Terri Schiavo's Guardians

Sometimes I think the different parties draw arbitrary lines on an issue and start fighting. The minute that some issue is important to one party, it becomes paramount for the opposition to defeat it. The end result is that each side sometimes defends principles they usually assail, such as an overreaching central authority or state's rights.

I have no doubt that had the Republicans wanted the plug pulled because she was on state support, Democrats would be up in arms over preserving her life.

Somewhere hidden in the Schiavo case is the whole issue of abortion. Life is very important but I reject the opinon of Fred Barnes of Fox News that Terri has some Right to Life. That's patently ridiculous. A person wrecks their car and dies. Were their rights violated? Doctors decide daily that a patient just isn't going to make it. It's a tough decision but they are the most knowledgeable. They don't try to keep terminally ill patients alive for a few moments more, because it just wastes resources. Why? Because at some point before death, life stops.

I'm not even sure why the Democrats have a dog in this fight, especially when they are championing state's rights. They had better be careful because this guy, Michael Schiavo, isn't so clean. He got a million dollars in a law suit over his wife's death so that he could take care of her and then somehow put her on Medicaid. I certainly can sympathize with the parents (my wife used to work with Bob and, according to her, he is a nice person), but parents are too emotional. My mom would want my big toe kept on life support if I was blown up and all they found was a damaged foot. I'm sure the parents of Terri are too obsessed. Their daughter is gone and they can't face it. Most parents can't.

I've read the report of the doctor that was assigned to her. He saw no sign of cognitive thought. Still, I can only speak to the flawed motivations of both parties in this fight. I can't say what should be done because I don't know. I wish we could create a medical board that could give up and down decisions on these things instead of handing it over to lawyers where it becomes a political battle. I do know that I would in no way want to be kept alive for 15 years with people waiving balloons in my face, saying that in five years they may be able to get me to swallow gatorade. That ain't life. Isn't that one of the reasons for Operation Iraqi Freedom? We feel that people would rather die than live as prisoners.

One last point is that we, taxpayers, have been Terri's guardians for going on a decade. The majority of those taxpayers think she ought to be allowed to die. And for those that think she is being tortured by withholding food? My God. If she's in torture now what has she been through for the past 15 years?