Terry Schiavo Part 1: Background
The first time I heard the name Terri Schiavo was about a year ago. I sat and watched a news report on the sad story of a woman stuck in a vegetative state for nearly 14 years. Her husband and family had been by her side, all the while hoping beyond hope that she could recover. However, when the show I saw aired they were locked in a bitter struggle over the woman they all loved so much. The husband and friends believed that Terri wouldn't want to be kept alive by a machine; Whereas, the mother and father believed the opposite.
After watching the initial program, I remember being saddened at the events that were taking place around this woman. The people she loved were fighting over her very existence while she lay there, not being able to voice her own opinion or even acknowledge their presence. I remember thinking, "what would I want my family to do if I was in that situation?" However, the next day I had forgotten all about it and her. I had moved on to the next scandal deemed news worthy. Terri Schiavo and the very idea of her existence had slipped out of my mind. Now, one year later, it has been hard to go a day without seeing her name in bold print... Everywhere.
The woman who has now been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years is at the forefront of American and Canadian consciousness. Time after time, Mr. Schiavo has won his case to have Terri's feeding tube removed; and time after time, it has been followed by appeals from Terri's parents. The story has gotten even bigger because the US Congress stepped in to try and overturn the courts rulings. In fact the head US Monkey.. errr. President GWB even mentioned her in a National address. In my not so humble opinion, this has gotten completely out of hand.
Approximately 6 days ago, Terri's husband won his battle to have the feeding tube that has been keeping Terri alive removed. As of Thursday night the Courts have upheld the decision and ruled not to re-insert her feeding tube. They stated that, consistently, Terri's parents have failed to provide proof that she has any chance at recovery and that these were not her wishes.
There is no denying the tragedy of this case and the gargantuan impact that this will have on the law itself. So tomorrow I'll post Part 2: How I feel About It... Its a doosy
After watching the initial program, I remember being saddened at the events that were taking place around this woman. The people she loved were fighting over her very existence while she lay there, not being able to voice her own opinion or even acknowledge their presence. I remember thinking, "what would I want my family to do if I was in that situation?" However, the next day I had forgotten all about it and her. I had moved on to the next scandal deemed news worthy. Terri Schiavo and the very idea of her existence had slipped out of my mind. Now, one year later, it has been hard to go a day without seeing her name in bold print... Everywhere.
The woman who has now been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years is at the forefront of American and Canadian consciousness. Time after time, Mr. Schiavo has won his case to have Terri's feeding tube removed; and time after time, it has been followed by appeals from Terri's parents. The story has gotten even bigger because the US Congress stepped in to try and overturn the courts rulings. In fact the head US Monkey.. errr. President GWB even mentioned her in a National address. In my not so humble opinion, this has gotten completely out of hand.
Approximately 6 days ago, Terri's husband won his battle to have the feeding tube that has been keeping Terri alive removed. As of Thursday night the Courts have upheld the decision and ruled not to re-insert her feeding tube. They stated that, consistently, Terri's parents have failed to provide proof that she has any chance at recovery and that these were not her wishes.
There is no denying the tragedy of this case and the gargantuan impact that this will have on the law itself. So tomorrow I'll post Part 2: How I feel About It... Its a doosy
posted by Geoff at 2:24 AM
1 Comments:
I'm very much intrigued as to what part 2 will entail. I've got my ideas on this case, so i'm curious to see how they compare.
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