The case of Terri Schiavo

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Ryan Albright

Well if you live anywhere in Florida or just been listening to the news for the past two years i am sure you have heard the situation of Terri schiavo. If not here is a news article News Article .

Here is a Brief summary.
About 15 years ago Terri suffered a heart attack and has been in a vegetative state since then. Her Husband wants the hospice to pull the feeding tubes and let her die, Claiming this is her wish. Meanwhile her parents are fighting to keep the tubes in, hoping that one day she will pull out of it. There has been many appeals to state and supreme court. The tubes have been pulled out twice already and the second time Governor Bush stepped in and said put it back in. They have passed laws that have left the feeding tubes in, but later was declared unconstitutional. They have pulled the tubes again as of Friday March 18 at 1:45 pm. The doctors say it will take about two weeks for her to die.

Now my question is to you, who has the right to make the decision, the parents or the husband? Is starving someone to death by pulling there tubes humane or even lawful?

Hear are some facts to play into this case to.
The husband has since found another girlfriend of a couple years, but cannot marry her because he is by law still married to Terri and he doesn't want to go through a divorce

In 2001 the parents were banned from seeing their daughter because they illegally snuck a camera into her room to tape her and show she responds to voice and touch.

There is nothing written by Terri to anyone to say if this happened to her what to do, its all what the husband is saying from word of mouth.


Well here is my opinion.
This is a very difficult situation for both sides. I understand were both sides are coming from. The husband who cared for Terri and if she really did say this does have a point, but yet on the other hand the parents feel so much love for her and if she is really responding to touch and voice that she might have a chance. Now in the legal sense i think it would go to the husband since he is legally married to her, but yet being married to her you got to know her parents really well i would presume and if i was the husband and the parents wanted to keep my wife alive i would let them. I would never draw out a case this long its tiring and very frustrating for both sides. I think there is a little more going on to with his girlfriend. He has moved on in life and i think he is trying to take the easy way out. Say hypothetically if she pulled out of this and he was with another lady, what would happen? I think its very in humane to starve someone to death, even if she is in a vegetative state.

I would really like to know everyone's opinion about this. There was a big debate in my Criminal law class about this case and i been following it since 2003 and it looks like its coming to a end very soon.

It is a tough situation with no easy answer but I certainly know one easy answer: the GOP needs to butt out. It is none of their business and they have no right to intrude upon this private matter with their obnoxious legislation. That's what lawyers and courts are for.