On Terri Schiavo (But Don't Quote Me on This)

Disclaimer: If I ever seek public office, this is not a statement on my political opinions on the case of Terri Schiavo and should not be used as representative of my political leanings. (Just covering the bases to protect my future career options.)

Future bioethics lawyer that I may be, I feel a need to say something on the Terri Schiavo case that seems to have hijacked the thoughts, mind, and media of America. Honestly, though, I find the most disturbing part of this entire process the way the legal system conitnues to be manipulated as a life hangs in balance - as the feeding tube is removed and reinserted every other day. That, I think, more than her husband's request to consider Schiavo's quality of life so diminished as to be valueless shows a total disregard to the value of life.

Though medical evidence would suggest that Schiavo cannot experience pain, and she certainly has no understanding of what is going on, she is being used as an example, as a cause, by both sides. She is a person and at least for now is the possessor of a life that should be respected. Having people from both sides of the debate stand on soapboxes and manipulate the law that is the foundation of our democracy shows a total disrespect for Terri Schiavo's past and present life. Terri Schiavo the person has gotten lost in all the legal wrangling and media flurry, and that is a far greater loss than her parents or her husband or any one of us should be willing to accept.