Friday, February 25, 2005

Odd Schiavo coverage

I haven't covered the Terry Schiavo case, although I am in Mary-Eileen's corner on the topic. When I saw the AP headline on Yahoo News, Fla. Woman's Feeding Tube to Stay in Place, I was pleased. Then I went to Reuters, and I read Judge Orders Florida Woman's Feeding Tube Removed, and I was baffled. From what I read in the AP's more detailed story, the stay on removing the tube was extended for three weeks. That means Reuter's story is misleading-unless they've taken sides on this issue and support the pulling of Schiavo's feeding tube, in which case the headline supports their editorial slant.

Update
Interesting. It seems that AP's original headline and story was the incorrect one. Disturbing is this from the judge in the updated AP story:
The judge wrote that he was no longer comfortable granting delays in the long-running family feud, which has been going on for nearly seven years and has been waged in every level of Florida's court system. He said the case must end.
Interesting. I didn't think that being a judge was about making decisions for your own comfort. Also interesting that he finds starving a woman to death on his order is more comfortable than working this case. I half expect the judge to stand up and try to wash his hands of the matter.

Correction
My apologies to Mary Eileen for my spelling her name Mary Ellen. I work with a Mary Ellen, and I just naturally write it.

1 comment:

Mediaskeptic said...

It's a human life, for God's sake, and the judge finds it "uncomfortable?" When he says "this case must end" read: "this life must end."

I have not followed the case extensively but if the parents are willing to followup on her care, why doesn't the husband just seek a divorce and let her loving parents care for her? Somehow I bet money is involved. When should money trump human life?