Dateline: July 20, 2005
The Right to Die
I suppose one could argue that if we have the "right" to life, we also have the "right" to die. The issue is so frightening in its concept that there are many who feel that the so called "right" was pushed to the logical end in the now infamous case of the late Terri Schiavo.
The real issue I have felt from day one was not whether or not Terri was in a vegetative state or had a brain that was allegedly dead. It was not that she was blind or that her husband said she wanted to die. It was simply whether or not Terri wanted to die. I submit she did not and further that she did not believe she or anyone else had the right to assist in her death.
Terri never got to make the decision. That we know. Her alleged husband, Michael, the man who has been overtly unfaithful for years, seemingly with the weight of the "right to diers" at his side, including a milk-toast court system, withstood the onslaught to get out of the way. He steadfastly held onto the notion that "Terri wanted it this way". When did he discover this? Apparently not until he had engaged in years of infidelity and fathered a couple of children with his new surrogate wife. Shakespeare said it best when Hamlet blurted out "Something is rotten in Denmark"!
The term everyone freaked out on was "comatose" or put another way by the media to justify starving her to death, "vegetative state". Terri was no vegetable. She was a living, breathing, human being. Her crime? None. But she could not speak for herself, so the courts turned her life, not over to her blood relatives, but to a husband who was not a husband.
The only reason I went to any lengths to mention this case is because it set an ominous precedent. The courts from the state to the federal bench showed us the legal opportunity. That opportunity since the Schiavo case permits anyone tired of caring for someone who can neither speak or care for themselves, the legal ability to exterminate, sanction, off, delete, remove, and absence permanently that someone. All one needs is a compliant diagnosis by one doctor.
The Schiavo case established at once this emerging new right to legally eliminate someone, anyone, who passively cannot represent themselves. It has taken the right to die to new heights. Now you, I and uncle Ben have the inherent right to die and if we can no longer express that desire, a surrogate can, just on the belief they think that is what we want; their gift of "Euthanasia" to us, because that is what they think we would have wanted.
What kind of convoluted logic is that?
The majority of mainstream media treated Terri as though she wanted to die. The culture of death folks adamantly stated, "she wants to die, let her go!" What they were really saying is "we wouldn't live that way, why would she?"
Perhaps what makes this whole scenario so tiresome is that along the way the press and the feeding frenzy of those who were all too willing to terminate her life, including the judges, lost sight of one very important thing. This woman was a devoted and devout Catholic.
Are you driven to say so what? Here's the so what.
Catholics, at least the majority of the one billion or so who practice and know their faith, are perfectly aware that according to current and ancient beliefs that go back to the time before Christ and are rooted deep in the Judeo Christian belief system have long defined suicide, whether by ones own hand, or assited by a willing and suspect relative, as a grave sin against God. It is considered an incredible soul destroying affront. The idea of it is so vile and so contemptable that it is considered essentially a one way ticket to hell. It is, to those who believe, a mortal sin; a denial of God forever.
Did you not notice there was a priest hanging around the family all the time the trauma as to whether, we the citizens of this world gave into her wishes according to her husband or supported her wishes according to her parents? There was no question what the parents and family believed. And, there is no doubt what Michael believed. Now what do you think Terri really believed?
The "right to die" types among us would dismiss this all out of hand. They are the ones that dismiss life on the front end and have no problem terminating it on the back end. Who are they? What are they? They are the new gods of our time; the new, emerging culture of death. Be careful, you may be next. Make sure what you want is clearly understood, in a vault, notorized and known by a trusted relative or collegue. Don't lose control. Your life may depend on it.
Next Up:
Truth
The Right to Die
I suppose one could argue that if we have the "right" to life, we also have the "right" to die. The issue is so frightening in its concept that there are many who feel that the so called "right" was pushed to the logical end in the now infamous case of the late Terri Schiavo.
The real issue I have felt from day one was not whether or not Terri was in a vegetative state or had a brain that was allegedly dead. It was not that she was blind or that her husband said she wanted to die. It was simply whether or not Terri wanted to die. I submit she did not and further that she did not believe she or anyone else had the right to assist in her death.
Terri never got to make the decision. That we know. Her alleged husband, Michael, the man who has been overtly unfaithful for years, seemingly with the weight of the "right to diers" at his side, including a milk-toast court system, withstood the onslaught to get out of the way. He steadfastly held onto the notion that "Terri wanted it this way". When did he discover this? Apparently not until he had engaged in years of infidelity and fathered a couple of children with his new surrogate wife. Shakespeare said it best when Hamlet blurted out "Something is rotten in Denmark"!
The term everyone freaked out on was "comatose" or put another way by the media to justify starving her to death, "vegetative state". Terri was no vegetable. She was a living, breathing, human being. Her crime? None. But she could not speak for herself, so the courts turned her life, not over to her blood relatives, but to a husband who was not a husband.
The only reason I went to any lengths to mention this case is because it set an ominous precedent. The courts from the state to the federal bench showed us the legal opportunity. That opportunity since the Schiavo case permits anyone tired of caring for someone who can neither speak or care for themselves, the legal ability to exterminate, sanction, off, delete, remove, and absence permanently that someone. All one needs is a compliant diagnosis by one doctor.
The Schiavo case established at once this emerging new right to legally eliminate someone, anyone, who passively cannot represent themselves. It has taken the right to die to new heights. Now you, I and uncle Ben have the inherent right to die and if we can no longer express that desire, a surrogate can, just on the belief they think that is what we want; their gift of "Euthanasia" to us, because that is what they think we would have wanted.
What kind of convoluted logic is that?
The majority of mainstream media treated Terri as though she wanted to die. The culture of death folks adamantly stated, "she wants to die, let her go!" What they were really saying is "we wouldn't live that way, why would she?"
Perhaps what makes this whole scenario so tiresome is that along the way the press and the feeding frenzy of those who were all too willing to terminate her life, including the judges, lost sight of one very important thing. This woman was a devoted and devout Catholic.
Are you driven to say so what? Here's the so what.
Catholics, at least the majority of the one billion or so who practice and know their faith, are perfectly aware that according to current and ancient beliefs that go back to the time before Christ and are rooted deep in the Judeo Christian belief system have long defined suicide, whether by ones own hand, or assited by a willing and suspect relative, as a grave sin against God. It is considered an incredible soul destroying affront. The idea of it is so vile and so contemptable that it is considered essentially a one way ticket to hell. It is, to those who believe, a mortal sin; a denial of God forever.
Did you not notice there was a priest hanging around the family all the time the trauma as to whether, we the citizens of this world gave into her wishes according to her husband or supported her wishes according to her parents? There was no question what the parents and family believed. And, there is no doubt what Michael believed. Now what do you think Terri really believed?
The "right to die" types among us would dismiss this all out of hand. They are the ones that dismiss life on the front end and have no problem terminating it on the back end. Who are they? What are they? They are the new gods of our time; the new, emerging culture of death. Be careful, you may be next. Make sure what you want is clearly understood, in a vault, notorized and known by a trusted relative or collegue. Don't lose control. Your life may depend on it.
Next Up:
Truth
posted by Robert Cox - Editor at 2:07 AM
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