(Florida) House, Senate to consider legislation for brain-damaged woman

[ryban]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Lawmakers proposed a measure Monday that would block doctors from denying food or water to someone in a persistent vegetative state with the intention of causing death, setting the stage to prevent the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube on Friday.

The bills, if put on an expedited path, could come up for final votes in the House and Senate as early as Thursday.

Schiavo, 41, is severely brain damaged and has been at the center of a long and bitter court battle between her parents and her husband, who wants to remove her feeding tube so she can die. A judge has cleared the way for her feeding tube to be removed at 1 p.m. Friday.

The new measure, which the House Judiciary Committee was considering Monday, would make exceptions for living wills and some other advance directives.

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http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/031405/D88QVNRG2.shtml

[Pithlet]

1. This is insane!

Those of you who would not want to live in a vegetative state should be very scared. It is no longer up to us what we want to happen to us. It no longer matters what our next of kin says we wanted. If total strangers think they know what is better for you, then you can forget it.

[whistle]

2. Political exploitation, cradle to grave and beyond....

[Liberal Veteran]

3. So basically, they are saying that next-of-kin have no rights?

What about the so-called "sanctity of marriage"?

[Pithlet]

5. Apparently not.

These are issues between a person, their legal next of kin, and their doctor. Law makers have no right to butt in, here.

[uppityperson]

4. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get your living will and advance directive set up now.

[Pithlet]

6. Soon, even that won't matter.

Apparently the opinions of advocavy groups and the opinions of people they dupe into siding with them matter more than a spouse or partner.

[HockeyMom]

7. They can challenge Living Wills

Get a Health Proxy/Power of Attorney.

[LiberalFighter]

15. Can my living will and directive also include...

the order to kill every one of these idiots????

[Tempest]

8. Another law for the courts to strike down

One judge has already stopped Jebbie's administration from preventing the removal of the feeding tube because it was politically based.

This will be another one.

[Tempest]

9. God says Terri is already dead, let her go

She can't breath on her own, nor can she eat on her own. Man's machines are keeping her from Me.

It's time to let her come home.

[Crazy8s]

13. She CAN breath on her own

but being able to breath does not an intact person make. This poor woman has the lights on, but no one is any longer at home. One of the CNAs who has cared for her in the past is a member of my husband's race walking group. She says that Terri is brain-damaged beyond repair. She does not speak, as the parents contend, and her eye contact is random. Government has no business interfering in this, but of course, that isn't going to stop if from trying.

I also find it interesting that we see nothing about the protests following Bush* on his Social Security campaign, but every nite the news is covering the protesters who favor 'saving' Terri's miserable existence of a life.

[LiberalFighter]

16. Florida legislature supercedes God

[yellowcanine]

10. Didn't they already try this?

[LisaL]

11. This is a much more broad law.

[moobu2]

12. Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature

wants to force families to pay for keeping cognitively brain dead bodies alive for decades, can you imagine the financial and emotional costs? Would anyone want to ruin their family's entire lives like this, if you were to suffer complete cerebral death, but they decided they could keep your heart beating with a feeding tube? I couldnt imagine doing that to my children...

[Walt Starr]

14. This shows that this this thing is nearly over

They tried it once already and it didn't fly then.

[LisaL]

17. All they have to do is to pass it by the 18th.

It would take years to get it overturned. In the meantime, Terri will stay on the feeding tube. Last time it might have not flown, but it got the tube put back in. So, I doubt this thing is nearly over.

[annarbor]

18. Can the husband move her to another state?

I've been wondering why he hasn't considered having her medically transported to another state where the courts and legislature aren't as intrusive. Anyone know if that's at all possible?

Ann Arbor

[LisaL]

21. I doubt it.

[dback]

19. I wanna see Florida care this much about kids in its foster care system

According to an excellent documentary I saw last week called "We Are Dad," Florida has the most mis-managed, corrupt and idiotic child-"protection" system in the country. Yet all of this effort and hoo-ha is being exerted over a woman who, for all intents and purposes, is brain-dead, and her husband apparently no longer has any legal say over her health and well-being.

The GOP motto: "We love you just before you exit the womb or enter the White Light--everything in between, you're on your own."

[VegasWolf]

20. So damn glad that I don't live in Florida anymore! Too many rednecks! n/t

[ldf]

22. ditto

the best thing i ever did was leave that hellhole.

some floridians fight it, but most vote these sickos into office. you make the bed you sleep in.

[leesa]

23. I wish the Florida house and senate would investigate why Jebbie

put Florida under marshall law prior to 9-11 and why he flew all the records from the flight school where the alleged terrorists trained.

[burrowowl]

24. Give her water

withdraw the food will take a bit longer.
All these people who proclaim god's natural law, believe in creationalism, etc. Are relying on 'unnatural technology' to keep someone alive who less than a century ago would have been dead a long time.
Having witnesed some loved ones and still witnessing a dear friend death ralling for days .... I'm askance, all were lucid for a week or so before ... but to see them fight with their last strenght the oxygen tube, mucus cleaning, pulling out the feed tubes, suffering trying to find a vein that has long collapsed, their muscles draw them up in the fetal position, etc.
The friend 96 year old friend's daughter said I want to go like your mother, who died quickly and not like my mother or your father. Me too. I've got a living will.
ASK WHO PROFITS!?

EDIT TO ADD: Do you think the same 'care' is provided to paupers or those without insurance, hell even if they are viable, they are left to die.