Televised political battle over comatose woman's fate grips Canadians

[Spazito]

OTTAWA (CP) - A political battle like the one over Terri Schiavo would not happen in Canada, where most voters believe "mere biological life" should not be saved at all cost, says bioethicist Arthur Schafer.

The University of Manitoba professor says right-to-life activists who front anti-abortion campaigns are fuelling the extraordinary fight in Florida over the comatose woman's fate. "The so-called culture of life - which is involved in the abortion debate . . . has led politicians to intervene quite inappropriately," he said of the latest twists in Washington.

"The so-called religious right doesn't have anything like that influence in Canada.

"Overwhelmingly, people of all religions - and none - accept that life should not always be prolonged."

more

http://www.canada.com/news/national/story.html?id=43244b3c-e7aa-403e-bf0a-7ebe9a38f852

[Thurgood Marshall]

1. What do you expect

Those dumb Canadians are letting common sense into their arguments again.

[tnlefty]

7. LOL and welcome!

Can't have common sense or reason enter into anything, now can we?

[durablend]

2. Is there any other "world opinion" on this?

What is everyone else outside the USA thinking about this whole mess?

[candy331]

5. The same as sane people in the US. n/t

[slackmaster]

3. Nit - She's not comatose

If she was merely comatose there would be some hope for her to recover. Her condition is worse than comatose.

[Lerkfish]

4. I think the word "comatose" is highly misleading...

it implies hope of recovery at some point.
she isn't comatose, she's brain dead, in fact, she's lost cerebral cortex. She aint never gonna wake up.

[NorthernSpy]

9. not comatose, and not actually brain-dead, but...

Terry Schiavo is not actually brain dead, because there has been no loss of brainstem activity. However, her cerebral cortex is no longer functional, so the personality known to the world as "Terry Schiavo" no longer exists: the physical basis for all the thoughts, memories, skills, feelings, habits, and temperament that once made up this person has been destroyed.

What's left are the living remains of Terry Schiavo.

[rockedthevoteinMA]

6. I'm glad to hear Canada is on the rational/reality side of this

debate. Yet, it frightens me to know that we are exporting this as our number one story to the rest of the world. (As if they didn't think Americans were dumb enough... :eyes: )

[PC12]

8. Canada is packed with those "normal/intelligent" people.

Why can't we be more like them?

[rodeodance]

10. give Canada a few years--as Fox is now viewed in Canada

"The so-called religious right doesn't have anything like that influence in Canada.

[Spazito]

11. LOL, Faux is 'not authorized' on my cable provider

it was free for about 6 weeks but no longer. What is interesting is that with other channels that require a 'subscription' (extra cost) it says exactly that when you try to access them yet when I try to access Faux it says 'not authorized'. I am hoping Faux has breached our CRTC rules and has been turfed.

If it turns out that it is still allowed here but costs extra to access, the few fundies we have are not going to pay the extra bucks to get it, no way!

Edited to correct typo and to add I think I will call my cable provider and find out exactly what 'not authorized' means, could be interesting, lol.

[PC12]

14. But Fox only covers America, not Canada.

edit: Remember, England took them off the air for their bias.

[Minstrel Boy]

12. Another intentionally confusing headline from The National Post

which is not supported by the Canadian Press story.

Canadians are not gripped by the case which, the article affirms, could not happen here.

[liberal N proud]

13. It should not happen in the US either.

I think from looking at recent polls, people in the US do not believe this should be a congressional issue or even a national issue.
This is a case were the few radical fundamentalist are driving the national agenda.
These radicals must be stopped

[MrPrax]

15. There's a bit of a debate in Canada...

It's kinda funny--on a redneck talk radio phone-in yesterday, the 'debate' seemed to be that most people were horrified at being 'starved' to death and some feel she should be given a shot or something...

On a related matter...
I see James Walcott is in fine form...

Bughouse Bedlam
Posted by James Wolcott

The Terri Schiavo soap opera, with Senator Frist guest-starring in the role of Dr. Bob and unveiling the uncanny ability to make a long-distance telepathic diagnosis without using his mind, shows yet again how sentimentality and brutality are the Doublemint twins of American culture, ripe for exploitation. The crocodile tears over Terri Schiavo from veteran crocodiles in the Congress (and professional sob-sisters like Peggy Noonan) flood the airwaves while Judge Greer in Florida receives death threats, the hospice is condemned as a concentration camp, and Michael Schiavo is demonized.

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