The Schiavo Fight - Round 5

[Powerhouse]

Look for round 5 in March. :1both:


http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=44821


NEW YORK (AP) -- Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings are writing a book about their struggle.

Their publisher says the memoir -- which has yet to be titled -- will be published in March. The date coincides with the first anniversary of the severely brain-damaged woman's death at a hospice in Pinellas Park.

Warner Books says the Schindlers will donate profits from their book to a foundation dedicated to protecting severely disabled people.

Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, says he's collaborating on a book with author Michael Hirsh to tell his side of the story. The book is titled "Terri: the Truth," and is planned for release in March by Dutton Publishing.

Michael Schiavo fought his in-laws in court for years to end Terri's life. Her feeding tube was removed after her husband won a court order to end her life. Doctors had said she was in a persistent vegetative state.


Whoo-Boy, Here we go again. :1bonk1:

[Toy Ranch]

She's daid now. Case closed.

[Powerhouse]

She's daid now. Case closed.


Like a lot of media stars - just cause she's dead don't mean they can't sqeeze more money out of her.

[nobs]

Too bad her own family won't just let her rest in peace. I'm sure they aren't writing these books for free. AFAIC, they are capitalizing on her sad set of circumstances.

[Toy Ranch]

Like a lot of media stars - just cause she's dead don't mean they can't sqeeze more money out of her.


No, but only the fans will buy the books. Most people don't give a flying fuck.

[toke]

She's daid now. Case closed.
Are you kidding? Frist (the Senator that diagnosed her as "Alive-Alive-O" from a video) is fixing to run for Prez. Long as he can escape the current Scandal of the Frist Insider Trading Debacle, that is. ;)

Terri lives, so long as her memory survives to be conjured to the service of politics. That could be forfreakingever, from what I can see.

[Powerhouse]

No, but only the fans will buy the books. Most people don't give a flying fuck.


Ah - but don't you see, Bobby, this is where they get to replay the who-is-right game - by pointing to sellthrough statistics for each book. :1evil2:

Who will get the most preorders? Who will sell the most? Whose will rank the highest? Whose will make which best-sellers lists? etc, etc.

Oh, yea - you can bet the camps are stratigizing already on how to defeat each others book - why do you think they are scheduled for the same release month - coincidence? :1chirol_r And the media of course will propogate and escalate the whole thing.

Yep - Round 5 - who REALLY wins? :1JerryJer

[foptiludrop]

just cause she's dead don't mean they can't sqeeze more money out of her.
Too true, Mikey. Elvis Presley made more money in the first six months after his death than he'd ever earned in life. Marilyn Monroe is worth more as bones than she ever was as flesh. Many more fit this sick bill, too...

And I'm not surprised that Schiavo's relatives are attempting to 'coin it' -- they have court costs and medical bills coming out their shining asses...

[Powerhouse]

And I'm not surprised that Schiavo's relatives are attempting to 'coin it' -- they have court costs and medical bills coming out their shining asses...


I'd bet Terris parents have all that paid off long ago and put plenty in their pockets already too - they had a LOT of support - both financial and free legal stuff. Not so sure about Michael - he didn't garner as obvious a following, but I'd bet he got more than enough financial support to walk away with a few dollars too.
Neither side needs the money, IMHO, I'm thinking that they either just want to continue the battle or greed is the motivating factor. :1evil2:

[foptiludrop]

You should know by now that greed is ALWAYS the motivating factor.

Silly Mikey...

[Toy Ranch]

I hope Michael Moore makes a documentary about them all. It would serve them all right.

[nobs]

It's a battle that will be fought forever. What is "life". When does life begin? When does life end? And who has the right to decide???

If you can take anything away from this sad case, it's to have a living will legally in effect!
At least, that way, you can have some choice in deciding your fate in case these kind of circumstances are visited upon you (and your loved ones).

