Terri Schiavo IS on life support. She cannot live without the feeding tube. Her eyes dart around the room and she sometimes moans when people touch her, but she has no consciousness. She is not aware of herself or her surroundings. She is a breathing body with a liquified brain.
In American the husband legally dominates the parents of his spouse in making decisions for that spouse. It is part of our legal code. If your wife had gone brain dead when she was twenty-five and it is fifteen years later, it is not hard to imagine that you would have finally given up on her recovering and started a new relationship. That does not necessarily mean that you want to torture her to death, but that you are trying to do the decent thing after a very difficult fifteen years.
The testimony of several people who Terri made comments to about her desire not to live with tubes would be valid evidence to most people, including judges. Almost no one would choose to live in the way that she is. It is very unlikely that she would have wanted to live like a vegetable with a feeding tube. How many people have you heard assert that wish?
Most Americans believe she should be allowed to die. Including, as I stated earlier, a clear majority of EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. My point of view is one I came to gradually over time, and doesn't have anything to do pro or con with how "bible thumpers" feel. I don't remember anything in the Bible about the majesty or rightness of keeping someone alive by artificial means who for all practical purposes died 15 years ago. Many religious people do not feel that it is compassionate, either. I do think that all the millions of people all over the world who live on garbage dumps--the ones who are the parents of the 40,000 or so children who die of treatable diseases every day--probably find this spectacle quite peculiar. I think America kind of went nuts this week, and many are not thinking very clearly or broadly.
Either side in this mess might or might not write a book. So what? It is the Schindlers who violate their daughter's privacy constantly by provoking the endless playing of video clips that are several years old. I have not seen any instances of Michael Schiavo violating her privacy.
Questioning someone's reasoning is fairly normal when you are trying to have a civil discussion with them and they keep flying off the handle, being totally emotional instead of considering factual material. As an example, you continue to assert that Terri is being tortured, when this is not the case. She has no awareness, AND she is not in pain. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But you are fighting dirty, misrepresenting my position on an issue that is not even relevant to this one. That is very disruptive and violates the thread rules here. You were banned and I unbanned you because you promised you would behave yourself. I did not try to stir up any old issues about how you misbehaved, and was willing to start over and give you another chance. I am not willing to continue to do that, however. I would think that people who were banned and came back would stay on their best behavior. If you are unwilling to do that, I will ban you again. Clear?
P.S. It's PETA, not PITA. |
