Right to Die?

Two good slate articles about the Schiavo debacle....

Pretty biased:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2115124/

and Pretty fair:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2115123/

It's such a sad, sad situation. Personally I believe that it's been adjudicated for over a decade and that congress (pretty much the republican side only on this one) is completely overstepping its bounds while at the same time being patently hypocritical in its declaration of protecting a "culture of life." A quote: "'We should investigate every avenue before we take the life of a living human being,' said DeLay, R-Texas. 'That's the very least we can do for her.'" ABC News: Congress Announces Deal in Schiavo Case. This is the same reason our "culture of life" goes to war at the flip of a switch? Ah but the value of this life must be greater than the value of some other life. I get it..... Hypocrisy and blatant politicization of an issue.

In regards to the issue at hand it just strikes yet again in what it means to be living. She is in a vegetative state. This is everything that the name implies. So is she really alive? Biologically of course she is, but how about mentally? I mean, one who believes in the afterlife could argue that she's trapped in her body, unable to reach heaven. We are keeping her alive when there is a statistically 0% chance that she will recover.

And this isn't going to start some sort of slippery slope where we start exterminating all those who are cognitively disabled. This was a single instance of something that happens all the time around the country that was blown out of proportion and latched on to by the media and then of course our politicians. My advice to you though is to make it clear what you wish to happen to you if you should ever become vegetative. It's a terrible situation that everyone involved in the case is in.

If it weren't so damn illegal and power abusing what congress is doing, I would probably agree with them on just letting her continue being fed. I mean, I think it's insane to think she'll recover, but I guess it gives the parents some sort of strange peace in holding on then go for it. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see how it plays out.

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