Ms. Gaffney,

How did you determine that Terri Schiavo is not exepriencing any pain and is drifting off in a state of euphoria? I don't believe that there is anyone alive today who could actually give witness to this. This is merely a theory advanced by the medical community to justify killing someone in this manner. Terri Schiavo has been in this condition for 15 years, and the costs of maintaining her has become expensive, so her husband and the Tampa medical community have decided that her life's value doesn't justify the expense; the legal community is now justifying it as she "expressed" her will not to live in this manner to her husband? This is truly a chilling trend in this country when we begin making life and death decisions from a life's value perspective. God help the disabled.

I'll withhold my opinion on whether it is right or wrong to remove Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube.

But I have to question Laura's statements about what Ms. Schiavo would feel. My question is: And you know this how, Laura?

Why does pain or lack of pain matter in this case? The state of Florida is allowing a brain-damaged human being to starve to death. I find it chilling.

Teddy Ballgame, You have no knowledge as to what the theory of the "advanced medical community" is or you would not be making such an uninformed statement. Our goal has always been to help those who suffer to either get better or die without suffering. I do not know if Laura is in the medical field or not but I am and am therefore qualified to speak of my experiences.

The stages of starvation have been studied as have most medical issues. Laura is correct in her written assessment as it is based on medical fact, not emotion.

This is not a matter of the medical community deciding anything about anyone. Michael Schiavo decided over eleven years ago to allow his wife to die, stating it would be her wish to die rather than exist in that kind of condition. It really is not any one else's concern to refute that as the laws of the land protect his right to make those decisions. And it doesn't make any difference how you, I or anyone else feels about it.

This has been ruled upon twenty-six times! Do you think all these judges have not studied the evidence before rendering a decision? Do you think they all just want Ms. Schiavo to die? Get real.

Her parents have helped make this into the media circus it is today just as they would never tell you she is not suffering. They want to incite the public to react as they are. Would I do the same in their situation? I don't think so but I know, without a doubt, I would have made every effort to take my child home and care for them instead of asking (indirectly) the American taxpayer to pay the cost.

An example of their tactics, after yet another appeal failed, was to make the preposterous claim Ms. Schiavo said she wanted to live. The reason I know it was a tactic is this: There are letters of the alphebet that require only the movement of the tongue. Other letters require the movement of the tongue and lips (mouth). And yet others require only the movement of the mouth. Have you ever tried to say "whaaaa"? I have not encountered one person who can say that without moving their mouth. In the video of Ms. Schiavo she is NOT moving anything, she is simply moaning. She would be doing this regardless of presence of anyone or not.

Yvonne, If you had a dog had a disease and could no longer do all the things healthy dogs do, would you let it live in the state it is in, have it put to sleep, or starve it?

ECUMAN, It would depend on whether the animal evidenced signs of pain or not, how old the dog is, what quality of life the dog has and my own ability to care for the dog.

So, in a nutshell, I can't give a definitive answer to your question. But if I came to the heart-wrenching decision to let my dog go, I sure as heck would not want the government or any other individual to question my right, integrity or decision.

Yvonne,

You really do seem to make a lot of wild statements that have no substaniation. I merely stated that there was no one alive that could give witness to what the writer stated was a fact; people who are starved and dehydrated feel no pain and are actually in a state of euphoria. Then, you jump in and state that I am uniformed. So, please tell me who the people are who have experienced this phenomenon. If you can't, then it is a theory of the medical community, in the absence of actual proof. You state that you are qualified to speak because of your medical experience, so tell us about your experience with starvation and dehydration and how did you survive to tell about it? I and others would like to know how you becqame an expert in this matter.

In answer to your question, yes, I think that Michael Shiavo, the hospice that has been housing her for years and the state court judge do want her to die. How could any right- thinking person come to any other conclusion as hard as they have fought to make this happen?

My point before was that when we arrive at the point in this country that we begin to decide whether a life is worth saving because of the expense, then we are truly on a slippery slope for the lame, the ill, and the disabled. So, what's a life worth these days? what's your and my life worth to someone else?

