My position on the Schiavo matter has vascilated back and forth over the past few days as I've agonized over the matter.
Should she be given a chance at life? If so, what kind of life are we talking about? Is there a chance at rehabilitation? Is Michael Schiavo an evil S.O.B., or is he simply a heart-broken man?
Conversely, is she truly in a vegetative state? A virtual zombie with eyes open, and nothing inside? Are her parents and family in denial about her pain and suffering? Are the evangelicals coming to her aid getting so worked up that they are looking past the true nature of this situation?
Difficult questions these. Who wins? Who loses?
There is no winner here. This situation is heartbreaking at the core. A vibrant woman struck down in the prime of her life. A myriad of doctors, most of whom have indicated that much of her brain tissue has deteriorated and possibly even liquified inside her skull. CAT scans that support that diagnosis.
Conversely, we see her eyes focusing on a balloon, we see her apparently responding to people entering her limited field of vision.
What do we believe?
After 22 different judges have agonized over this, they all have come to the same decision: that her husband has the right to make that agonizing decision.
Talk show host Neil Boortz has taken the stance that Terri Schiavo has earned her place in heaven, and that we, as a people, should let her go home.
Do you believe in God’s promise of everlasting life? Do you believe that the reward for a life well spent on this earth is a life with God in heaven after you die? If you do, then a few more questions if you will.Jesus awaits Terri Schiavo at the gates of heaven with open arms. He will grant her eternal rest. He loves all, no matter which side of this sad story the people are on.Do you believe that the human soul can make the transition to everlasting life while the human body that carried that soul through life clings to life on this earth? If you do, then you must surely believe that Terri Schiavo has earned and is already enjoying her reward in heaven. That being the case, why is it so important to you that the now-unneeded body of Terri Schiavo is kept alive?
But perhaps you believe, as I do, that the human soul is so connected to and integrated with its earthly body that any transition will not be made until that body ceases functioning -- until death occurs.. That being the case, why do you so ardently desire that the soul of Terri Schiavo spend five, ten, perhaps 30 years or more trapped in a useless and non-functioning body, unable to move on to whatever reward awaits her? Isn’t 15 years enough?
Where do your concerns truly lie, with the eternal soul of Terri Schiavo, or with her earthly body?
Let her go home. We can only commend her spirit among the angels for the journey.
Sadly, those who damn the judges and politicians and those of us who wish her spirit to move on are going to fracture the fragile fabric of the conservative wing of the GOP. In their zeal to ignore the rule of law and the Constitutional process, they are sliding down the slippery slope of anarchy toward mob rule.
This is a land of laws, not men. And the political problems that are surfacing -- on both sides -- point toward the deterioration of our constitutional republic. Are you ready for that? Are you ready for that will mean in the future?
I weep for Terri Schiavo today. But I fear for more tears in our future, thanks to those who would wad up the Constitutional protections and freedoms wrought by the notion of ignoring the rule of law, simply because those in power didn't get their way.
You're absolutely right, Michael...
Nobody "wins", no matter who wins.....
Posted by: CrzyDJM at March 25, 2005 09:50 AMWell thank god the rule of law was ignored to force intergration on the country.
Posted by: Eric at March 25, 2005 10:26 AMAnorexia.
Cardiac Arrest.
Cerebral Anoxia.
Death of cerebral cortex.
Flatlining EEG.
Terri hasn't been with us for years. Let her go home. We are not doing this for Terri. We are doing this for ourselves.
Posted by: Jim at March 25, 2005 12:28 PMI commend you for the intellectual honesty you've demonstrated here, Michael.
However, I am not as forgiving of the Republican leadership. Not right now. I think they've done us a great disservice and I hope they are chastened by the backlash.
Posted by: Toby Petzold at March 25, 2005 07:22 PMI agree, but really what if she is aware and wants to live. I am just glad I dont have to make this choice for her. I have been very sad about this case, wondering if she is aware and wants to live. But as I think of her nearing death, I know in the past fifteen years she has been blameless before God. Right now we should all pray she sees Jesus and she is told "well done my good and faithful servant."
Oh, and about the judges only one heard the facts, the rest ruled on legal processes and whether her trial was done properly. It is unfair to say that 19 judgest heard her case, only one heard it the rest ruled on legal issues.
Posted by: shari at March 26, 2005 01:09 AMSo does Neil Boortz now think he can decide who goes to Heaven as well?
You know the Ironic thing about this whole thing is....The Government deciding who can live and who can die now. Another Ironic thing....If starvation is so euphoric....Then the millions that people give each year to save starving children around the world is denying them the right to die with dignity.
Posted by: Sgt Fluffy at March 26, 2005 10:53 PMWe must rely on Medical evidence in each individual case... When I see her breathing easy, focusing and being stimulated by the people around her, I don't beleive anyone has the right to withhold feeding her. In my experience, as a nurse for the past 30yrs, people who are being tube fed, gradually do not tolerate their feeds as their bodies deteriorate; this is the way their bodies shut down. Gradually the amount fed to them is decreased as tolerated. Many times they die of conditions unrelated to their nutrition status. My heart goes out to her caregivers who have been doing her care over the years; how difficult it must be to be caught inbetween two opposing forces. Many times these people linger to allow differences to be reconciled and families to compromise and grow together.
Posted by: rete at March 27, 2005 07:59 PMAt this point, the law is done with this case, for better or worse. She will be home with G-d soon.
It is not for us to decide when she should go home to be with the Lord if she is a believer. That is up to God - not man. If we decide that her quality of life is not worth living, than where will the decisions stop? What about the baby that is born handicapped? What about the elderly that are growing older and their bodies wearing out every day (as ours are also)? Soon, we will be a nation like Germany where death will be decided by the doctors/judges or others and not by God. As for Bush and Congress stepping in, I applaud them for standing up for Terri's right to live - it seems that little else are.
We live in a nation where a person can be arrested for starving an animal, fined $50,00 for killing an eagle but get away scot free for aborting a baby or starving a woman to death. May God forgive us.
MC
Posted by: mc at March 28, 2005 06:54 PMI think we have all forgotten that the apostle Paul discussed the issue of choosing to remain in our bodies for the benefit of others as opposed to choosing death so we can be in heaven: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.---Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ---I will continue with all of you fr your progress and joy in the faith,"----(Philippians 1:21-26). ---- is this indeed her choice to starve to death? Is she really of no use to God here on earth? I know that I have had to confront my beliefs due to Terri's condition. I know that our government is having to confront the idea of hearsay, basic nourishment, who decides what is a useful life, etc. Perhaps her death/heaven isn't as important as her life here on earth for others right now?