Posted on 04/01/2005 8:05:46 PM PST by FairOpinion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- 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.
"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."
Most of the MSM was careful to make sure people do NOT understand the situation and the facts of the case.
And the MSM will not understand why they are losing more and more credibility with the informed citizens.
Gee ... interesting how wording a question changes the outcome of a poll
Not holding breath until MSM broadcasts this even once, much less as often as they broadcasted the other polls.
Amazing, isn't it, that when given the facts, most Americans will choose the right thing to do.
Uh-oh.
I have a conflict.
I'd like to believe the American people feel this way, and certainly I think the opinion cited in the MSM polls was predicated on faulty information supplied by the MSM. If given truth numbers would be different.
But, it's Zogby.
Later dude.
Everyone was so sure the Republicans would suffer for making the attempt to review the legal findings, the results of this poll say they were reflecting the real will of the people.
Hey, it's that Zogby guy!!! He had Kerry winning 311 electoral votes!!!
We won't see a poll of responses to this question: Do you think a severely disabled person who is not brain dead, is not on life support and is not comatose be starved to death against the wishes of her loving family who are willing to care for her and pay for her care?
My local Long Island paper was surprisingly against starving Terri. Surprisingly because they are usually left wing. I think it had something to do with the fact that their opinion writer has a severely disabled daughter. And while he is usually left wing he wrote a beautiful piece about how is daughter may not be able to walk or talk but that she can smile. They put it on the front page. This issue is resonating with many people. And I think the Democratic party has really dug their grave with their silent approval of this travesty.
Yes, the MSM can go on and on for weeks decrying naked pyramids in Iraq, with above-the-fold pictures everyday, yet will remain silent when an innocent, handicapped, American woman is starved to death.
Zogby can be very fair.
We all knew that was a lie. This country isn't part of Europe yet.
"A widely circulated ABC News poll last week asked if it was right to pull Schiavo's feeding tube, noting that she's been "on life support for 15 years" with a condition that is "irreversible."
Phrasing the question like that, 63 percent backed the decision to remove her tube, with 28 opposed. "
from an article from Newsmax.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/4/1/103801.shtml
I wonder how a poll would come out if the options were starve the person to death, put a pillow over their face or give them a lethal injection. No matter what the doctors say they didn't do the right to die cause any good by starving someone to death.
I share your concerns re: Zogby's special sauce. However, it is my understanding that pro-Terri people paid for him to include these particular questions in his poll, so in this case, I don't think Zogby's slant had much of an effect.
Well, well, well, look at the results when the public is presented with questions based on the actual FACTS of the case. These results are more in line with what my gut told me people's reactions would be. The questions in the ABC poll were based on the falsehoods and lies perpetuated by the MSM.
pattyjo
Zogby?
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Zogby??
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Zogby?
The "polls" leading up to Schiavo's murder were designed by a bunch of creeps in the Liberal MSM who were doing the bidding of their euthanasia-loving pals. The euthanasia crowd wanted certain "results" from these "polls" and their toadies in the Liberal MSM got them their "results." Once again, the Leftist MSM has snookered the American public. Some people will never learn.
Relevant info:
Schiavo Raised Profile of Disabled
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19752-2005Apr1.html
For many disabled Americans, seeing the final images of Terri Schiavo was like looking at a terrifying picture of themselves -- undervalued and at the mercy of others.
"We do not identify with the spouse or the parents," Diane Coleman, president and founder of the disability rights group Not Dead Yet, explained just days before Schiavo's death. "We identify with her. She is one of us."
"The concern is that our guardians are being given carte blanche to starve and dehydrate us to death without any meaningful safeguards," she said.
Some disabled people were unconvinced that Schiavo had no higher-brain functioning. Others argued that even people in her condition have the ability to bring meaning to other people's lives. But overwhelmingly, the objections centered on personal fears.
Even many who have a living will worry that a time may come when they are unable to communicate their desire to live, and a nondisabled person will make faulty assumptions. Many talk of a "slippery slope" on which the life of a disabled person is increasingly devalued.
I think you nailed it.
Perhaps, but his conduct during the election left his character in doubt.
I do thank him for asking questions based in Truth. Since he would appear the only one to have done so, even if after the fact.
Oh my gosh, this is really scary!! If that is the ENTIRE question ("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,"), it could apply to ANY disabled person.
9% of respondents think they should be denied food and water????
