Soccerchic Scribblings

Terri Schiavo dies 13 days after her feeding tube is removed

Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman who caused major legal dispute and tugged at the heart strings of a nation has passed away. Her death is met with a mixture of reactions:

James Dobson, of conservative group Focus on the Family, said judges who had failed to prolong Schiavo's life were guilty of "the cold-blooded, cold-hearted extermination of an innocent human life."

Papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Schiavo's death was an unacceptable "violation of the sacred nature of life."

President Bush expressed his condolences.

"I urge all those who honor Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life, where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others," he said.

I find it amusing that a country can get so upset over the removal of a feeding tube, and yet when it comes to other issues, such as abortion, euthinasia, and other such issues - we seem to let them slide.

I guess it is easy to look at the situation and draw a conclusion on what you would do if it was your wife, daughter, friend, or whatnot. But, if I honestly think about it - I don't know what side I would stand on unless I was in the situation. What is it like to be a husband of someone like that, to each day hold on to the slim, every dying hope, that one day she will wake up, that maybe she will respond. I can't imagine the pain and anguish of going through something like that. Do you take her off support and let her die, or do you hold onto a hope that she will respond?

At the end of the day - I think you have to be there to really know and understand. Not that I am trying to take a fence sitting position on this - I just think it's really sad that this had to go this far and end like this.

posted by Adventures of a Girl @ 5:50 PM