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
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