It’s all in the wording

Zobgy polls showed most favored letting Terri live!

In the Zogby poll, the public was asked, “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 result showed 79 percent said the person should continue to receive food and water, while only 9 percent said food and water should be withheld, LifeNews reported. The question closely described Schiavo’s condition when her feeding tube was removed.

In a poll sponsored by ABC News and released March 21, however, 63 percent of Americans polled supported the disconnection of Schiavo’s feeding tube. The survey’s description of the woman said she had “suffered brain damage and has been on life support for 15 years. Doctors say she has no consciousness and her condition is irreversible.”

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey issued March 22 reported 56 percent believed the feeding tube should have been disconnected, while 31 percent disagreed and 13 percent did not have an opinion. A CBS News poll released March 23 showed 61 percent agreed with removing the tube, while 28 percent were opposed and 11 percent had no opinion.

Potentially misleading information was provided in all three polls. Since Schiavo required no assistance for her heart and lungs, the ABC poll’s use of the phrase “life support” easily could have provided an inaccurate portrayal of her condition. Both the CNN and CBS surveys described Schiavo as being in a “persistent vegetative state,” a contention refuted by some neurologists, who said she could have been in a minimally conscious condition.

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