Terri Schiavo Case

Yahoo! News - Schiavo's Parents Urge Court to Act Soon
I find this case very disturbing. I do not believe in using extraordinary measures to prolong life when there is no reasonable hope of recovery. Several years ago, I helped write a letter asking for a respirator to be removed from a dear friend who had been "brain dead" for over a week. I don't think I'm an extremist on this issue.

But since when do food and water consitute heroic measures? There seems to be enough doubt as to what Terri Schiavo's wishes may have been, about her relationship to her husband, about his present commitment to her -- as President Bush said, surely it would be better to err on the side of life.

It shouldn't be surprising that the American Civil Liberties Union has decided that the right to die outweighs the right to life.

At the same time, I know that there is probably no hope for recovery, and I wouldn't want to be "maintained" for such a long period of time. I would hope that my family could let me go. But since, in this case, they can't, it would seem that the husband would divorce her (he doesn't seem to have regarded the marriage vows as sacred to this point, which to me invalidates his right to be the sole decision maker), and let those who wish to continue to care for her do so.