happy. If she was on a machine that created artificial breath, or heart beats, I would say...let her go. But if the only thing she needs help with is EATING, sorry for the typo...it just seems so cruel to let her die. What do you think?

[Sway]

I don't watch any of the news (I'm just against it, and I won't go into it, watch 'bowling for columbine' and you'll understand) but I've heard bits and pieces about it. I think that if she is in the state she's in, she should go. She's just suffering.

[Eternally]

i agree with sway.. i think she is going through enough pain and suffering... This story reminds me of the controversial ending of Million Dollar Baby..sorry if i sorta spoiled it..but its all about whether or not a person going through that much pain has the right to die or the right to live miserably...

[Pie]

I'm not really sure what to say...

It is cruel, in my opinion, to let her starve to death by removing her feeding tube.

On the other hand, I think her family is just having a hard time letting go. They may just be keeping her alive for their own sake...


*shrug*

[tetaelzbieta]

I absolutely believe that her family is keeping her alive just because they can't accept her loss. It's selfish and wrong. Let the woman go. From what her husband has said, she'd expressed several times that she wouldn't want to be kept alive were she in that kind of condition. I don't understand why anyone would want to live like that, with no awareness and no hope of ever getting well.

[dreamcatcher]

How long has she been the way she is? Hasn't it been many years? If I were in that situation, I would want to die. I watched my grandfather suffer for years with cancer, and as painful as it was for him, it was also painful for me to watch. At a certain point, I think it's time to go, as horrible as it will be for the family to see happen. I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I've been following this story for awhile too, and I can't help but imagine what Terry's thinking (if she is able to think at all... do we know how much she is really comprehending about what's going on around her or what's happened to her?).

[Sway]

I absolutely believe that her family is keeping her alive just because they can't accept her loss. It's selfish and wrong. Let the woman go. From what her husband has said, she'd expressed several times that she wouldn't want to be kept alive were she in that kind of condition. I don't understand why anyone would want to live like that, with no awareness and no hope of ever getting well.
I couldn't have said it better myself. It is especially wrong that they are starving her?? That's ridiculous.

[Pie]

I just wish there was a better way to do it, instead of letting her starve :(

[slackerwink]

I'm not really sure what to say...

It is cruel, in my opinion, to let her starve to death by removing her feeding tube.

On the other hand, I think her family is just having a hard time letting go. They may just be keeping her alive for their own sake...


*shrug*

She's brain-dead, and the part of her brain responsible for her consciousness, her sense of pain, is not there anymore. If the feeding tube were to be removed, she wouldn't feel the pain at all, nor have the consciousness for that. They usually put in plenty of morphine in case the person feels the pain, and I'm sure they would apply it to Terri also.

For an interesting site that explains everything about her condition, and the case, go to:

http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/infopage.html

Alot of the myths surrounding the case are debunked at that site.

[lunakasha]

The poor woman is in a permanent vegetative state and several doctors have examined her and determined that she has zero chance of recovery....the good news is, she cannot feel pain, so at least she is not suffering from being deprived of food and water.

I think it is cruel to let her suffer, and she made it clear to her husband what her wishes were....I have a lot of respect for him because he has been fighting for HER RIGHTS for years when it would have been easier for him to walk away and let her parents make decisions for her.

I realize that her parents love her and don't want to let go BUT what they are doing is selfish and wrong in my opinion. They need to love her enough to let her go....respect her desire to die with dignity.

This case is very upsetting to me, not only because of what Terry and her husband are going through, but because the federal government is getting involved in private matters that they have no business interfering with. Our personal values and constitutional rights are what is at stake here....we need to be very concerned (as Americans).

If anything positive comes out of this case, I am hoping it will make people more aware of the need to enact a living will, no matter how young the person is. Terry was only 30 when this happened, so it probably never occured to her to have her wishes in writing.

Hopefully, this nightmare will be over soon and Terry will be at peace.

[dreamcatcher]

perfectly stated, luna. I agree with everything you just said.

[honeyrabbit321]

i'll go happly if i saw the endling of lost and detective conan

[lunakasha]

perfectly stated, luna. I agree with everything you just said.

