Life vs Choice for Schiavo
In a story that has taken the country by storm since the ruling came out that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was going to be removed has since become a federal issue? Terri has been living on life support for twelve years, this isn't something that just came up. Yet once the feeding tube was ordered to be removed the GOP machine took swift action to make sure to preserve life of a woman who is in a permanent vegetative state.
Her legal guardian has had doctors run tests and spent time with her for some time; the doctor spoke with NPR's All Things Considered on Tuesday. He stated, although it hurt him to say so, that she was in fact in a permanent state of vegetation. Now there are doctors seeing video clips from four years ago claiming that the damage may not be as severe as it has been reported.
The sad part of this story is that the very people who are rallying to have her feeding tube reinserted are the same ones that are looking to cut the type of funding that is keeping people like her alive. Medicaid is paying a hefty portion of her medical bill, which the GOP wants to reform, and money from a lawsuit which was settled. This too is an issue that the GOP abolished with swift judgment to protect their friends who are heavily invested in these companies, or have other relations.
It was taken up a notch today when I read in the New York Times that three children had been "arrested" for wanting to take a cup of water to Terri. What kind of political stunt is this, and why in the world were they allowed and/or pressured to do this?
It is safe to say that after twelve years of being like this, no miracle is coming which is going to cure Terri from what happened. Her parents are clinging to a memory of what used to be their daughter, and can't bear to let go. It is tragic to lose someone, but Terri hasn't been herself for twelve years now. Who knows what kind of agony she is in, being forced to live when that was clearly not her wish.
My wish would be the same, I would not want to continue living if I were in that type of condition. Yet for some reason Terri's wishes are not being carried out - there is a time to fight and a time to let one rest. In my opinion they should finally lay her body to rest and let it rejoin her spirit.
posted by Rainman @ 9:31 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
It's so sad to read your article. I guess that is your opinion. Let me ask you this, why don't we starve and dehydrate death row inmates, it would really clean up the jails OR why don't we starve and dehydrate animals who are untreatable? Because it is barbaric. If one animal died this way PETA would be so far up the organizations ass it is not even funny. I understand your thinking, save the rain forests and animals but forsake your fellow man. Life is not your decision, nor judges. It should not be political or a Gallop poll. It in fact is a miracle; miracles do happen just ask http://www.comarecovery.org.
Should we just start pulling feeding tubes out of everyone who can't bring a spoon to their mouths?
Well in response to anonymous' comments I would like to at least follow up on such statements.
First off, making the comparison between death row inmates and Terri Schiavo is ludicrous at best. Death row inmates may be referred to as dead men walking, but they are not in a permanent vegetative state.
The same argument can be made for the animals you mention, and what PETA's reaction would be to such an act. These animals didn't suffer severe brain damage or state that they would not like to live in that state.
Furthermore it is outrageous for you, anonymous; a person who didn't even want their name posted, to presume anything about me, certainly one based on a simple posting.
I realize of course that this is one of the inherent issues with allowing comments, and if I really wanted to I could simply trash this one. Yet this anonymous individual seemed to miss part of what I was talking about. Why did the GOP rally to save this individual all of the sudden?
In a bit of hypocrisy it was reported that Tom DeLay is, ummmm, a flip flopper?
The Los Angeles Times has revealed that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's family went through a similar ordeal as Schiavo's family. While Delay has denounced the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube as "an act of barbarism", he supported allowing his father to be taken off life support 16 years ago.
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