[Heartland]

Ah, but the religious right (oxymoron) has plans to outlaw living wills. So just as important as making a living will, VOTE, unless you want the government to keep you alive indefinitely, draining your family's finances and emotions.

[snowyegret]

Powerhouse, considering how much medical care she required, her bills, unless some parts were forgiven, would be astronomical.

Heartland, the hospitals and long term care facilities already drain the elderly and those requiring such care.

[Powerhouse]

Powerhouse, considering how much medical care she required, her bills, unless some parts were forgiven, would be astronomical.

Heartland, the hospitals and long term care facilities already drain the elderly and those requiring such care.


Hi, Snowy. I don't recall all the details, but I do seem to recall talk of a large settlement from one of the hospitals that tended her - there was much ado about who gets the money if you recall, but I believe that it pretty much lasted her throughout her time, on top of that I suspect Michael was being financially supported by the right-to-die groups, just as her parents were financially supported by the right-to-stay-a-vegatable-until-the-end-of-time groups.

:2poof:

[snowyegret]

The point is, the RTL groups can't afford to support everyone in a PVS. Such care runs in the millions per each patient.

Prolonging care against one's wishes is unethical and illegal if consent is not given for procedures, but it's sure a way to suck the elderly of their homes and savings and transfer such to the hospital corporations and LTC corps.

[Powerhouse]

...but it's sure a way to suck the elderly of their homes and savings and transfer such to the hospital corporations and LTC corps.


Oh, you betcha! Don't forget about that news story out of Texas around the time the Schiavo thinkg was going on - ran a patient plumb out of money then pulled the plug since he was destitute! :(

Ah! Found the article: http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21571/

...it involves a six-month old boy named Sun Hudson. On Thursday, Hudson died after a Texas hospital removed his feeding tube, despite his mother's pleas. He had a fatal congenital disease, but would have been kept alive had his mother been able to pay for his medical costs, or had she found another institution willing to take him.

[snowyegret]

That was a really bizarre case and broke precedent over what I had seen done with artificial life support in cases with a terminal prognosis. It certainly raises a lot of ethical questions. I find it frightening that the hospital that has a financial stake in the decision had the final say in deciding what care the child should get.

[justjg]

One side had to do a book after the other committed. And remember there are teams of lawyers, agents, accounts, etc to support.

Been there, done that...

The real ghouls are the suckers that will buy the product.

[Heartland]

George W. Bush gave the hospitals that power when he was governor of Texas. I found it pathetically hypocritical of the RTLers that they were silent about that. But then, the mother and the boy were African-American.

[Powerhouse]

It certainly raises a lot of ethical questions. I find it frightening that the hospital that has a financial stake in the decision had the final say in deciding what care the child should get.

I am hoping that enough of america will feel that way too and be able to resolve it.
As taxpayers we have no say in how our money is used - war, welfare, restorations, etc, so we can only hope to influence the system to put the money toward projects/causes that each of us supports, and also to take away from those projects/causes that as individuals we are against.
In the case of Sun Hudson I look at it this way - we as taxpayers are forced by law to provide tax payments that support criminals that are serving life-without-parole sentences - that typically represents people that had their shot at life and wound of taking the lives of others instead, so I would have no problem seeing the law also use taxes to support terminally ill patients that are destitute - typically representing people that not guilty of any crime.

Life isn't fair - but that doesn't mean that terminal illness has to be treated with cruel and unusual punishment.

[foptiludrop]

I am hoping that enough of america will feel that way too and be able to resolve it.

As taxpayers we have no say in how our money is used.

Can't have it both ways, Mikey. Pick one and run with it...

[Powerhouse]

Can't have it both ways, Mikey. Pick one and run with it...

I think you missed a turn, Pat.

I am hoping that enough of america will feel that way too and be able to resolve it.
Refers to the ethical questions.

As taxpayers we have no say in how our money is used.
Refers to the financial questions.

[foptiludrop]

Interesting that you accept "ethics" and "finances" as two separate entities under the law... the law of YOUR government -- BY You, FOR You.