Thanks, dreamcatcher....

I have been following this case very closely, almost obsessively, over the past few days, and I feel very strongly about what has been allowed to happen to Terry over the years. It just isn't right....the parents filing appeal after appeal, and for what purpose??? They may think they are doing the right thing, but if they really love their daughter that much, they should respect her wishes and let her go.

I read in a recent poll that over 80% of those surveyed stated that they would not want to be kept alive if they were in a permanent vegetative state, as Terry is....

I am with the majority on this one....I would not want to be kept alive with a feeding tube, unable to communicate and with absolutely no cognitive functioning or awareness of my environment. This should be a personal choice for each individual, but the only way to guarantee that one has the right to die is to make out a living will.

[Sway]

Once again, Luna, I fully agree with you!

[Whit]

It's hard to say I mean I see reasons to keep for alive but also reasons why they should let her go. If you were her parents, what would you do? It would be really hard to just watch your child die, but also to watch her everyday in such a state that she is in. Very difficult decision. :(

[lunakasha]

Once again, Luna, I fully agree with you!

Thanks (((Sway)))....tis a very emotional issue for me (in case you couldn't tell LOL) so I appreciate the kind words. :)

[SuperKC]

Again I have to agree with Luna.

I think what her parents are doing is terribly wrong and the fact that her husband has not been allowed to carry out her wishes all of these years is very disturbing to me. Yes, as an American I am very concerned at the trend of the government putting their hands all over personal issues such as this. This is his decision - plain and simple.

As if I needed another reason to dislike the Bush's, Jeb's trying to interfere now. Ugh. Let the poor woman rest already.

[firefly0124]

I am torn in this case. I beleive she has the right to die if that was her wish. However, it's not like taking a person off of life support, when they might live another hour. This poor woman may live three or more weeks!! All I do know, is that I pray she feels no pain, and that her family accepts that after letting her go 7 days, it's most likely too late to turn back now. If one of my children were in her situation I don't know what I woud do.

[LAURA4LAD]

I think it is nobody's business except her husband. When two people marry, the husband or wife becomes their legal guardian. I'll just leave it at that.

[Adelheid]

IMO, I think she has no reason to live. If she's brain damaged and can barely do anything, what's the point? It's like, having a broken, run down, useless car and still keeping it in the driveway, you know?

[Hankster]

This is a complicated issue. In Europe, doctors have some permission to euthanize patients whom they think might "suffer in a coma/vegetative state" for too long AS LONG AS THERE IS NO LIVING WILL. However, A LOT of European Doctors--especially in the Netherlands--were TOO LIBERAL in euthanizing patients to the point that a number of people starting carrying "Don't Kill me" cards and Medic-Alert bracelets saying the same thing in the event they had to go into the hospital where there was this kind of risk. UGH!!!

This is the reason why I have a living will established which states if I am ever in such a state and there is a VERY LOW PROBABILITY of my recovery that I would want to be euthanized. However, if there is some REASONABLE PROBABILITY of my recovery, I DO NOT WANT TO BE EUTHANIZED. If Ms. Schiavo had done this, there wouldn't be this big issue over this whole thing. Now her husband wants her to die while her parents don't and it's turned into a huge fiascoe. Based upon the medical data, I think she should be allowed to die in peace, so I agree with her husband on this one, though it's a tough all.

[DawnMarie]

I was sad when I heard she died this morning. Or... yesterday morning, rather.

I was hoping she'd get the tube reinserted, but... I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Now I'm just hoping that Michael lets her family bury their daughter. I can't believe he's insisting on cremating her, when it's obvious her family need to have her buried... so they can visit her and stuff. It's just... confusing, to me.

[Pie]

I'm just glad that she doesn't have to suffer anymore :(

[SpiderWebz]

I think they should have waited to pull out the feeding tube until they took new tests on her. The ones they were going by were 10 years old.

At one point, she was making major improvement and then suddenly her husband made them stop giving her rehabilitation (from what I've heard). And with no rehabilitation...there's no chance for improvement.
A lot of experts have said that she was NOT in a vegetative state. From the clips shown (IMO) I don't see how she could have been. She absolutely lit up for her Mother.

