Volume III. No. 36
 04-01-05
 The Terri Schiavo Death Watch Has Finally Ended
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2005
 

 Terri Schiavo is dead. Finally, this severely brain-damaged forty-one year old 
 woman has drifted across into the realm of the peacefully dead. Curiously, it is the 
 faithful who would have denied her this respite from her tortured existence.

 Why the fear of her death, if her ultimate destiny was to walk in heaven amongst 
 the angels? Instead, the argument was put forth that the mere maintenance of her 
 body - her organs - somehow meant that Terri was still with is. That she was
 "in there" somewhere, locked way and unable to communicate.

 This was not an argument without merit. But, it was no stronger or correct an 
 argument than those who claimed that it was Michael Schiavos' duty to defend
 the wishes of his wife. This despite the fact that he has a second family with
 another woman.

 He was still Terri's legal husband, and this in the eyes of the law, that fact trumps 
 all.

 Never has a matter so illustrated the necessity of keeping religion out of the halls 
 of government. Rabid politicians from the Religious Right still bluster - even in the 
 first hours after Mrs. Schiavos death - that they will hold the judicary accountable
 for disregarding the intentions of Congress and of the president in the matter of
 Mrs. Schiavo's health care. This despite the fact that legal scholars believed Congress
 was out of line in interfering in the judical processes of the Florida state courts.

 This was seconded by solid poll numbers that Americans from both sides of the 
 political spectrum were deeply offended, if not frightened, by the aggressiveness 
 of politicians in Washington. Make no mistake, this interference from Capitol Hill 
 was based upon the so-called "culture of life" that President Bush speaks so reverently 
 of. The decision of the Florida courts to allow the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding 
 tube was not a result they were comfortable with, so Bush and Co. went fishing 
 in the friendlier waters of the federal court system, and were denied there also.

 As if the actions of irresponsible politicians in the Nation's Capital was not
 horrible enough, enter the equally obnoxious "right-to-lifer's" in disguise, who
 rushed to the Schindler family's defense. Never did a day go by, without some
 pious-sounding lawyer or ranting priest parade in front of the television cameras, 
 denouncing the "culture of death" that was taking Terri away from them.

 These men described Michael Schiavo - and all who would defend him - as
 ill-informed, murderers. They described Terri's care in the hospice, as worse 
 than what would be received by an animal, thus insulting the health care 
 professionals in the hospice, whose very  job it is to ease the dying into 
 the next phase of existence.

 The behavior of these self-righteous blowhards was disgraceful. But, what
 else can be expected of those who see the world, only in terms of moral
 absolutes? With men such as this, there is no middle ground.

 The arguments about the preservation of Terri's life are now over. America's 
 house will survive this sorry spectacle. As technology advances, the conversation 
 about the meaning of life and death, and of a quality existence for those who are
 permanently-vegetative, will broaden. But the unfortunate Schindler/Schiavo 
 fiasco has been a rude awakening for us all. It is not the judiciary that is out 
 of control in America, instead the threat to our civil order comes from those 
 Right-Wing zealots of faith who have gained a measuure of control in Washington. 

 Men such as House Majority Leader Tom Delay. 

 Congressional Democrats are totally cowed, and seem intent to stay out of the 
 fray. The obnoxiousness of some in Congress is reflected in this statement by 
 Tom Delay, himself. "We will look at an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable 
 judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president."

 How has it come to this?
 

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