A Comment on Current Events

I find myself saddened over the news of Terri Shiavo's death. No matter what your thoughts on issues surrounding the sanctity of life, you have to admit there are a lot of questions around this case. Before I go on, I must say I am an ardent supporter of a person's right to dictate the terms of their life and death. But I also believe this is a very gray area that each person must define for themselves and that is what went wrong with Terri Schiavo. Instead of operating in the gray area, her husband decided to make the issue black and white and ultimately, Terri Schiavo died.
Personally, I question the motives of her husband. Being someone kept alive by a feeding tube is undesirable to most people, but I question the person who wants to stop nourishment after winning a million dollar settlement. If the person didn't want to be kept alive by artificial means, then why would you settle for $750K for her long term care and $300K for your own education to provide that care? Living in a vegatative state is not a quality of life I would wish for anyone, but I question a person who demands his wife die after seven years of living in that state. If it is an issue of finally losing hope, why did waning hope for life mean that life had to end?

I don't blame Michael Shiavo for having a girlfriend and children. I hear a lot of people playing up that fact, but his life didn't end with Terri's heart attack, only hers. I don't blame him for not wanting to see his wife suffer. I would just feel better about it if he was consistent. However, with money and a seven year memory gap, it leaves his motivations suspect. Why not just divorce her and let her family take over? What is the harm?

I have made my wishes known and have signed all the appropriate legal documents to ensure my wishes are carried out. So detailed are our plans, I even suggested a few songs for my funeral. (I am sure my girls will be completely disgusted with me when they are old enough to understand exactly what my plans are.) It was hard to make a plan, but watching this whole drama unfold, I am glad I did it. And that is what makes me sad. This whole thing could have been avoided so many different ways, but egos and lawyers got involved. And a very gray issue was defined in terms of black and white.