Schiavo tragedy

The Terry Schiavo case is permeating the news right now to the point that it is impossible to listen to the radio or watch TV news without hearing about it every 15 minutes or more. So let me add to that oversaturation and give my two cents worth (which is probably WAY more than my opinion is worth) on the topic.

Here's the deal: Terry's husband is her legal guardian. He says she said she didn't want to be kept alive this way in this condition. Her family disagrees and is fighting for her life.

Here's my deal: Why has this become a political issue? When did this become about pro-life? I'm an adament pro-lifer but my opinions on abortion do not dictate what I think about Terry's situation. The bottom line for me is, her husband (who presumably knew her best in the latter years of her non-vegetative life) says she said she didn't want to be kept alive like this. Apparently, she also made the same comment to others. Court after court after court (seven or eight now, I've lost count) have looked at the evidence and ruled in her husband's favor, agreeing that she didn't want to live like this.

I think part of what people are afraid is that this will become a slippery slope, and if Terry is taken off the feeding tube, then, in their minds, the government can do this to all of us and "put us down" when they think it's time. Last night on our local news, they had a woman on who has two children who both have serious birth defects that require them to live with the assistance of a feeding tube. She says she wrote as many Congressmen as she could to tell them to please let Terry's case get another review in federal court because if Terry's feeding tube is removed, then "they" could come and do the same thing to her children.

It made me so sad that this woman had so much fear about this because her situation is completely different from Terry's. Her children were never disability-free. They were never able to make sound, competent, adult decisions about whether they want to be kept alive in the event of a disability by artificial means and/or a feeding tube. Terry was disability-free at one time and she was capable of making a decision about whether she wanted to be kept alive like that.

Terry Schiavo's brother has been on all the news shows and he has made comments like he doesn't understand why the Florida judges all want to kill his sister. I seriously doubt the Florida judges are wanting to "kill" his sister. The judges have made their decisions based on the determination that removing the feeding tube is what Terry wanted. They have not made their decisions because they think that Terry should die because of her vegetative state. There is a huge difference there.

It is such a tragedy no matter what you think should be done. Seeing a loved one die due to lack of nutrition (starving to death, as everyone's been saying) must be a horrible thing to watch. As a mother, I can't even imagine having to watch that happen to my child. And, truthfully, I would probably fight just as much as they have to keep my daughter alive. It's just a sad, sad situation.

Now would be a good time to plug the Living Will or Physician's Directive or whatever it may be called in your state. This document puts down on paper your wishes for everyone to see in the event you become totally disabled. You can adjust this document to your own wishes, asking for however much or little medical intervention you want to keep you alive in the event you are totally disabled. I have one (do you hear that, loved ones?) that directs family and doctors to NOT keep me alive by artificial means or feeding tube. If I'm like that, just let me go home to be with the Lord, where there is no pain or suffering and I'm changed to be like Him and I can spend all my time worshipping Him. Do I hear an Amen?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!