One story from her Mom went that Terri had a lazy eye, and her Mom was there in the hospital telling someone about how Terri used to make her one eye wander way over and gross her Mom out (my words, not her Mom's), and she would say: "Oh Terri don't do that!!!' And when she said that, Terri started giggling. (She KNEW what her mom was talking about. lol)
She was a beautiful human being, and I am very sad that she passed.
It's sad that she had no life threatening illness or disease and would have lived, if they hadn't removed the feeding tube.

I feel like they didn't think that she was deserving to live just because she was handicapped, or not up to par. (which may have been the case. But she may have improved somewhat with rehab...and yes..I do believe in miracles. But now I guess we'll never know
:((( ).
Her husband has a fiancee and two children. He moved on with his life and should have given her parents and siblings the power of attorney. [I would dance for joy if it ever became the law]They obviously didn't move on in their lives and still wanted to take care of her. Maybe she became a burden to her husband, but if she had family that DIDN'T consider her a burden, shouldn't she have been allowed to live....and get new tests done, and get back on rehabilation?

Her husband is so spiteful that he wouldn't let the parents or siblings in to see her as she died. Now he wants to have her cremated and taken to Philly to be placed with his family plot. Maybe I'm wrong, but he just seems like a mean, spiteful man. I'll probably be struck with lightning for thinking that. But I'm sorry that's the way I feel about him.

[Tao]

Wow. I can't believe anyone is saying she should die. Did you guys know that she only had the feeding tube to help her swallow? She was not on ANY machines. She was perfectly capable of living, she just couldn't eat on her own!

Did you know she was very well aware of what was going on? That people who have gone to see her have seen her look and act much better than most in that state? Did you know that while she has her bad days, most well-educated people believe she shouldn't have had her feeding tube pulled? Did you know that people worse off than her has survived and snapped out of this state?

Did you know that when she was first admitted to the hospital, that her husband said she had a heart attack, but she had several broken bones that wouldn't have caused that? Did you know that this guy ended up having a family and now suddenly "remembered" what Terry wanted?

Bottom line is, not enough people are informed about what was really going on. Sadly I thought the same way, but then I learned everything from people who have actually been in her room and from news places that will actually tell you the truth.

[SpiderWebz]

Did you guys know that she only had the feeding tube to help her swallow? She was not on ANY machines. She was perfectly capable of living, she just couldn't eat on her own!

She was eating on her own at one point. The nurses were feeding her jello (maybe even pudding,I think) and giving her liquids. But her husband found out and made them stop.


Did you know that people worse off than her has survived and snapped out of this state?

She was reported to, at one point, been able to sit up, and slide over to the edge of the bed to try and sit on the bed pan. But, once again... Mr Shiavo put an end to that and ordered that her rehab be stopped. :mad:


Did you know that when she was first admitted to the hospital, that her husband said she had a heart attack, but she had several broken bones that wouldn't have caused that? Did you know that this guy ended up having a family and now suddenly "remembered" what Terry wanted?

Yeah, her friends that worked with her said that she always had bruises on her.
And they said that Terri was going to divorce him.

Oh, and about the sudden memory thing. He was suing for malpractice and said that he needed as much $$ as possible to help pay for Terri's medical expenses (which has been said that HE was using the $$ for himself. [Maybe that's why he didn't want her to have rehab...more $$$ for himself...and his new family].

Anyway, my point is, while he was fighting to win the lawsuit, he wanted her to live and no thought what-so-ever about killing her by starvation.
But once he got the $$$ [and now that it's running out] he suddenly remembers, and wanted to "abide by Terri's wishes".


Bottom line is, not enough people are informed about what was really going on. Sadly I thought the same way, but then I learned everything from people who have actually been in her room and from news places that will actually tell you the truth.

I've followed this the whole way through. I guess in the back of my head I was praying that someone would come in and take her out of there (JOHN Q, WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU???!!!), and get the tests done,and at least give Terri a chance.
I felt so bad when I heard that she had passed, and bitter when I heard that he denied her family the right to be there at the very end for Terri. (Petty, petty man). It was bad enough that he told them when they could, or couldn't visit her before...but as she lay there dying....what is wrong with this man?????
I guess being single isn't such a bad thing.I hope I never get tangled up with a creep like that. I'm going to make out a living will letting my Mom or siblings have the say so when my time comes, because I know no matter what the circumstances, I can count on them to have my best interests in mind.
(But then again, I'm sure the courts would make sure my future husband over-ruled my written wishes.)

