Schiavo

On the way to work this morning, my radio informed me that several conservative senators, including DeLay, were trying to subpoena Terri in order to circumvent the ruling that would allow the feeding tube to be removed today.

While this is, for the time being a moot point, it caused me great distress. To think that lawmakers would actually summon a living corpse to be questioned is macabre at best, probably evil. I've heard that this would just be a delaying tactic so that Terri would not be "allowed" to die in the interim. Why are these conservatives working so hard to make this final act more difficult for everyone (supporters and opponents alike) than it needs to be?

Ostensibly the senators and their supporters are arguing for the right to life. Not to be confused with the slogan for anti-abortion activists, but as in "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". But where are these senators when men are being not passively let to die, but executed as a state decree? What about the right to life of the 1500+ American soldiers killed in Iraq alone?

Despite my disgust with many of the policies of the right-wing, I can see that the above arguments make nice counter-strike statements, but are not strictly analogous to the issue at hand. One could convincingly argue that someone sentenced to die gave up his right to life when the crime was committed. One can also argue that the military, as it stands, is volunteer. Supposedly, these 18-year old kids know what they are getting into.

"Ostensibly" I said about the senators because there is very little doubt in my mind this is merely political posturing to hold the attention of the moral vote. Remember, these are the same politicians that make exceptions in their own cases when they see fit, but expect the rest of America to abide by their rules in all other cases. This is what makes the subpoena so grotesque. Not one of these senators truly care about her life, not one will shed a single tear when she dies (whether of old age or the feeding tube being removed). The hypocrisy is palpable and makes me shake with anger and nausea.

One caller on a local talk-radio show that I listened to this morning suggested that it would be a good thing for Terri to actually be called to "testify" before the senate. My initial reaction was, and still is, utter disgust, but as he stated his point, it almost made sense. He reasoned that only by the spectacle of this poor women being wheeled, for all intents lifeless, to the senate floor would the outrageousness of the subpoena be truly exposed. As a tactic I would agree. But as a feeling human being, this is just too much. We can not allow this woman to become the unwitting poster-person for either side of the debate.

We need to remember that this is one woman, and one family. We callously ignore the millions of people who die each day for lack of simple vaccinations, for lack of water, for lack of food. We complain about the cost of fuel while we could make such a huge difference by giving just the slightest bit more out of our pockets. I don't mean to preach here. I am as short-sighted and willfully ignorant as the rest of you. My point is that it is insane that the government is getting involved in the life of this one person, while so much suffering is being ignored. Can you imagine what could be accomplished if the combined efforts of the Schiavo-life brigade dedicated 1/10 of their inertia into a more meaningful purpose?

Do I feel for the parents? Of course I do. Having become a father relatively recently, I find the possibility of outliving my child unthinkable. But let's be honest. Terri Shiavo is dead, in all the ways that matter. Just a generation or two ago and she would not have "lived" this long. Her parents wish very strongly to keep her alive. While sad, this is not to be unexpected. The strongest right-to-die proponent would find it difficult to give up a loved one in a similar situation.

Do I acknowledge the civilian supporters of Terri's right to life? Of course I do. They have taken up a flag against the evils of secularism, liberalism and modernity. I'm just not sure that their knee-jerk reaction is carefully considered. Of course, perhaps I should remove the log from my own eye before I comment on the speck in the eye of these people. I honestly believe that they honestly believe that they are right. I just don't agree.

Many people have asked "Why doesn't the husband simply let the parents take care of Terri?". On the surface this seems like a reasonable request. He has a new life. But what they are not seeing is that they have answered their own question. To put it another way, why would a man continue this legal fight for years and years instead of taking the easy way out? The only reason that I can think of is that he still loves her. This is a love that many of us may never experience. He is willing to fight because he knows what she wanted when she was still alive - to die peacefully and with a modicum of dignity. How else to explain the tears he must have shed, the money he must have spent and the hatred he must have endured in order to end her life?

This is a tragedy, but not for America. This is a tragedy for a family in America. I think that we should let them continue to fight, or make peace, or hate. Just let them do it alone.

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