And, yes, there are times that you have to make a decision about the family dog as to whether it is time for them to go or not. That decision has to be based upon whether they have any decent prospects for the future or not and whether they are feeling any pain (Terri Schiavo wasn't). But, I would also say to you if the answer is no that they do not, the answer is euthenasia. Would you make that decision then deny the dog food and water for two weeks or more and watch them die? I guess the answer is that you would because it would be a euphoric death for the dog as they grasped, clawed and howled for life. Of course, the dog never actually signed a statement of their wish to die, but I am sure that they told you of that years before. Didn't they?

Please tell me the difference between brain damage and a vegetative state and why it is acceptable to starve and dehydrate a person in either state? Why is it so important to some that Terri Schiavo die? Why is it wrong to criticize a judge, who works on behalf of the people, for taking the side of a person who says Terri Schiavo wants to die even though we will never know her true wishes?
Will someone who supports removing the feeding tube please answer these questions?

To think that this disabled, starving, dehydrated woman feels not pain is unbelievable. Chain your dog to a tree as he slowly and painfully starves to death and tell me there's no pain. Rubbish.
What's next? We examine everyone at, oh, age 70 and decide who lives and who dies?
You're not as smart as Yvonne? Sorry, you've gotta go...we're gonna put a bullet in your head.
Your child has a developmental disability? Well, he'll never get any better, so we'll just kill him, too.
This could get waaaaay out of hand...

If Michael Shiavo truly believes that Terri has no ability to think or feel and he knows how desperately her family wants to care for her then why not walk away. In his opinion, Terri won't know she's alive anyway, right?

This tragedy has turned into power and spite. If he felt Terri was aware of her condition I could understand his position. But I'll never understand how starving a person is any different from smothering her with a pillow.

Yvonne, Do you and others that use this "quality of life" argument understand the possible implications of this argument? Can we kill or starve those that we don't consider to have an acceptable "quality of life"? I wouldn't want to trade place with a homeless person, but just because their "quality of life" is not desirable for me, I would not advocate killing them or starving them. Why don't we inject the homeless with enough morphine so they feel no pain and then starve them to death? Wouldn't that solve the homeless problem? I certainly don't have the ability or the time to care for them all!

T.B., I am not in the habit of making statements I can't substantiate with some degree of reason. What I "jumped in" and stated you were "uniformed" about was your statememt re the "advanced medical community" using the lack of pain theory as justification for "killing" Ms. Schiavo. I stand by that statement. YOU have no substantiation for that remark.

I invite you to google "pain during starvation" and read some of the opinions of doctors who have worked extensively with dehydration and starvation. You will also find some opinions such as yours but they are usually expressed by non-professional, religious based individuals.

My own personal experience in dealing with this issue came early in my career. I was working at HP Regional (as it was called then) and had a patient who had esophogeal cancer. She refused surgical intervention and a feeding tube. She only wanted pallative care. She was so adament that no one do anything to her that she did not want, she hired a private duty sitter to attend to her needs. When she started her self-inflicted starvation she would occasionally ask for pain meds. After her first week, she denied pain. By the third week she stated she felt peaceful and could hardly wait to meet Jesus. This remarkable lady remained conscious until five days before she died. It was horrible for me to watch but was not horrible for her (by her own words).

How many times and in how many ways does anyone have to say WE aren't making the decision to do anything to Ms. Schiavo? Her husband, her next of kin according to the laws of our land has made the decision he legally has the right to make.

Would you not be angry beyond words if you had to make such a decision and strangers judged you, called you a murderer, a monster, threatened your life and on and on and on?

Why on earth do you and others insist on comparing Ms. Schiavo to a dog? I have no idea what starvation in animals has to do with humans. If you want to compare apples to apples, I'm listening. Otherwise, please spare me.

I will say one last time, I am not trying to kill Terri Schiavo. I have no say about what happens to anyone except myself and my family. That's how it should be because end of life issues are extremely private and personal. Don't you agree?