I just can't understand how some people WANT to have their feeding tube out, and the courts refuse to do it. But in a case like this with her family begging them not to, and with all of the questions on if she is actually (WAS :( ) actually aware of her surroundings, and the questions about the husband's abuse of her,
why couldn't they have looked into it better first??? :( :( :(

[Nikiwi]

I put "Don't know" cause I didn't know all this stuff. But after reading your posts, I definitely think she should have been allowed to live. And the way they wanted to kill her - without nourishment - that's just terrible. Starving her to death? "Oh, we're not killing her. We're just letting her die. There's a difference." Ugh! And her husband...creep. Somehow, I think all this would have turned out differently without him getting in the way. How can someone be so selfish to stop their own wife's treatment and rehab just for more money?! That's just wrong and cold. Sorry, I greatly value human life, and I don't think anyone should just be left to die unless there is absolutely NO hope whatsoever for them. She would've had a chance, and they should have given it to her.

[Razor]

Per the information I've read from what I consider to be reliable, verifiable, and knowledgable sources (as opposed to "interested parties with agendas" and smear campaigns) - I'm glad she was allowed to die.

[Lostsbiggestfan]

Its very sad that her poor parents cant even bury there own daughter the husband has already moved on he should stay out of it and at least let the parents do one last thing for there daughter I think it was wrong that they made her starve to death nobody should have to go like that.

[Adelheid]

It might sound weird, but I think it was more humane to let her die than to keep her alive. It's like they put her out of her misery. She could barely do anything, what the point? My analogy -(I think I've already said this but I want to say it again) It's like having a broken, uselss, run-down car that you can't drive, but you still keep it in the garage.

[Nikiwi]

Well, she was making improvements until her husband started this whole thing. She could even sit up on her own until her husband made them stop the rehab. So, it's like having a run-down car that's being repaired, but making the repairs stop and totaling it.

[nsmith12916]

I was really upset when i learned that she died. I think that she could have made it. you know, gotten better!

I cant belive her ex-husband (noW) wouldn't let her parents in while she died. That reallty ticked me off.

I really think that she should have lived.

YET MAY TERRY SCHIAVO REST IN PEACE!

AND MAY HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS LIVE AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER!

[Tao]

It's more humane to starve to death than to live? Even if it's not fully a good life, it's better to live a half life than it is to starve to death!

Per the information I've read from what I consider to be reliable, verifiable, and knowledgable sources (as opposed to "interested parties with agendas" and smear campaigns) - I'm glad she was allowed to die.

Really? Because I have reliable information too and Terry Shiavo was doing quite well until her husband interfered again. Bastard. Why didn't he just divorce her? He had a new family, a wife and kids... why not just allow her parents to take care of her? I'll tell you why... he didn't want to share the money. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if he hadn't been trying to kill her... because he certainly stopped a lot of positive improvements.

And I hate her husband even more now. He wouldn't even let her parents be there when she died. My God, what kind of person does that?

[SpiderWebz]

It might sound weird, but I think it was more humane to let her die than to keep her alive. It's like they put her out of her misery. She could barely do anything, what the point? My analogy -(I think I've already said this but I want to say it again) It's like having a broken, uselss, run-down car that you can't drive, but you still keep it in the garage.

That's kind of a cold analogy. "broken down, useless run-down car". Boy, I wouldn't want to become handicapped and be in your charge. That's kind of cruel to say.
Just because she couldn't do things other people could (and who's to say some improvement couldn't happen with rehabilatation) doesn't mean that she deserved to die. I can't believe a human life is being compared to a car?????WTF???

[tetaelzbieta]

How could she possibly have gotten better? Her brain had atrophied. There was absolutely nothing there. What looks like smiling and her moving her head were just automatic reactions. She couldn't communicate or feel or improve.

