Terri Schiavo

Oh, jesus. This is SOOOO bad and the woman's family have done nothing but make hateful comments (many of which appear to be flat-out lies) about this woman's husband while every politician has stood on this woman's incapacitated body to win voters.

The tape they keep showing over and over was made a few years ago and covers less than six minutes of a six hour tape. By the best estimates, this woman has been in a persistent vegetative state for most of fifteen years and will not improve (the only doctors who've said she would are NOT specialists in the field of damage she has suffered).

In every poll I've seen today, 9 out of 10 people say they would not want to live in that state. Had Terri given any indication she would like to live this way, I don't think we'd be hearing about this case. But a court decided that it was her wish to die should she get in this state. A court decided her feeding tube should be removed.

When I was four, my father suffered the last of a series of brain hemorrhages that left him in a persistent coma. The VA hospital suggested to my mother that his life support should be disconnected (our government representatives) but the decision was left to my mother. This vibrant 39-year-old man who loved every breath and everything he ever did was gone at that time. She was with him when they disconnected his life support. I was very angry at times in my childhood at knowing this was done because "what if....". But in adulthood, I understand how this decision gets made.

I would not want to be Terri Schiavo. I would not want to be her husband or parents. But I suggest the selfish people here are her parents. They cannot conceive of life without her so they have consigned her to a life that is not a life. Barring convincing proof that she WOULD have wanted to be kept alive in any state, it is time to respect the decision of her legal guardian in letting her die.

I do wish, however, that the method of death was not withholding food or water. While I've read doctors who believe this is nowhere near as horrific or inhumane as it sounds, and indeed, in her current state, medical science would not suggest she would be aware of the effects on her body. But I would not wish that death on anyone just as I would not wish a life like Terri Schiavo's as lived now on anyone.

Shame on the politicians. Shame on the parade of crazy-loos all parading into this woman's hospice room, invading the privacy of so many others, so they can come out and insist this woman is "fine". One woman shown on CNN said she went in - no relation, no friend - and that Terri was awake and talking. That's the level of discourse we've come down to - a religious nut invading this woman's privacy and coming out to spout delusions.

I do not say 'shame you' on the parents. While I do not agree with what they're doing, I can understand their response. It's so hard to let go.

But I tell you, the money and energy that has been expended because of their efforts (but not paid for by them) on this case could have saved any number of lives in Florida alone. Florida is turning away poor kids and adults for medical services because of their financial woes. But because this is a high profile case for politicians, it's much better to make a woman who has little brain function into a cause celebre than worry about people who are still alive and thinking.