"When is that bitch gonna die?"

Michael Schiavo (left) and Scott Peterson become confused in the mind's eye, blurred with media overkill, as two men cursed with inconvenient wives.  The Florida courts sided with Schiavo, while the jury pronounced Peterson guilty as charged. There is so much more to know, and we thank bloggers like Patterico's Pontifications and Teresa of Technicalities, as well as other web presences like Matt Conigliaro's "The Terri Schiavo Information Page" for giving us information to help pull back the curtain on this great human tragedy that everyone under the sun has been using and abusing for one's own purposes.

"Terri’s husband says that she should be allowed to die because she had expressed a desire not to live under those conditions," writes Bill of The Bow Ramp in comments to Patterico's Pontification's exhaustive ongoing debate re the Terri Schiavo quandary (well worth delving into):

OK, but if she truly is in a persistent vegetative state, there is supposedly no one home according to her doctors. If there is no cognitive thinking going on in her brain, she is essentially brain dead already, so why not let her parents care for her if they want to?

Patterico has been following the case for years.  We were horrified at some of the things he dug up years ago re the husband's apparent callousness towards his wife's condition.  According to RN Carla Iyer, one of the nurses who attended Terri Schiavo through the years:

Throughout my time at Palm Gardens [one of Ms. Schiavo’s nursing homes], Michael Schiavo was focused on Terri’s death. Michael would say “When is she going to die?,” “Has she died yet?” and “When is that bitch gonna die?” These statements were common knowledge at Palm Gardens, as he would make them casually in passing, without regard even for who he was talking to, as long as it was a staff member. Other statements which I recall him making include “Can’t anything be done to accelerate her death -- won’t she ever die?” When she wouldn’t die, Michael would be furious. Michael was also adamant that the family should not be given information.

How do we know the truth? We caught a little footage of a Larry King Live interview of the husband from a couple of years back, and our hackles weren't happy.  Scott Peterson came to mind. We also agree with something we read the other day that when it comes to Darwinian survival issues, the parents have it over the spouse re who really cares about the little one's best interests.

Comments

[andophiroxia]

I would say this should warrant some sort of criminal investigation against Michael Schiavo. If he was so devoted, why did he not explore any means necessary to finally conclude irreversible vegetative state? The fact that he seems so adamant in getting her tube out and blocking her parents (2 years!) from seeing her means something fishy is going on.

[Richard Ames]

>>>If there is no cognitive thinking going on in her brain, she is essentially brain dead already, so why not let her parents care for her if they want to?<<<

You appear to cite this quote with some approval. But this should be about Terri, not about her parents. Terri is not a "thing" for her parents to enjoy or get satifsfaction from. Their wishes must be irrelevant to this.

[Stephen]

"Why not let her parents care for her if they want to?"

I think this is equivalent to saying, "Why not let the parents mummify your wife's body and display it in their house?--She's no longer inhabiting it."

Personally, I think it would be a horrible and creepy thing to have your wife be gone, brainwise, and not be able to bury her and grieve and move on.

Two good columns on this case:

Benedict Carey from the NY Times (March 20, 2005, "For Parents, the Unthinkability of Letting Go"): http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/weekinreview/20carey.html?

Sheryl McCarthy from a year and a half ago in Newsday (October 20, 2003, "However Hard, Terri Schiavo Has to Be Let Go"): http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/425383631.html?did=425383631&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Oct+20%2C+2003&author=Sheryl+McCarthy.+Sheryl+McCarthy%27s+e-mail+address+is+mccart731%40aol.com.&desc=However+Hard%2C+Terri+Schiavo+Has+to+Be+Let+Go

[LIARS]

By now most people who read liberal blogs are aware that George W. Bush signed a law in Texas that expressly gave hospitals the right to remove life support if the patient could not pay and there was no hope of revival, regardless of the patient's family's wishes. It is called the Texas Futile Care Law. Under this law, a baby was removed from life support against his mother's wishes in Texas just this week. A 68 year old man was given a temporary reprieve by the Texas courts just yesterday.

Those of us who read liberal blogs are also aware that Republicans have voted en masse to pull the plug (no pun intended) on medicaid funding that pays for the kind of care that someone like Terry Schiavo and many others who are not so severely brain damaged need all across this country.