Also, as I've been telling people- her starving to death wasn't a cruel way to go. She can't feel anything. In fact, her receiving nutrients was probably actually doing more harm because her body was getting nutrients and her braind didn't know what to do with them because it didn't work.

As her husband, he's got the say in things. That's what happens when you get married. She had told him that she wouldn't want to be kept alive when in a vegetative state and he was respecting her wishes.

[Tao]

As her husband, he's got the say in things. That's what happens when you get married. She had told him that she wouldn't want to be kept alive when in a vegetative state and he was respecting her wishes.

And it took him seven years to remember that. :rolleyes:

How could she possibly have gotten better? Her brain had atrophied. There was absolutely nothing there. What looks like smiling and her moving her head were just automatic reactions. She couldn't communicate or feel or improve.

I have it on good authority that she was a lot better than that. And also I think it was Dateline or some show like that who had people worse off than her pull through... so yeah, it happens.

Also, as I've been telling people- her starving to death wasn't a cruel way to go. She can't feel anything. In fact, her receiving nutrients was probably actually doing more harm because her body was getting nutrients and her braind didn't know what to do with them because it didn't work.

My grandmother was "starved" when she was dying. However it was explained to us... when you're dying your body refuses food and it's worse to give it to you. Terry lived for TWO weeks, which is the amount of time you would live without food or water. Obviously she needed it to survive. She was starved to death, plain and simple.

[tetaelzbieta]

Even if my information was inaccurate, and it could have been- I think that her husband waited so long because he did have hope that she'd improve. I guess the autopsy will prove just how much physical damage was done to her brain, but I do know that all her scans showed no activity.

I just can't understand why, after 15 years of no improvement, anyone would still want to be kept alive. And I know that she was starved to death, but she wasn't in pain, which seems to be the thing everyone is horrified by.

[Tao]

That's just the sad point... she didn't always need that feeding tube so she was able to live on her own. No brain activity, she'd have had to have that in constantly because her brain wouldn't have known better. She'd be hooked up to machines because the brain wouldn't know what she should be doing. She wasn't hooked up to anything, so she couldn't have been that worse off. She was able to function without any machine help, so her brain knew what to do.

[the filthy scene]

it's horrible the way all of this turned out; w/ all the media, the people who felt the need to try and turn it into a left wing right wing thing, and just the way her loved ones handled themselves.

her parents were wrong in being selfish. their daughter had been in her state for 15 years and was NOT recovering. when you want it bad enough, you can imagine a head move, any sign of life that maybe this person you loved is still there, concious. but she wasn't. she was a vegetable. it was her husbands decision as her legal guardian, not theirs. her husband was no saint either. a while back he stated that he would never let terry go. this was during a case that would grant him thousands to keep her alive. now, w/ a wife, kids, and in line to come into some serious money (that he was given for terri), he says that terri would not have wanted to live by artificial means. it's kinda sick to think about.

and then there is the media, turning this sad story into a democrat vs. republican battle, brining in the church and even the president.

i think if terri were able to see this she would have been horrified.

as for whether i think she should have been kept alive or not, i think they should have pulled the feeding tube years ago.

[tetaelzbieta]

I don't know if I'd want to be kept alive for 15 years in a vegetative state, show no improvement, and be made into a joke by the media, politicians and my family on the off chance of a miracle.

[Tao]

Look, a good friend of mine sent me an e-mail from someone who went to see Terry and was expecting the worse and that the parents were just hoping. She said it was the complete opposite of what she thought. That Terry was actually very well, sitting up and stuff like that. I wish I had the e-mail still, but I know this to be reliable. Terry isn't as worse off as some people - especially the husband - would have you believe.

[lunakasha]

That's just the sad point... she didn't always need that feeding tube so she was able to live on her own. No brain activity, she'd have had to have that in constantly because her brain wouldn't have known better. She'd be hooked up to machines because the brain wouldn't know what she should be doing. She wasn't hooked up to anything, so she couldn't have been that worse off. She was able to function without any machine help, so her brain knew what to do.

The only brain functioning she had was in the brain stem, the part of the brain that controls the organs and keeps a person alive. So yes, she was able to breathe and her heart kept beating without artificial means.