Should someone with Multiple Sclerosis be starved to death? Cerebral Palsy? Spinal cord injuries? Down's Syndrome?
How could anyone have said we should deny them food and water? Now our media can extol how some people think disabled individuals should be put to death, without concern for the degree of disability. That ANYONE said yes is the bigger concern.
Well, duh!
Only the real brain dead want to attach themselves to and defend the indefensible act of sentencing her to die of thirst. I bet the swamper Boys from Brazil don't like this one little 'ole bit, nor their supporting gaggle of goons.
Read 'em and weep you freaking ghouls!
If nothing else it shows the bias of the other MSM polls, and how wording can affect the percentages drastically.
Your version of this question is really the only fair and accurate one that can be asked and, unless the respondent is of Felos leanings, the answer would be a unanimus 'NO'.
So, this will be all over the newspapers and TV news tomorrow, right?
That is the real shame, because I am convinced that the pro-Terri politicians backed off on the basis of polls. They needn't have, because an honest poll would have bolstered their position overwhelmingly.
Another relevant article:
Terri Schiavo case could affect disabled voters' views
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=348632005
Then Eleanor Smith, a self-described liberal agnostic lesbian, whose childhood bout with polio left her confined to a wheelchair, argued that "At this point I would rather have a right-wing Christian decide my fate than an ACLU member." Ms Smith protested last week outside the hospice where Mrs Schiavo lay dehydrating and starving.
In fact, surveys of disabled Americans suggest a strong tilt towards the Republican Party. According to the campaign group, the National Organisation on Disability, back during the 2000 presidential elections, the Democratic candidate, Vice- president Al Gore, outpolled George W Bush among disabled Americans by 56 per cent to 38 per cent.
But only four years later, at the 2004 presidential contest, Mr Bush beat Senator John Kerry by 52.5 per cent to 46 per cent - a 24.5 point shift.
Liberalism once championed the interests of society’s most vulnerable members. Today, it increasingly champions their "right to die". No-one should be surprised if this affects their decisions as they exercise their right to vote.
They must be brought to heel!
Yes, when I heard the actual question from that ABC Poll .. I kind of figured what was up
poll with honest questions - ping
Motives will resonate.
What was the Democrats motive? Pro-death; for fear it would affect their abortion and euthanasia agenda.
What was the Republican motive? Pro- life; to save the life of an innocent disabled woman.
Choose thou.
ABC poll doomed Terri. The scheming morons at ABC put out a false premise question, well before many of the dupes, er ah pollees, knew what, who, how, or why about Terri.
Egregious and complicit.
The Dems must of had internal polls that looked more like this one. That is why they did not act like liberal's in public.
Phoney rigged MSM push-polls favoring Shiavo-Felos-Greer
......and we will never let them forget it
John Zogby now asks "Who wants to enjoy starving to death folks!"
The 2006 & 2008 elections will destroy the demcrat party for decades
Attorney George Felos = http://angelfire.com/un/zap/Dracula.html
I PING you to my post 32 -- an excerpt from the article I mention:
"Then Eleanor Smith, a self-described liberal agnostic lesbian, whose childhood bout with polio left her confined to a wheelchair, argued that "At this point I would rather have a right-wing Christian decide my fate than an ACLU member." Ms Smith protested last week outside the hospice where Mrs Schiavo lay dehydrating and starving. "
Anyone have a link to this poll?
Not that I think "life News" would garnish the truth or anything like that.
You did a really, REALLY good job of summing it up.
Hmmmmm. Zogby got the result you wanted to hear, so he's a good guy. When he gives you results you don't want to hear, he's using "special sauce."
This place is a hoot.
I think they should ask parents "If your child was injured, resulting in permanent brain-damage, but still able to breath without asistance, would you consent to having ALL food and water stopped so that he could die?"
If I remember correctly, the ABC poll did not release the question that was asked, rather, the question only came out through people who were polled.
Whereas at least Zogby is releasing the actual question that was asked.
What is startling, though, is how many people are willing to allow someone to starve to death, even though the question is quite broad, as someone pointed out.
Quite chilling. The MSM is the voice of the ACLU.
This poll is highly influenced by how the questions were phrased.
We saw how the MSM asked the questions -- by giving false premises as facts.
Like Zogby or not, but you can read the question and see for yourself. He did give the true information to the people he polled.
so? What's wrong with including dead people when polling the public?
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