ECUMAN, You asked me about a dog, then changed the topic to humans. You cannot justify your arguement without bait and switch? And why would you think I was or have been trying to "decide" for anyone what their quality of life means to them? I have defended a person's right to make decisions about their next of kin regardless of what my personal opinion may be. Can you say the same?

Michael Schiavo has a simple solution available to his dilemma...simply let her parents take over and he can walk away and go live with his girlfriend and their 2 kids. Michael walked away from Terri a loooooong time ago...but now he stands to get money and fame...so he's murdering his wife with the blessing of the courts.
Unbelievably inhumane, what a despicable human being Michael Schiavo is.

Yvonne, If they were removing Terri from life-support perhaps I would be more supportive of your position. However, denying nutrition (starvation) is not the same as removal of life support systems. Why not deny her air by smothering her with a pillow? Her husband has denied her any chance to recover to any degree by denying her rehabilitation for years.

She seems to be holding on pretty long for someone who wants to die.

Somebody mercifully pull the chain on Yvonne's WC and flush her; and the pull the A/C plug on her PC. It apparently has a mind, albiet quite scrambled, of it's own.

I just read on the news that the Pope may require a feeding tube...so I guess he's just been downgraded to the vegetable level.
Yvonne, why don't you go over to Rome and starve the Pope to death, since you see people being starved to death as a "thing of beauty."

Saw an interview with a medical doctor who specializes in, for the lack of a better term- death. He very calmy and delicately described what a patient goes through. This letter explains much of the same. For the layperson to argue seems foolish, as the doctor's expertise is authored by years and years of intense study.

Whether we think its murder, or cruel, or whatever is beside the point. What disturbs me the most is that this whole saga is a private family matter that should not be on the news 24/7. If an injustice is being done, let the lawmakers debate and create a just law that will avoid this debat in the future. The circus on TV is quite sickening and nothing to be proud of.

The lawmakers became involved precisely because there was a dispute that the court seemed unable to handle properly. All the legislation did was provide another level of review. We do more for convicted killers than we do for Terri Shiavo before we put her to death.

"The lawmakers became involved precisely because there was a dispute that the court seemed unable to handle properly."

That would be courts, Mr. Miller. In fact twenty six of them. Were they all handling the dispute improperly? Your lack of knowledge on this subject is astounding.

Why should I care if the pope has a feeding tube or not. I don't care if Terri Schiavo has one. What I do care about is individual rights to make personal decisions about their loved ones without interference from strangers and the government. And although I don't mind paying taxes I care how my tax dollars are spent.

Yuri Zhigavo, I can appreciate a person who knows what they want and is not afraid to ask for it. Lucky for me, I guess, people don't always get what they want!

Yuri Z, I believe Yvonne has quite a bit more knowledge on this subject than 98% of the people expressing opinions on this matter. I would value her opinion on the subject much more than someone who can only reply with asinine statements as you choose to make.

I may not always agree with Yvonne but by she does have the knowledge on this subject to qualify for my grandaddys advise. "Speak of what you know and know of what you speak, otherwise shut up you might learn something." Advise you might wish to consider Yuri Z.

You seem to think that anyone with a feeding tube deserves to be starved to death. That is the sickest, most disgusting attitude I've seen displayed here.
I only hope you're never at the mercy of a spouse that wants you dead and will say anything and do anything to murder you while you lie, disabled but alive, conscious, and breathing, in your bed while your parents beg for you life.

I'm the one who started this whole spiel and have to say, after reading everyone's comments, that the general opinion seems to be we tortured this woman by starving her for 13 days. My question is this - if you didn't care to see her feeding tube removed, how would you have handled this situation? Allowed her to live out the rest of her life in this condition or would you have euthanized her in a more "politically acceptable" manner?

PLEASE, instead of bickering with eachother about what could've, should've, would've happened to Terri, take all that energy and take care of yourselves. Make life easier for yourself and your family. Make a Living Will and appoint a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.
Stop to smell the roses and enjoy your family and loved ones as much as you can.
Take Care!