But the majority of her brain functioning was gone....several doctors examined her and determined that, after 15 years, she was in a permanent vegetative state with no hope of recovery. Terri had no cognitive functioning, no ability to communicate, no awareness of her environment....which is a blessing since I am sure she would have been horrified by all the media attention.

People have differing opinions obviously, but I plan to have a living will drawn up ASAP so that this cannot happen to me or my family. It is very sad, no matter how you look at it.

[Tao]

Just out of curiousity... were these doctors from the husband? I seriously do not trust this guy, because I'm pretty sure there are conflicting stuff...

[Razor]

It's more humane to starve to death than to live? Even if it's not fully a good life, it's better to live a half life than it is to starve to death!



Really? Because I have reliable information too and Terry Shiavo was doing quite well until her husband interfered again. Bastard. Why didn't he just divorce her? He had a new family, a wife and kids... why not just allow her parents to take care of her? I'll tell you why... he didn't want to share the money. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if he hadn't been trying to kill her... because he certainly stopped a lot of positive improvements.

And I hate her husband even more now. He wouldn't even let her parents be there when she died. My God, what kind of person does that?

Please give me a link to your reliable information and perhaps I'll reconsider. Everything I've read from medical experts involved in her specific case say that brain function recovery was impossible short of her miraculously growing a new brain, because she no longer had what could be qualified as a brain. Given that, I do feel it was humane. Life ends with loss of brain function. There is no pain. It's a shame to me that she wasn't allowed to pass with at least some shred of dignity, rather than be plastered across the national media in a vegitative state.

I'm not looking for an argument here. I'm simply saying that I have yet to see any alleged reports of progress, or even the capability to improve, from any independant qualified sources. I would be, however, be willing to keep whats left of the mush between my ears open. If it's not supported facts, however, I will not consider them.

:tiphat:

[Tao]

It was in an e-mail from a lawyer, so I doubt you'd believe it. To each their own. We weren't there, so we don't know. We can only trust those we believe wouldn't lie.

[Razor]

You are correct. I wouldn't.

[tetaelzbieta]

Something I don't understand: why is Michael Schiavo a "bastard" because he has a new family? It's been 15 years- why isn't he allowed to move on? He can fight for Terri because he knew what she wanted and have another relationship, because his and Terri's was hardly a marriage.

[plumpudding]

The doctors said that Terry was completely unaware of her surroundings, so I think it was the right thing to let her die. If we've all been lied to and she was aware, somebody should be shot.
Think about this, though, what is the body without the soul, the consciousness, whatever you want to call it? Isn't it just a collection of molecules and cells? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to save that, wasting money and energy that could be used to save a premature baby or somebody who really had hope of recovery.

[Adelheid]

How could she possibly have gotten better? Her brain had atrophied. There was absolutely nothing there. What looks like smiling and her moving her head were just automatic reactions. She couldn't communicate or feel or improve.

Also, as I've been telling people- her starving to death wasn't a cruel way to go. She can't feel anything. In fact, her receiving nutrients was probably actually doing more harm because her body was getting nutrients and her braind didn't know what to do with them because it didn't work.

As her husband, he's got the say in things. That's what happens when you get married. She had told him that she wouldn't want to be kept alive when in a vegetative state and he was respecting her wishes.
BRAVO! I agree with every word.
And another thing, I've always wondered why this is such a big deal to the whole country. She's not the only person in the world that this kind of thing has happened to, but you don't see all of them on the news. What's so special about her? Not saying she's worthless and her life doesn't exist, but I don't understand why someone you've never even met or seen before in your life, only recently, can be so important. I don't really know how to explain it. I hope I don't come off the wrong way. I may seem like a hypocrite, but this is just my opinion.

[heaven_sent]

Yeah, she couldn't get any better. I believe they should've let her go a long time ago. I don't believe she would have benefitted being alive.

[lunakasha]

BRAVO! I agree with every word.
And another thing, I've always wondered why this is such a big deal to the whole country. She's not the only person in the world that this kind of thing has happened to, but you don't see all of them on the news. What's so special about her?

