Bush signs emergency law to preempt state courts ref Terry Schiavo

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I wonder why you're one of the few to realize the moral argument is a losing one for the euthanization crowd...

Only if you completely ignore the facts, Drakey, which you've been quite adept at doing.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

though I was hoping to find out exactly why she collapsed.

I don't think they know for sure.

Yes, they do know for sure. She had a heart attack resulting from a potassium imbalance due to her diet. No blood was pumping for five minutes, which pretty much meant her frontal cortex died of oxygen depreivation.

As for the condition of her brain, I would be more inclined to believe Michael Schiavo's experts if they would actually do a modern brain scan on the woman. Her last scan was a CAT scan in 1996, which is not nearly as accurate as modern PET or MRI scans. I can't think of any good reason why they haven't done such a scan, which makes me suspicious.

I have to say that this is an incredibly specious argument. A CAT scan is perfectly good at showing what's missing. If you saw a person was an amputee, would you insist that they get an MRI to make sure, since your eyes aren't as modern as an MRI? Sure, an MRI would show more detail, but what you fail to understand is that the area in question doesn't exist to have detail shown. It's not like a CAT scan is going to show an area of the brain as not existing if it' there.

Why you couldn't figure this out on your own is beyond me. I thought you wre supposed to be smart.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm not the one implying that interpreting brain scans is as easy as noticing whether a person is missing a limb or not...

[chequita guevara]

Have you ever seen a brain scan, Drake? It's pretty easy to determine if the brain in question is missing. A CAT scan isn't going to mess that up, and an MRI will provide no more detail on something that isn't there. It can only provide more detail on what is there.

What do you expect? For them to put her through the MRI and suddenly discover that her frontal cortex really is there?

[Drake Tungsten]

Have you ever seen a brain scan, Drake?

I was looking at Terri Schiavo's CAT scan today. Wasn't easy to interpret at all. I'm no expert, but she seemed to have more damage to her midbrain than to her frontal cortex. Hard to determine what section of a three dimensional brain is damaged based of a two-dimensional CAT scan, though.

[Alexander's Horse]

The fact people with no medical training are trying to analyse brain scans really sums up this whole tragic farce.

[DinoDoc]

Is it really true that she's never had a PET scan?

[Drake Tungsten]

The fact people with no medical training are trying to analyse brain scans really sums up this whole tragic farce.

I never really tried to analyze it; just looked at it for curiosity's sake. I know I don't have the training to understand what I'm seeing, which is why I find che's claim that brain scans are as easy to understand as a look at an amputee to be laughable...

Is it really true that she's never had a PET scan?

Looks like it.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Is it really true that she's never had a PET scan?

Looks like it.

From what I understand a PET scan or even an MRI would give a clearer picture of the damage the brain has sustained than a CAT scan in this case. That seems strange that such tests would not be done when deciding matters of life and death.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by SpencerH
Its pretty clear that it's a piece of rubbish and will be tossed as soon as it's challenged.

The law was designed to be found unconstitutional. That way it will rile the religious right while it won't p!ss off everyone else so badly that they'll remember by the next election.

[Drake Tungsten]

From what I understand a PET scan or even an MRI would give a clearer picture of the damage the brain has sustained than a CAT scan in this case. That seems strange that such tests would not be done when deciding matters of life and death.

Doesn't seem so strange if you believe the allegations that Michael Schiavo has done next to nothing to diagnose and treat his wife's condition since around 1992. I wish the facts were clear on this issue, but my gut instinct is telling me that something untoward has been going on here. How good could her care possibly have been if she hasn't even had an MRI?

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Part of a package. Dems have successfully outmaneuvered the GOP on Social Security and the budget so far....

I don't think that puting your fingers in your ears and singing La La La loudly rises to the level of outmaneuvering. In fact I think that the Dems attempts to sabotage even a discussion about Soc. Sec. was hurting them. Now the Repubs have managed to do something stupid enought to put them in an even more unfavorable light as it hides the Dems own embarrassment by sucking away all of the media oxygen from the SS issue.

[ixnay]

SMACKDOWN IN FEDERAL COURT

Posted on Tue, Mar. 22, 2005

Judge won't order feeding tube reinsertion

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. - A federal judge on Tuesday refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, denying an emergency request from the brain-damaged woman's parents.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Whittemore comes after feverish action by President Bush and Congress on legislation allowing her contentious case to be reviewed by federal courts.

The judge said the 41-year-old woman's parents had not established a "substantial likelihood of success" at trial on the merits of their arguments.

The tube was disconnected Friday on the orders of a state judge, prompting an extraordinary weekend effort by congressional Republicans to push through unprecedented emergency legislation early Monday aimed at keeping her alive.

Schiavo did not have a living will. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has fought in courts for years to have the tube removed because he said she would not want to be kept alive artificially and she has no hope for recovery. Her parents contend she responds to them and her condition could improve.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/11195326.htm

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Uncle Sparky
Since I'm too lazy to read the last 8 pages, could one of the Christians here explain why the Christian right wants to keep her from going to heaven ?

She didn't buy the right Bible, or donate enough to the right televangelist's crystal cathedral fund.


I think they should just legislate to retroactively declare the Schiavo's marriage a 'gay marriage' and therefore invalid.

That would still keep up their support amongst the fundy right, whilst allowing them to pretend they even give a flying sh*t about the supposed sanctity of heterosexual marriage.

[alva]

SMACKDOWN IN FEDERAL COURT