As I said before: Silly Mikey.

[Powerhouse]

Interesting that you accept "ethics" and "finances" as two separate entities under the law... the law of YOUR government -- BY You, FOR You.

As I said before: Silly Mikey.

No, Pat - I try to accept ethics and finances as two seperate entities in personal principal, not in legislative practice.

[Zilvy]

Warner Books says the Schindlers will donate profits from their book to a foundation dedicated to protecting severely disabled people.

The article that Mike quoted indicates the parents are NOT publishing for their own profit.

[Heartland]

Yeah, but who's to know if they really donate all the profits?

I never trust those statements. What's the name of the foundation, where is it located, who runs it? Answer those, and then I might take it seriously.

[krisinluck]

Ah, but the religious right (oxymoron) has plans to outlaw living wills. So just as important as making a living will, VOTE, unless you want the government to keep you alive indefinitely, draining your family's finances and emotions.What? I missed this piece of news! They are looking to outlaw living wills that specify our wishes so this kind of bullshit doesn't happen to us? Seriously?

Can you tell me more? Please?

[Powerhouse]

The article that Mike quoted indicates the parents are NOT publishing for their own profit.


Well, the way I read it is that it is an open statement.
It says that they will "donate profits". Now typically that would be accepted to mean ALL profits, but it does not actually say that does it? So it could also imply "some" profits.
And then there is the question of what is the measure for 'profits'?
Are they allowed to include for themselves a salary to cover the time period that they were writing the book - would this be an expendature they could claim? If so what salary would they be permitted? $100,000? $2,000,000?
Also living expenses for the period in which they were writing the book - are those expendatures they could claim?
Travels for investigative or deep-background research? Fancy 'publicity' dinners? etc, etc.
The list could go on and on I guess depending on a person scruples.

[Heartland]

Hi Kris!

There's lots of info out there. The sticking point is that the Supreme Court handed down its decision regarding Living Wills using the same "right to privacy" criteria as they used on Roe v. Wade. If Roe v. Wade comes under fire with the conservative majority Justices, then it falls to reason that Living Wills will follow. The Right to Life movement tends to lump Living Wills in with euthanasia.

This quote is an excerpt from a "model law" that the National Right to Life movement is pushing for States to pass:

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/modelstatelaw.html

A. It shall be presumed that every person legally incapable of making health care decisions has directed his or her health care providers to provide him or her with nutrition and hydration to a degree that is sufficient to sustain life.

B. No guardian, surrogate, public or private agency, court, or any other person shall have the authority to make a decision on behalf of a person legally incapable of making health care decisions to withhold or withdraw hydration or nutrition from such a person except in the circumstances and under the conditions specifically provided for in Section 4 of this act.

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/ModelBillAnnoucement.html

“We must not let the horror and outrage over the attempted starvation and dehydration of Terri Schindler-Schiavo dwindle and die away before we have acted to secure protection for the thousands facing s similar fate,” said NRLC Executive Director David N. O’Steen, Ph.D.

This madman is on the President's Councel for Bioethics:

http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/george200503211140.asp

Other links:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/schiavo4.htm

http://content.christianity.com/413/34962/413_34962_LivingWillPamphlet.Transcript.pdf

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/165530.htm

[rossshow]

http://www.otwa.com/community/showthread.php?t=39345

Despite pleas from the Vatican, U.S. lawmakers and the president, Michael Schiavo says he could not have divorced his brain-damaged wife and given up the fight to let her die.

"I was doing something that Terri wanted. And I couldn't give it up on her," Schiavo said in an interview recorded for the Sunday edition of NBC's "Dateline."

Schiavo's book about the case, "Terri: The Truth," is scheduled for release Monday, the day before a competing book by Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, is released. Friday will be the first anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed.

[Powerhouse]

Wonder if either of the books will make the bestseller list?

[mango man]

Wonder if either of the books will make the bestseller list?

expect to see them on the .99 table before summer