Terri Schiavo
Terri died the other day, and family feud still goes on with husband and in-laws and society. We are a beast. Are we not? Trying to pull all our efforts to play Judge and judgment. It was a fascinating ride on many accounts, and none of them had to really do with the simple issue: a woman was dying; a woman had died.
Terri had three deaths, one took place 15 years ago when she went into her altered, faded state; another death happened when the battle between parents and husband and government commenced; and the final death was more of a release from this world and all our silliness.
I do not feel sad that Terri has died. In truth, I rejoice. I can't help but to place myself in her position and what I would want. Beyond a shadow of doubt, (and let this serve as a living will), do not perform any extraordinary means to keep me alive. Allow me to pass from this life into the next. Death is not the enemy; it is but a passage way into a rebirth or at worst: silence. "Living" in Terri's condition is not living at all, and I hope that my loved ones will have enough love to release me from that prison. I am not just a heart beating, a brain flicking, uncontrolled smiles, eyes fluttering. My essence is in my aliveness, my passion, my voice. When these are no more -- I am no more. Do not fear death, my friends, though sad, it is Life's last signature. Life's way to begin again.
That being said, the process at which Terri had to pass from this world into the next was not very humane, whether she could feel pain or not. After the judgment was made by the courts to not reinsert the feeding tube, they were in essence passing a judgment of death. So be it, but let's make it smooth and painless. Why not give her a lethal dose of morphine? I did not understand that. Were we pretending that by not reinserting the tube that we were not responsible for her death? Make no mistake: the sentence was death when it was ordered for the feeding tube not to be reinserted. Why not make the death gentle? We, (i.e., the courts), show more respect for inmates on death row than we did for Terri, at least the ones who die by lethal injection. We show more respect for horses with broken legs, than we did for Terri. I did not understand this.
I have to admit, it was rather humorous when the president made some statement about erring on the side of life rather than death. Was anyone else laughing at this two-faced idiocy? Come on! His spokespersons should have cautioned him gently about what to say and what not to say. Did George Bush look at his own record? Did he realize that he was responsible for 152 death row murders when he was governor of Texas, including the murders . . . I mean . . . Executions of the mentally ill? Did he forget that he is ultimately responsible for all the "Friendly" fire and killing of innocent civilians in the war he started in Iraq? Have some dignity -- REMAIN SILENT. Don't insult the American intelligence by babbling some political rhetoric that holds as much truth as a colander of water. The saddest part about his statements is that I don't think many of his supporters realize the irony, or will acknowledge the irony.
Finally, on this Terri Schiavo case, I hope that the husband's motives were as pure as he stated they were. I hope they were not just spiteful. I fear the worst. I believe that he loved her, but what made him not relinquish his rights as a husband over to her parents? Was it just to protect Terri's wishes not to be kept alive on life support or feeding tubes? I've heard some ramblings that he refused to divorce her because of his faith beliefs. I hope he did not say this. For if this is true, then his faith would include not living in sexual union with a woman outside of marriage. Michael is currently engaged and has two children with his fiance.
So many issues . . . So convoluted.
Terri had three deaths, one took place 15 years ago when she went into her altered, faded state; another death happened when the battle between parents and husband and government commenced; and the final death was more of a release from this world and all our silliness.
I do not feel sad that Terri has died. In truth, I rejoice. I can't help but to place myself in her position and what I would want. Beyond a shadow of doubt, (and let this serve as a living will), do not perform any extraordinary means to keep me alive. Allow me to pass from this life into the next. Death is not the enemy; it is but a passage way into a rebirth or at worst: silence. "Living" in Terri's condition is not living at all, and I hope that my loved ones will have enough love to release me from that prison. I am not just a heart beating, a brain flicking, uncontrolled smiles, eyes fluttering. My essence is in my aliveness, my passion, my voice. When these are no more -- I am no more. Do not fear death, my friends, though sad, it is Life's last signature. Life's way to begin again.
That being said, the process at which Terri had to pass from this world into the next was not very humane, whether she could feel pain or not. After the judgment was made by the courts to not reinsert the feeding tube, they were in essence passing a judgment of death. So be it, but let's make it smooth and painless. Why not give her a lethal dose of morphine? I did not understand that. Were we pretending that by not reinserting the tube that we were not responsible for her death? Make no mistake: the sentence was death when it was ordered for the feeding tube not to be reinserted. Why not make the death gentle? We, (i.e., the courts), show more respect for inmates on death row than we did for Terri, at least the ones who die by lethal injection. We show more respect for horses with broken legs, than we did for Terri. I did not understand this.
I have to admit, it was rather humorous when the president made some statement about erring on the side of life rather than death. Was anyone else laughing at this two-faced idiocy? Come on! His spokespersons should have cautioned him gently about what to say and what not to say. Did George Bush look at his own record? Did he realize that he was responsible for 152 death row murders when he was governor of Texas, including the murders . . . I mean . . . Executions of the mentally ill? Did he forget that he is ultimately responsible for all the "Friendly" fire and killing of innocent civilians in the war he started in Iraq? Have some dignity -- REMAIN SILENT. Don't insult the American intelligence by babbling some political rhetoric that holds as much truth as a colander of water. The saddest part about his statements is that I don't think many of his supporters realize the irony, or will acknowledge the irony.
Finally, on this Terri Schiavo case, I hope that the husband's motives were as pure as he stated they were. I hope they were not just spiteful. I fear the worst. I believe that he loved her, but what made him not relinquish his rights as a husband over to her parents? Was it just to protect Terri's wishes not to be kept alive on life support or feeding tubes? I've heard some ramblings that he refused to divorce her because of his faith beliefs. I hope he did not say this. For if this is true, then his faith would include not living in sexual union with a woman outside of marriage. Michael is currently engaged and has two children with his fiance.
So many issues . . . So convoluted.
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