Celtic_Angel

Okay I see from another thread that you're all familiar with this case, well lets step back a minute and instead of looking at Terri's unfortunate situation lets look at the bigger picture...how do you feel about the Senate..nay the President of the United States coming into your home and interfering...passing a law to do what he thinks is right, regardless of your own or your loved ones wishes?

a feud between families is one thing but U.S Government intervention is another...how do you feel about this?

AmerLisa

I don't believe its that simple....yes or no you're for it or not. I know that others will disagree, but I truly feel something had to be done for this case. Should it be done on a regular basis, well no. Does it have to be black and white in this circumstance....I don't know.....

doctor scrumpy

Sadly it is a quality of life issue & how much quality of life does the poor woman have ?

tony126

My problem with this and based on what I have read is that I cannot understand why the husband has not allowed any therapy therefore I cannot accept that their would be no improvement in the quality of life.
Secondly if he is such a caring person who has made another life with someone else (I am not passing judgement on that as it is his life) then if it was me I would make sure all the medical and other bills were paid up from the settlement and then let, as requested by them, her parents care for her for the rest of her life.
I am just not satisfied that all has been done that could have been done and if it has taken the Federal Government to get involved then so be it.

Pimpbot

If the parents can look after her on their dime, then good for them. If however this is costing the taxpayers money to keep a women alive who will never recover from her terrible brain injuries, then it's time to pull the plug so to speak.

UJ_99

I wonder how much the special congressional session cost us all? I'm sure all kinds of clerks, secretaries etc had to be called in for Congress to vote on this....

Yorkieabroad

From what I heard the legislation only applies to this particular case. I would have thought there were enough problems elsewhere in the world to keep the 'most powerful man in the world' fully occupied.....sounds like micromanagement on a grand scale!!

UJ_99

But it is not up to the parents, it is up to the husband. And as for whether all that has been done has been, 20 local and state judges AND the Supreme Court has looked at the evidence. For that reason alone, Congress and the President (and previously Gov Bush) should not interfere.

ABC news uncovered a memo from GOP HQ telling Repubs to use this for political leverage for midterm elections.

Finally, if this is what Congress is prepared to do, what about this case?
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/3084934

The laws being used in this case were passed by Bush during his tenure as Gov, permitting hospitals to yank feeding tubes from patients with no hope of improvement, or of paying their bills.

doctor scrumpy

Sadly it is hard to look at this from a cold & rational stance, yes I think she should be allowed to die, but would I remove the feeding tube from the Memsahib, that is one descision I would never want to have to make.

Bob

Not to be completely cold and heartless here...but isn't it a major waste of tax money for bush to get involved when there is so much else that will affect far more people that could do with the time and money, like healthcare reform and the iraq situation?

tony126

When there is no where else to go what would you do? No matter where you are you take to the highest level you can for a decision whether it is the Supreme Court or the Hague or whatever applies. As I said I am not confident in my own mind that evrything possible has been done for her. Why refuse her therapy in any form? The following is another point of view on this subject.

http://www.nationalreview.com/comme...00503160848.asp

UJ_99

That is the point - the Supreme Court has already weighed in on this. Congress has no right to be involving itself in this. As a taxpayer I'm pissed - they can convene hearings over Janet Jacksons boob, Steroids in Baseball and now this, but can't balance the budget or even attempt to tackle the deficit!! Congress should have enough to do.

Plus, why this case, and not the one I linked to? As Barney Frank said, is Congress now going to have to consider ALL similar cases? That is what we have a judiciary for.

BTW - could you repost that link, as it doesn't work.

tony126

Sorry about the thread try this one
http://www.nationalreview.com/commen...0503160848.asp

Iginla

Correct me if I'm wrong but in many cases after extensive therapy (OT, physio, etc.) if the patient shows no sign of responding to the therapy then the therapists make a decision that the individual is unrehabable (sp?) and are discontinued from further therapy in order to free up time for others.

The guidelines influencing this decision, I have no idea.

tony126

Neither do I. This is the point I am trying to make. Why has the husband refused any therapy.