May you finally have Peace.
“On Eagle’s Wings”
And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Missy
My deepest sympathies to her family and to her husband.
–James
I am happy for her and sorry for her mother and father and glad this is over, at least in one sense.
BTW, there are thousands if not millions of Terri Schiavos in the world, but most of them aren’t middle class white ladies so they don’t get our attention in the same way. I don’t understand why her case has been so public recently, except for politics.
I don’t think “middle class white lady” has much to do with it. But I think you’re right when you point to politics: everyone from Jesse Jackson to Right to Life was trying to use her case as a springboard to further their own agenda.
It seems to me that one of the saddest parts of this situation was how few people were involved who didn’t have some agenda above and beyond Terri’s welfare.
–James
Perhaps. But it often is the case that in America if you’re a middle class white person you can get all kinds of media coverage for a crime that happens every day to all people in all walks of life (think Lacy Peterson or Jessica Smart, for example). This is even moreso the case if you happen to be a wealthy white person.
The courts ruled time and time again over a fifteen year period that it was Terri’s own wish to die in such a situation, so I don’t understand why any “religious leaders” or politicians even had to be involved. I do completely understand her parents’ fight to keep her alive, though.
I don’t want this to get to arguing politics or ethics or anything. Although, I do believe this whole Terri Schiavo thing has been carried way to far, and that politics has way to much to do with it. I dunno who else noticed it, but this whole thing has not only been running constantly on the U.S. news channels, but there was also quite a bit about it on the B.B.C. I also agree that there are way too many cases like this that get absolutely no attention at all because of one reason or another. BTW- “On Eagle’s Wings” is probably in my top 5 favorite church hymns.
Why can’t we all just get along? 
For the most part we do get along. It seems in situations like Terri Schiavo’s, though, when one side wants to allow an unconscious person to die and the other doesn’t, getting along is impossible.
I’m glad this particular piece of nastiness is almost over. There will now be the final round of libel and threats, maybe a crime or two, and we will be on our way to the next media circus. Who knows what will be next.
I’m sorry for all the people who were hurt. I hope time helps heal their wounds.
glauber wrote:
"Who knows what will be next. "
Unfortunately, we still have Michael Jackson…
(there’s a reason I watch very little TV “news”)
Missy
I don’t think “unconscious” is a good description…she had extensive brain damage. Although “brain-dead” sounds harsh, I believe it to be the more accurate term. To my understanding, as far as higher brain function, she was dead and has been dead for years.
–James
Hmm, point taken…I get terms like “unconscious”, “brain-dead”, “brain-damaged” and “persistant vegetative state” mixed up. It seems like they all have very clear medical definitions but nobody really uses them that way.
And Jesse Jackson (bless his soul) has managed to get involved in both.
I have to say that, having seen the videos of her, and her response to everything from her mother’s voice to music, I don’t buy for a minute that she was “brain dead” or even in a “persistent vegetative state.” And while she may or may not have expressed her distaste for being kept alive on a respirator (we only have the husband and one of his relatives word for that, and it was in a very specific situation in which another relative had died and was being kept functional on a respirator), that’s not the same thing as assenting to being systematically starved to death. What really got me was when the parents lawyers asked the hospice if she could be offered food and water by mouth (she was able to swallow), he was told flatly “our orders are no nutrition or hydration…period.” That just chilled me. They wouldn’t even let her attempt to eat or drink normally…they’d decided she was to die, and that was the end of that.
If one good thing has come out of all this, it’s that I now have a living will, and I’m urging my husband to do the same.
Redwolf
Jesse Jackson is also claiming that the reason Michael Jackson is being prosecuted is because he is black. 
May Terry rest in peace.
For the rest of us, this has set a new precedent - and I don’t like where it’s leading us. 
We won’t need social security when it eventually runs out of money, they’ll start killing us off by then. The only question is will government start it out or insurance companies (or the two in cahoots).
“unconscious”, “brain-dead”, “brain-damaged” and “persistant vegetative state” – all it takes is a group of lawyers to make up some new technobabble.
Well, I have no insurance and I sometimes really wish I had no government. 
Each person, I think, should have the ability to choose under what situations they wouldn’t want their life artificially preserved.
This is a personal, private issue for most of us, and we are hopeful that in spite of the media frenzy surrounding this case, that it can remain both personal and private.
The government shouldn’t be able to mandate this decision to you in either direction.
As for whether or not Terri Schiavo was brain-dead, her husband’s lawyer has sucessfully argued that she was, again and again. I really doubt strongly that he would have been able to decieve the court even once on this issue, much less again and again.
I have a deep respect for her husband and his tenacity in trying to make sure his wife’s wishes were carried out.
My heart goes out to him, and to her family. I wish them peace and healing.
–James
I agree, James. I also respect her husband for not parading himself all over the media like Terri’s parents and other family members have done. By not putting himself all over the news, he did his part to keep it a private family matter.
I actually understand Terri’s parents’ wanting to keep their daughter alive–she was their child, but their allowing themselves to be used by the media (and especially Fox News) they way they did was just sad.
I feel sorry for them for loosing their daughter but moreso for being used while in such a delicate situation, just to help TV ratings.
May her soul fly free. What an incredible ammount of trouble could have been saved if she’d only put her wishes int a legal document.
We all could be gone tomorrow… if you have a preference for what’s done or not done… please do yourself, your loved ones, the judicial system, and a vicarious nation the facvor of putting it into writing and having it notorized… make sure your loved ones, and doc’s have copies, and the local hospital as well. DH and I did this when I had to go in for surgery that threatened my future for sure… I got a miracle, but we were prepared for the worst. Saved a lot of worry and headache on top of the already serious situation.
Same with my bro, when he was going through a terminal illness, the docs wanted to treat him for things that were not going to help him at all… and if I hadn’t been on site, and his power of attorney, they would have done so.
Make it known, folks.