[Peace-discuss] Zogby Poll: Americans Not in Favor of Starving Terri Schiavo

[C. G. Estabrook]

>From <http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=11131>: 	


Polls leading up to the death of Terri Schiavo made it appear Americans
had formed a consensus in favor of ending her life. However, a new Zogby
poll with fairer questions shows the nation clearly supporting Terri and
her parents and wanting to protect the lives of other disabled patients.

The Zogby poll found that, if a person becomes incapacitated and has not
expressed their preference for medical treatment, as in Terri's case, 43
percent say "the law presume that the person wants to live, even if the
person is receiving food and water through a tube" while just 30 percent
disagree.

Another Zogby question his directly on Terri's circumstances.

"If a disabled person is not terminally ill, not in a coma, and not being
kept alive on life support, and they have no written directive, should or
should they not be denied food and water," the poll asked.

A whopping 79 percent said the patient should not have food and water
taken away while just 9 percent said yes.

"From the very start of this debate, Americans have sat on one of two
sides," Concerned Women for America's Lanier Swann said in response to the
poll. One side "believes Terri's life has worth and purpose, and the side
who saw Michael Schiavo's actions as merciful, and appropriate."

More than three-fourths of Americans agreed, Swann said, "because a person
is disabled, that patient should never be denied food and water."

The poll also lent support to members of Congress to who passed
legislation seeking to prevent Terri's starvation death and help her
parents take their lawsuit to federal courts.

"When there is conflicting evidence on whether or not a patient would want
to be on a feeding tube, should elected officials order that a feeding
tube be removed or should they order that it remain in place," respondents
were asked.

Some 18 percent said the feeding tube should be removed and 42 percent
said it should remain in place.

Swann said her group would encourage Congress to adopt legislation that
would federal courts to review cases when the medical treatment desire of
individuals is not known and the patient's family has a dispute over the
care.

"According to these poll results, many Americans do in fact agree with
what we're trying to accomplish," she said.

The poll found that 49 percent of Americans believe there should be
exceptions to the right of a spouse to act as a guardian for an
incapacitated spouse. Only 39 percent disagreed.

When asked directly about Terri's case and told the her estranged husband
Michael "has had a girlfriend for 10 years and has two children with her"
56 percent of Americans believed guardianship should have been turned over
to Terri's parents while 37 percent disagreed.

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