True....she is not the first person to be in this situation but I think her story and her life became less about Terri and more about politics and religious beliefs when it should have been a private, family matter. The media got involved, the government got involved and soon everyone across the country (and probably beyond) started talking and voicing their opinions.

I am sure this is the last thing Terri would have wanted (all the media attention and political feuding).

But if anything good comes from this, it is that a lot more people are realizing the importance of having a living will. And I commend Michael Schiavo for standing by Terri and carrying out her wishes....

[Adelheid]

True....she is not the first person to be in this situation but I think her story and her life became less about Terri and more about politics and religious beliefs when it should have been a private, family matter. The media got involved, the government got involved and soon everyone across the country (and probably beyond) started talking and voicing their opinions
Totally. I think it's a little intrusive that the whole government had to get involved in something so sensitive and something that you wouldn't want the whole world looking at 24/7. Hopefully this whole thing will blow over and we can forget about it. Personally, I'm getting sick of everyone talking about.

[lunakasha]

I agree, Sawyersgirl....now she can finally be at peace, and hopefully she did not die in vain if her situation made people realize the importance of having a living will....

It is not something I had ever considered, at my age....but now I am definitely going to do it.

:) Luna

[Eruaistaniel]

Something I don't understand: why is Michael Schiavo a "bastard" because he has a new family? It's been 15 years- why isn't he allowed to move on? He can fight for Terri because he knew what she wanted and have another relationship, because his and Terri's was hardly a marriage.

I could be wrong about this, but I heard something that he had the "other woman" before Terry's accident...but I could be wrong. It's been a long time.

So Terry died the other day, but I'll still say what I felt on the subject (I'll be talking like she hasn't died yet, btw). You guys are saying that she's suffering - how do you know that? Just because she's brain dead does not mean she's suffering. I've read about people who have been in situations like hers and they were not suffering. They wanted to live and they were living. Seriously, people say "Oh it's Terry's time to go" but if it really, truly was her time to go, she would have died on her own. She didn't need to be starved to death if she truly was already "dead." I don't know, the whole thing makes me sick. A person could be thrown in jail for starving a dog, yet a person can starve a human being and get off free and clear and also recieve money. Ugh.

[Adelheid]

You see, Eruaistaniel, not trying to justify myself or something, but she wasn't really alive. What's the point of being 'alive' if you can't do anything, say anything, feel anything. She was practically dead anyway.

[realityshowhater]

She was basically dead. She could breathe, she could blink, she could make small movements, she could not feel, she could not think, she could not do anything that could somehow substitute for a real life. She was not *really* alive before they took out the feeding tube.

[Adelheid]

She was not *really* alive before they took out the feeding tube.
Yep, exactly.

[Nikiwi]

Hmm...that might be true. Now I'm all conflicted! There are so many different stories, how do we know which ones are true? How do we know who to believe? I'm sure that if Terry had a choice, she wouldn't want herself displayed all over the news like this. Everyone making judgements about her and the people she loved when there are other people with the same condition - but more treatable - who all this trouble could make worth while.

[Razor]

The autopsy results are in ... HERE (http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/06/15/schiavo.autopsy.ap/index.html)

They'll still probably blame the husband (IMHO)... http://www.aimface.com/smiles/IKONff5cccdf234983d91b854db43433732fe570e10b7c.gif

[sawyer'sgirl]

i know a family with a little boy. who needs a feeding tube. can't talk. can't walk. can barely just move around. but he still responds to things. and its irreversable. but he can still breath on his own. does that mean he should stop being fed just because the quality of life isn't what he would want ect... i don't know i still think its a shame they ended her life. and especially be starvation. at least just give her something to die quickly. its against the law to inject someone. but starve them to death...nope thats okay. i'm sorry but i find something sooooo wrong with that. This autopsy does NOTHING for me. Her life was cut short and ended in a cruel and unnessisary way. *Whew i'm done with my ranting and raving*

[LovelyLight]

I think that if I was in her position I wouldn't want to have help being fed, going to the bathroom in a pan, blind and not having a full mind. I think she is much better off where she is now. The only thing I don't like is that she was starved to death. She could have gone ...a quicker way, you know? It sounds horrible, but I really think she is better off.