No slippery slope here either folks... move along

[Dee Dee Warren]

The Fresno Bee has an extended article on the Janet Rivera case today. Rivera is a profoundly cognitively disabled woman whose husband and family want her to live, but who has been ordered dehydrated by the public guardian... It's unusual for a conservator to argue for removing life support without evidence that's what the patient would want, said David Magnus, director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and co-chair of the hospital's ethics committee. Not if futile care theory takes off. As I have stated repeatedly, choice is just the key that opens the door. The real agenda is that certain people not remain with us due to utilitarian considerations.

http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2008/07/janet-rivera-case-overview.html

[Sparko]

I wish they would dehydrate the proponents of such torture for a few days and see what they think then.

[Raphael]

Uhhh, wait a minute. According to that article, her husband and family want her to live. Why is she being given a death sentence by someone who knows nothing about her?

[historic salve]

Interesting that the death penalty is immoral because some people fall through the cracks, but euthanasia isn't.

[Sparko]

video here with additional details

http://www.abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=6280841

apparently her husband suffers from medical problems too, and that is why the county sued and got custody of her.

why bother getting custody of someone only to decide to kill her? it is just because they want to save money and free a bed, in my opinion.

[Raphael]

So, they want to off her because of money and to free a bed.....that line of thinking is wrong on too many levels to even know where to start.

[rogue06]

Here is a link to the Fresno Bee story cited by DX’s source: Schiavo debate relived in Valley (http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/755203.html). It mentioned that the case will be heard in a Fresno County Probate Court Tuesday which could decide whether or not she remains on life support.

Here is another account as well: Family Fights To Keep Fresno Woman On Life Support (http://cbs5.com/local/life.support.battle.2.778517.html)

[Raphael]

yeah but the difference is that in Terry Schiavo's case it was her husband wanting to pull the plug (not that I agreed with him being allowed to do so).

In this case the state is sentencing this woman to die a slow and torturous death, simply because she is not capable of looking after herself, and it is distinctly against the wishes of all her loved ones.

[rogue06]

yeah but the difference is that in Terry Schiavo's case it was her husband wanting to pull the plug (not that I agreed with him being allowed to do so).

In this case the state is sentencing this woman to die a slow and torturous death, simply because she is not capable of looking after herself, and it is distinctly against the wishes of all her loved ones.

They point out that the family is united in this case unlike the Schiavo one pretty much right from the start


The family of Janet Rivera, 46, wants to keep her alive in a Fresno hospital. The county, acting as her legal guardian, wants the issue decided in court.

Among the questions her situation has raised: Should a government agency be able to overrule family members and withhold life support when the patient's wishes are unknown?

The Schiavo family has taken an interest in this case. The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation helped find a lawyer to represent the Rivera family, said Schiavo's brother, Bobby Schindler.

Rivera's situation is more alarming than his sister's, he said.

"We had a family dispute," he said. "This is a family in agreement."


Source (http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/755203.html)

[Raphael]

The implications of this case are scary.

[guardianvictims]

Hopefully the court will do the right thing and allow a family member to become her conservator, but I highly doubt it.

Conservatorships are money makers for agencies such as the Public Guardian as well as private professional guardians.

Unfortunately, at the National Association to STOP Guardian Abuse website, we have many horror stories that tell how devastating forced guardianships can be.

Please visit stopguardianabuse.org to learn more about this subject.

[Raphael]

The court did the right thing, and her cousin has been awarded her conservatorship. She has been put back onto life support (although who know what damage 10 days without food or water may have done)

http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2008/07/janet-riveras-cousin-granted-her.html

[Sparko]

that's good news!