Yet Even More on Terri

Ken AshfordAssisited Suicide/Schiavo, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

Right winger Neil Boortz has the courage to see what this is is about, and he ain’t afraid to say it:

At the center of the Terri Schiavo tragedy is America’s anti-abortion movement.  Notice, please, the presence of Randall Terry.  The fact is that the anti-abortion movement has seized Terri Schiavo … figuratively kidnapped her .. and they intend to use this woman to further their anti-abortion agenda.  They will entomb the soul of Terri Schiavo  in her now-useless body as long as it suits their agenda. 

The language of those who would continue the imprisonment of Terri Schiavo is odd, if not amusing.  She’s referred to as disabled, in a coma or just brain damaged.  She is not "disabled" in the normal context of the word.  Her body is, for all practical purposes, dead … being kept alive solely through extraordinary artificial means.   She’s not in a coma.  People recover from comas.  Her condition is diagnosed as a "persistent vegetative state."   There is no medical record of someone  recovering from a persistent vegetative state.  This is not a state of brain damage.  It is, for all practical purposes, brain death. 

The absurdities of this case would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic.  Terri’s family said last year that they wanted to take her to the mall, and for other field trips.  Of course, those trips never happened; just as Terri will never testify before a congressional committee.  We also have the blatant attempts to turn the attention away from Terri’s condition and to her husband.  His crime?  He says, and the courts have agreed, that he is merely carrying out wishes expressed to him by his wife.  Listen to the Schiavo family and you will hear that her husband her condition was caused by a beating at the hands of her husband.  It wasn’t.  You’ll hear that her husband stands to rack up huge piles of money as soon as Terri dies.  He won’t. 

Now put yourself in this position. You’re watching TV with your spouse one night and see a show about someone on life support. You tell your husband or wife that you don’t want to ever be in that state, and would they please pull the plug should you ever become incapacitated. However, you don’t write it down, and apparently don’t tell your parents. Tragedy strikes, and only your spouse knows your true wishes. Should your spouse be ignored in favor of your parents who want to keep you alive at all costs?

Michael Schiavo has turned down $10 million to terminate his rights in this case. He says he just wants to do what Terry wanted. Who’s right? Doesn’t the spouse come before the parents in any marriage? Time for everybody to write down what their wishes are, so this doesn’t happen to you.

I’m sure that there is no shortage of people who think that I’m possessed by some evil spirit.  No.  I’m just sad that Terri’s spirit or soul .. whatever you want to call it … is trapped in this useless body.  Her parents’ love has clouded their judgment.  This can be understood and excused.  What can’t be excused is the cruelty of the so-called "right to life" movement that will allow this woman to continue to suffer s long as their own needs are met.

Now, a question.  How many of you can honestly say that you would like to be kept alive, for 20, 40, 50 years or more like this? If you wouldn’t want this for yourself, why do so many of you work so hard to force this reality on Terri Schiavo?  Oh .. I forgot.  You’re pro-life.  Well isn’t that special.