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Err on the Side of Life?
I don't know that I have any strong opinions about Terri Schiavo to share, but here are a few thoughts. If I were in a persistent vegetative state I certainly wouldn't want to burden my husband, my kids, or the state with the immense hospital bills to keep me alive. That said, I certainly wouldn't want to make that call for anyone else, even though I think most people would feel the same way.
I would like to make a living will for myself which would alleviate everyone from having to make such horrible decisions on my behalf. But I don't think I'd want to starve to death (I've heard it's not very pleasant) and I think that would be my only legal option if I were in a similar situation. I would want some humane lethal injection, quick and easy. Seems really crazy to me - I could make a living will saying I give permission for the doctor's to allow me to die a slow, painful death by starvation, but I can't give them permission to allow me to die much more humanely.
On the radio today I heard a quote by Bush saying that this was a complicated situation and in complicated situations he prefers to err on the side of life. This must be a recent development on his part, but I was glad to hear of it.
4 comments
I heard this topic discussed on talk radio today. The point the Dr. made was that while they could not give a lethal injection that would directly end her life she could be medicated so she would feel little to no pain or discomfort while starving. 
i guess it's obvious i haven't been keeping up with this story a whole lot. and i'm not even sure what someone in that state is capable of feeling or being aware of. but the idea of starving to death still sounds pretty grim. 
This must be a recent development on his partQuote of the day.
i know everybody's sick to death of the whole schaivo deal and i really haven't been following it very closely, but i came across this slate article (http://www.slate.com/id/2115208/) via another blog and thought this was an interesting point:7. In addition to the rights all people enjoy, Ms. Schiavo has a statutory right under the Americans With Disabilities Act not to be treated differently because of her disability. Obviously, Florida law would not allow a husband to kill a nondisabled wife by starvation and dehydration; killing is not ordinarily considered a private family concern or a matter of choice. It is Ms. Schiavo's disability that makes her killing different in the eyes of the Florida courts. Because the state is overtly drawing lines based on disability, it has the burden under the ADA of justifying those lines.
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