On Terri Schiavo

The political and media attention being given to the Terri Schiavo case sickens me. One family's personal tragedy has been turned into a media spectacle, and everyone has been hurt because of it. Terri has languished between life and death for 15 years now, and been turned into a rag doll for political partisans. Michael Schiavo has been called every name in the book from wife beater to murderer -- even by powerful congressmen. Terri's parents and family have been manipulated by the right wing machine, hoping to score political points off their daughter. They still haven't come to terms with Terri's brain death and what that means.

I do not like the messy policy that has been coming from conservatives at all levels of government as they rush to appease their Christian right base. I do not like the rhetoric that has been coming from the right, including calling supporters of Michael's right to see to his wife's last wishes as "pro-death." This is a grave insult to everyone who has faced a similar heartbreaking decision in their own family, and to the vast majority who would not want to be kept alive artificially in Terri's condition.

I feel great pain for Terri Schiavo's parents. They are in a very tough situation. I wish that they had been able to come to terms with Terri's fate and her wishes. I hope that they're able to understand and forgive.

I've read a great deal of testimony from those who've gone through the agonizing process, and a lot of good writing about the issues involved. Here are a few links. I encourage you to read them all.

Jeff Fecke: The Pro-Death Crowd: "My mother's decision was nothing of the sort. She didn't want her mother to die, not ever. She misses her to this day. But when the moment came, my mom made the right decision. It was not barbaric. It was not evil. It was loving, and I'll be damned if I ever believe otherwise."

JulieIde (Daily Kos): My nephew's feeding tube was removed: "The body that had held Tim lived for five months.  Alice and Bill removed the feeding tube in April;  after intensive research, this was the method Alice and Bill found to be the most painless and humane way to let him go.  On Mother's Day Tim's body died."

Jeff Fecke: The Death of Terri Schiavo: "There is nothing to be happy about in this case. There will be no winners, only losers. The Terri Schiavo case is a disaster for all involved. For her husband, it is a disaster because he has been forced to watch the woman he loved, who died fifteen years ago, held fast in between this world and the next. For her parents, it is a disaster because they were unwilling to let go of their daughter--not that any of us can blame them--and because they were given false hope by those who saw a potential political football in Terry."

Chris Rangel, MD: A long slow death in Florida: "The most metabolically active area of the brain and the first to be damaged when the supply of oxygen is interrupted for more than a few minutes is called the cebreal cortex. This is a thin layer of brain matter that is responsible for most of the higher brain functions including memory, sensory perception, planning, motivation, personality, and conscious thought. It is this layer that makes us who we are and it is this layer that has been almost completely destroyed in Terri Schiavo."

Jack Balkin: The Schiavo controversy, the pro-life movement, judicial restraint, and federalism: "Finally, the Congressional Republicans' moves also suggest that if Roe v. Wade were overturned, the matter would not be left to the states, as so many pro-life politicians have advocated in the past, but would quickly become a fight over federal legislation outlawing abortion nationwide. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Lindsay Beyerstein: Lies Terri Schiavo's parents told me: "The Schiavo case presents no intricate medical, ethical, or legal dilemmas. Abstract Appeal's comprehensive legal chronology shows just how straightforward this case should have been. Michael Schiavo is Terri's legal guardian, the courts have determined that Terri wouldn't want a feeding tube, and Michael asked the doctors to take the tube out. That's really all there is to it. The Terri Schiavo appeal is a vicious and lavishly-funded propaganda campaign. Terri's parents and their allies are using pseudoscience and character assassination to destroy Michael Schiavo. The right wing is eating it up. If progressives don't counter these blatant misrepresentations now, the Terri Schiavo myths will be used against us for years to come."