Monday, March 21, 2005

Life or Liberty

I have resisted blogging on Terry Schiavo case because it is a hot button for so many people. The right to life advocates on one side, and what, the right to liberty on the other? At any rate, it is a no win situation for me. I'm going to piss somebody off; more than likely, I'm going to piss a lot of people off. No worries, post whatever response you would like. I appreciate different points of view, and who knows, I could be wrong.

I find myself in a place where I am upset by this weekends attempt by the US Congress to subvert our liberty based on religious ideology. Today, a federal court judge heard arguments in the Schiavo case after the case had already been settled at the Florida State level. The Judge Won't Issue Decision on Schiavo Yet, but the Judge is expected to do so by email sometime in the near future. Schiavo's husband, who has been trying to help his wife realize her wishes, is again being subjected to a potentially lengthy court battle. This mess exists because of the confusion over what the definition of a "persistent vegetative state" actually means. Schiavo's parents reject science, reject independent medical evaluations, and reject the law of our land, they instead choose to believe a giggle or some other reflexive movement signifies sentience. Schiavo's parents are supported in their effort by the Right to Life Movement; this cannot be a good thing. The Right to Life Movement has an agenda, it involves abortion, and they are militant. Who is being irrational here?

Terry Schiavo died 15 years ago. Every assertion as to impropriety, abuse, or neglect raised by Schiavo’s parents has been disproved, in some cases numerous times. Schiavo’s doctors, and independent court appointed doctors have all verified she is in a constant vegetative state. Schiavo is never coming back, whoever she was, died long ago. Now Schiavo is a sad pawn of the Right to Life Movement and has become the victim of her own parent’s misguided efforts to save her. Schiavo’s personal liberty is the issue, she is being denied her right, as gruesome as it may be, to end her own life.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No one has bothered to discuss the burden it places on society either.

Furthermore, there have been a lot of focus shifts from Terri to her husband. This is not about him. It is about what she said she wanted while she was still in the presence of mind to do so.