Re: I'm no "softie" but I'm puzzled by the whole affair and, particularly, her death sentence. In fact, her clinical condition, whatever it was, was completely irrelevant.
I disagree. I believe the clinical condition of a human being is relevant... I, for one, am of the opinion that Mrs Terri Schiavo died fifteen years ago on that fateful day when she suffered her brain stroke. Ever since, what remained of her was a mere flabby carcass --what used to be Mrs Schiavo's body.
Suppose you end up in a similar predicament, imagine some surgeon removed half of your brain (lobotomy) and then put you back in your kin's custody... How are we and your family supposed to cope with that? We'll have to face the sad if cruel situation: the person who used to be Searle Sennett is dead --as dead as Elvis.
Now, does it mean that all we have to do is just "pull the plug" on your vegetative remnant? Since I've already assumed you dead, the question, from my point of view, comes down to maintaining, supporting the life of ANOTHER quasi-human being... which brings us to the (relevant) issue of "its" clinical condition.
You overlook the possibility that a brain-damaged carcass might still suffer and undergo excruciating pains and yet be unable to express them! Just like you don't hear a fish cry and wail after it's been hooked by the fisherman... Those fifteen years of prolonged life may have amounted to "torture" for the hapless Mrs Schiavo. Like a fish pulled out of the sea and gasping for oxygen... Those who've lost "all sense of direction, proportion and humanity" are, imo, the "pro-life" nuts who, at the same time, feel exhilarated at frying inmates on death row.... Their hysteria about the Schiavo case amounted to a sort of necro-fetishism.
Gus |