Those of us who read liberal blogs also understand that that the tort reform that is being contemplated by the Republican congress would preclude malpractice claims like that which has paid for Terry Schiavo's care thus far.

Those of us who read liberal blogs are aware that the bankruptcy bill will make it even more difficult for families who suffer a catastrophic illness like Terry Schivos because they will not be able to declare chapter 7 bankruptcy and get a fresh start when the gargantuan medical bills become overwhelming.

And those of us who read liberal blogs also know that this grandstanding by the congress is a purely political move designed to appease the religious right and that the legal maneuverings being employed would be anathema to any true small government conservative.

Those who don't read liberal blogs, on the other hand, are seeing a spectacle on television in which the news anchors repeatedly say that the congress is "stepping in to save Terry Schiavo" mimicking the unctuous words of Tom Delay as they grovel and leer at the family and nod sympathetically at the sanctimonious phonies who are using this issue for their political gain.

[Tim Gannon]

"We also agree with something we read the other day that when it comes to Darwinian survival issues, the parents have it over the spouse when it comes to who really cares about the little one's best interests."

BUT WHO DECIDES WHO DECIDES!!!!

Imagine if the situation was reversed. The husband wanted to keep the wife (think PLO Leader here) alive for reason involving inheritance, ect. The parents seeing through the situation decide that their daughter should be released from the tubes to let nature do what it may.

This has become a political football with no good ending. I would not want the US Congress getting involved in every America's decision on this matter.

[Dean Esmay]

Nice way to change the subject and make it a partisan witch-hunt about only superficially related issues, "LIARS." You've picked a good nickname for yourself.

[andophiroxia]

"This has become a political football with no good ending. I would not want the US Congress getting involved in every America's decision on this matter."

I agree with you on that aspect Tim.

[andophiroxia]

Well I found out from Hannity today. The reason why President Bush, Congress, and the Supreme Court is because of the judge that ordered the feeding tube being pulled out, delared he had final jurisdiction. The legislative and judicial powers that be had to figure out if he did indeed final jurisdiction per the Constitution, in which he did not. Now they have to find a judge to overturn the state ruling.

[AMV]

Common sense, people. After enjoying a life of independence on all applicable levels, NO ONE would want to become a 'prisoner of their own flesh'. It's humiliating, and dangerous.

Poor Terri Schiavo. The un-knowing instrument of greed and selfishness.

You do the math! Change 'desperation' to 'determination', and "when is that bitch gonna die" to 'supplier of infamous publicity' and its simply the ongoing, worldwide embarrassment of narcissistic opportunism at large. (And as for using religious cajolery to instill doubt and unrest for special interests ... the shameful reality of pimping God for gain.)

If you stop coercing the argument; rather concern yourself with the social cancers of the human race that history can't resist repeating ... this three-ring circus will fade away, and sweet Terri Schiavo, will emigrate to a state of peace, not found here on earth.

[Diego]

I think the bitch should die, and soon. I'm sick and tired of hearing about poor terri. It's been proven in court that she expressed her wishes not to be kept alive artificially. Her parents just don't like it so they're fighting it. I'm also sick of our government harping on the PC bandwagon with this case. Bastard politicians getting involved to score political points. Basically, I'm just sick and tired of hearing all the crap and think that the sooner the bitch dies, the better for the rest of us. And what about these yuppie assholes who are protesting at the hospice? Trying to sneak in water? Do these people not have anything better to do? I'll bet their parents were the type who demonstrated on washington complaining about the war in vietnam. Bleeding hearts make me sick.

[Sissy Willis]

Watch your language, Diego, or you will be denied access.

[robin]

I ahd a dream last wed and taerri came to am and grabed my arm and said I want to live,
I asked her if she wanted this and she said no.
this was pretaining to not living.
i ahve had dreams in the past that came to pass the next day.

[cyril]

scum like diego need to go live in saudia arabia with the rest of mindless scum...ps. eat shit you little dago.............

[andophiroxia]

Wow I think diego here is a bit of an angry puppy, to have focused all his hate, frustration, and whatever spew he can upon a person that can't fight back. What a brave individual you are, picking on a handicapped woman. Good for you.