The Laughing Wolf

Some Thoughts On Terri Schiavo

I don't have the time to do this justice, and there are several things here that demand justice and not the least of them is Terri herself. Baldilocks, as usual, sums it up.

The fact is, I do support the right to die. I think it important, and far too important to be left to the posturing classes, for ownership of ourselves and our bodies is the most fundamental property right. I have made clear to those in my life when I want no heroic measures and when I want to fight. When a person has made such clear, in writing and/or otherwise, honor the wishes. When in doubt, come down on the side of life.

There are things about this case that stink to high heaven. Others have hashed them out and discussed them in detail, so I will not. I will note that while it may not be a medical necessity according to the doctors representing the husband, doing a PET scan would settle the matter of her state fairly quickly and is therefore a legal and political necessity. The fact that such is being fought so strongly is interesting, to say the least. No, you don't want an MRI given her implants, unless you really do want to kill her.

As for those who feel that starving her to death will be peaceful and such, I ask you to contact the local humane society. There is footage out there of just how peaceful, painless, and dignified a death it is for any number of animals. If that is not your cup of tea, I would point out that a Nazi tactic reserved for certain people who really annoyed them was starvation, and if memory serves there may be some documentary footage of those executions as well. If a person is aware, they do feel it and it is not pleasant at all. While I fear where all the politics and such in this case will lead, one thing remains true in regards to removing her feeding tube:

This stinks. Plain and simple.

LW