Gonna hit you with a heavy topic here, folks. Across the nation, eyes are focused on Terri Schiavo and whether her husband should "keep her alive" via a feeding tube or "let her go" and pass on from this world.
There is hardly any middle ground on this subject: people are either for the right be let go or totally for the right to life no matter what that may bring.
In this particular case, we have a husband who claims to be sure his wife would not want to be kept alive like this. Her body functions, but her mind isn't totally functioning and she requires a feeding tube to be inserted, pumping "nutrition" into her to keep her alive.
Terri has been like this, in this state, for 15 years now... roughly since 1990. For fifteen years, she has had nursing care to bath and clean her, maintain her food and liquid intake, change her cloths, sheets, turn her often so as to prevent bed sores, brush her teeth, do her nails, keep her warm and/or cool and comfortable. For fifteen years, her husband has been strung along by the doctors: maybe she'll come out of it? maybe she won't? No real way to know for sure either way. For fifteen years, her parents have been torn, wanting to care for their daughter but would they be going against the will of their daughter or their daughter's spouse? For fifteen years, life has gone on: Iraq has gone to war twice, once by invading Kuwait, and once by being invaded. President Bush (41st) finished out his one and only term and was followed up by President Clinton who served two terms, was impeached and still finished out his office only to be succeeded by President Bush (43rd) who is now in his second term. The World Trade Towers fell. The Boston Red Sox won the world series. The New England Patriots won the Superbowl (twice)... all since Terri went into her dibilitated state.
For fifteen years... life has gone on. For fifteen years... Terri has been like this. For fifteen years... there has been little if any change.
How long should this go on for? Does her husband Michael have the right to decide on her behalf to pull the feeding tube and end it all? Does Congress or the President have the right to say that the sanctity of life superceeds the husband's right for his wifes quality of life? Do Terri's parents have any right, having given their daughter away in marriage, to come back now and say they will accept the burden of Terri's care, despite the husband saying Terri wouldn't want to live like this? And what if Terri DID have a living will saying that a feeding tube was "extream measures?" Would that give permission to the doctor's to let her go and pass or would the government call that murder?
None of these are easy questions. If they are easy questions, then you're either speaking from experience or you're speaking from ignorance. This is a subject NOT to be taken lightly. Do not think you can speak for God because you are not God. Do not think you can think for Terri or any other in her situation, because you are not that person.
You are alive.
You are living and breathing and reading this note.
You are capable of independent thought and I challenge you to consider every single aspect of this subject. Volunteer some time at a Hospice House or to help visit people in nursing homes. Take time out of your day to go and be with people who are literally BEGGING for attention and care... and barring that, begging to be let go.
It isn't easy. "No one said Life was easy," right? Well, they never said it was this damn hard either.
This is a very important subject, worthy of plenty more thought on it.
ANYHOW... sorry for not being around this weekend. My "idea" for a topic from You didn't exactly work out and... it was a busy weekend. I'll leave the offer open-ended though. Send me ideas. I'm here and will listen.
6 comments:
Bravo, I totally agree with your position that this poor woman should be allowed to die and that the Bush "clan" should butt the hell out. It is my belief that she told her husband she would not want to live the way she has been forced to live for the past 14 or 15 years. The Republican party should be ashamed.
As far as Terri's wishes, I WISH I knew.
I have managed to stir up quite a few people on the Midland Forum. (Link is to the left) Some compare euthanasia to the mass killings that Hitler did between 1939 and 1944. I think the comparison is ridiculous.
I will pray for Terri. I am a Republican and I would vote for Bush again. But I still believe that the government has NO business in this affair and need to stay out. I'll fight for that right all of my life.
I can not imagine having to make this decision for myself, much less another person.. even my spouse or child. No, the US government has no business in this mess, but they weren't all republicans... just politicians.
The one and only thing the rest of society can gain from this is a reminder for us to make these hard decisions now, while we are able. We should all have living wills, even though most don't. I don't and no one in my immediate family does. But I will have one if only for the fact that I wouldn't want to place anyone I love in the horrific position of deciding when I should be allowed to die.
As for everything else in this drama being played out on our national media, it's nothing but tragic for EVERYONE involved.
Good questions, Mandy. And I wish I had answers for you. But with each day of grow publicity on this matter, the more the story around Terri grows.
No one in Midland, let alone the 'media' truly know what is happening in the Schiavo world. I've heard everything about the husband being a wonderful caring husband trying to fulfill a dying woman's last wish... to a murderous sonofabitch out for money and the inhumane death of a woman he doesn't want around anymore.
Who knows?
What I do know is, I've been down this road with a brother who begged to be ended. He was bedridden with M.S. complications and his body was shot. For 20 years, he watched himself decay from an athletic young man to a motionless stick that had to have everything done for him. For two years, I visited him daily and listened to his plea. Had I answered him, I would be on trail for murder... despite it being his wish.
There has to be a better answer than prolonged agony. Right now, I'm just trying to stir the pot and get people to actually THINK and look at ALL SIDES! I'm not saying Micheal Schiavo is right or wrong, or that Terri's parents are. I'm just saying as a people... we need to look at this subject, dig in deep and answer some hard questions.
Thanks for writing... please feel free to continue. I'm all ears... when I'm not yakkin' ;)
This thing is like letting a camel stick his nose under the tent. I know, I know, I may sound crazy but after this court ordered murder of this woman and ,say, twenty years for these "legal precedents" to take root, will the courts order the killing of handicaped children like my legally blind son? Won't happen? Think again, it has just started!!
I think it's difficult (especially, with the little snippets of video shown all over the place) to understand exactly what is going on with someone in her condition. Without a functioning cerebral cortex you cannot think, feel pain, have emotions. However, you can blink, grimace/may look like a smile, breathe, have a heart beat, etc. All of the involuntary things our body does everyday that we do not tell it to do. I suspect if we were to see the remainder of the videos that would be more clear. Unfortunately, her family didn't show us the whole story. Death is sad. She died years ago.
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