[at-l] the challenges of our faith, morality and life

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

I appreciate TT's sharing of his personal experience, William's commentary 
and OB's sage advice on this topic. As one who has experienced the death of 
a relative who did tell us, but not put in writing, that she did not want 
extraordinary means used to prolong life it is my observation that the 
Terri Schiavo media furor around Terri is less about her than about our own 
fear, the fear of death. It seems that many believe that physical life, 
even one trapped in a body we cannot control at the most minimal level, 
through which we cannot communicate or interact in any way with those 
around us is preferable to the afterworld we allege we believe in.

I feel sorry for Terri. If she has no consciousness, what is keeping her 
body alive by artificial means doing to her soul? Is it bound to that body 
that has no hope of recovery? If not, what is the use of keeping the body 
animate but not "alive" with a resident soul? If she has minimal 
consciousness, as one neurologist suggests *may* be the case, who would 
want to live like that for decades. Without medical intervention she would 
have been dead long ago. We have already played God by prolonging her life. 
Is it really any different than standing back and saying "we can't do any 
more for this person"?

I feel sorry for Michael Schiavo. He is accused of wanting her to die so he 
can keep for himself all the money from the lawsuit over the mistreatment 
that put Terri in that bed, money that reportedly is long gone paying for 
her care and if it wasn't all spent on that is certainly gone from court 
costs defending his instructions to the doctors. The easy way out would be 
to divorce her and thus remove himself as the responsible party. When he 
stands to gain nothing, is being hammered by the media, numerous 
'religious' groups, and even the US Congress, I can only conclude that he 
is continuing the battle because he is doing what he truly believes Terri 
wanted him to do in this situation. Having been in a similar though far 
less intense situation I know that it is a painful and difficult one even 
in the absence of all that. To assume that otherwise is to judge him to be 
a totally heartless being.

As TT observed there has been far too little "walking in another's shoes" 
in the media coverage and the emotional orgy over this case. Like William I 
lament the inequity in the level of health care in this country and I echo 
OB's advice to make your loved ones aware (preferably in writing - see 
<http://www.agingwithdignity.org/5wishes.html>) of how you wish to meet 
your end.