Tube in, Tube.... Out

Early in the AM on Monday morning, President Bush signed an ‘emergency’ bill that will allow Terri Schiavo’s parents to seek reinsertion of the feeding tube that was removed on judge’s orders Friday afternoon. But wait, it gets better. Apparently, Bush was sleeping in the middle of the night; he woke up, signed the bill, and went back to bed. Actually, I don’t know why I mentioned that, it’s completely irrelevant. Maybe it’s the whole interrupted sleep thing (refer back to ‘The right amount of tired’).

I mean, I was bitching about waking up for a drink, or the bathroom … and here we have GeeBee’s sleep being interrupted by an “emergency bill” to feed a brain-dead Florida woman … only one of the biggest ethical news stories/questions in the world today. Maybe I wouldn’t be as bitter if my sleep was ever interrupted by things like that. It would go something like this: Mr. Nafie, could you please wake up and sign this bill to invade Korea, Iran and maybe China? … Well … Only if you throw in Russia too, clearly, the Russians have out-stepped their authority.

Ah… What gives? Is it not worst to lull the lady’s life about, and play a volleyball match with it on death’s door? I’m pretty sure withholding food from someone for 3 days violates some International Convention and could be classified as torture. Will anyone be prosecuted at the end of this? Federal judge Vs. Federal judge?

Let’s just hypothesize for a second, and suppose you withheld food from me for 3 days. (A very, very stupid thing of you to do). And then gave me the food back, and then argued about whether or not to take the food away from me AGAIN. I personally wouldn’t want that crap going on around me.
I understand the arguments of both sides, but I think they both owe it to her to come to an agreement … one way or the other. The American doctors have already ruled out that there is no hope for recovery. I think that a second opinion is definitely worthwhile.

U.S. medicine isn’t that hot anyways … I saw it on ‘Airline’ (the show about southwest). They had a kid with a brain tumor, who in the U.S. had no options and then some Australian doctor figured out how to surgically get rid of it – permanently. So it’s definitely a good idea to get a second opinion, perhaps an international team of super-doctors who would unquestionably squash any doubt (By international, I mean 12 Indians, 1 German, and 2 Chinese).

AND now, the Vatican has put their 2 cents in. Uh Oh!!! They say Schiavo’s life should be ‘spared’. Spared? This lady is not on death row, nor is she a hostage or anything like that; she is a patient at a hospital. There are very clear medical guidelines on how a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) case should usually be handled; unfortunately, this one is a little more complicated... but None of Their Business. I think the Vatican is more warranted to comment on the Michael Jackson LITTLE BOY ABUSE/ MOLESTATION trial …

So today, the judge said keep the tube out … and then the parents appealed it to a higher court … WELL, here’s an idea … It’s obvious that both sides will keep on appealing this thing … so why not just take it up to the big 9 and skip the fools in the middle … who CLEARLY, have no authority what-so-ever (according to Washington). What’s the real issue here? Are we waiting until Justice William Rehnquist regains his health?

And ... to the woman who got arrested today for trying to sneak in a bottle of water to give to Schiavo … I’m at a loss for words. I can appreciate the nobility in the gesture, but what part of FEEDING TUBE did she miss? Are you kidding me? What exactly did she plan to do with that bottle of water? Furthermore, did she think it was that simple to settle this national debate by walking into the hospice with a bottle of water?

I wish her and her family closure.