Life & Death in America
The news this week has been filled with stories of pain, suffering, and loss. Earthquakes, fires, and loss of life dominated the headlines, but the power of the human spirit that has dominated our lives.
Terri Schiavo survived for 13 days without food or water while her family fought through the American legal system for any way possible to preserve her life, while her husband Michael fought just as vigorously to allow her life to end. While observing this, I have been angered, confused, frustrated, and amazed. This was a family disagreement that was brought before the world, and it was not fair to the people involved to have them turned into spectacles for the media. Terri’s family fought the good fight to preserve her life, while her husband was vilified and wanted her dead so that he could move on with his life. Every good story has good and bad guys. Next we had our heroes, politicians, lawyers, priests, reporters, and crowds of ordinary people supporting this family and their cause. And to assist our evildoer were doctors, police, judges, and the law. We tuned in daily to see what was going to happen, could this family, mother, father, and brother to Terri triumph and save her life? The world looked on as the courts, politicians, and the media all seemed to be in concert as they presented this story as a soap opera. As I observed this over the past few weeks, I watched as the story focus changed from Terri, to family rights, to roles of government, and then to living wills. All the while, we were witnessing the battle between representatives of both sides doing battle. We followed this battle, will the law be overturned, will the Florida Governor ignore the courts and take Terri, what will happen next? Forgotten was the true story, Terri. We, as a society become so engrossed in fights and causes, that we lose track of what the issue is.
Then the inevitable, Terri passed away. But still the story carried on, people jumping into the story making public statements on the case. What upset me was the statements of the priest, the one who was supposed to be helping Terri’s family find peace and comfort, and come to a sense of closure, when he vilified Terri’s husband on national TV, I was angered. No, I do not agree with the husband, I believe that all life is sacred and should be preserved, but for a priest to makes the statements that he did, especially at the time at which he made them is unconscionable. As clergy, we are councilors and peacemakers, not prosecutors and blame layers.
Is Her story now over? No, it is not. There are fights over her funeral, a planned autopsy, and the promise to share the results of the autopsy. My prediction: The autopsy result on the brain examination will show damage, but experts opinions will vary with the majority saying she was in a vegetative state, and a small minority stating that she was in a “minimally conscious state”. But the cause of death will be indisputable: She died of malnutrition and dehydration.
Next will be a short article on Pope John Paul II
Terri Schiavo survived for 13 days without food or water while her family fought through the American legal system for any way possible to preserve her life, while her husband Michael fought just as vigorously to allow her life to end. While observing this, I have been angered, confused, frustrated, and amazed. This was a family disagreement that was brought before the world, and it was not fair to the people involved to have them turned into spectacles for the media. Terri’s family fought the good fight to preserve her life, while her husband was vilified and wanted her dead so that he could move on with his life. Every good story has good and bad guys. Next we had our heroes, politicians, lawyers, priests, reporters, and crowds of ordinary people supporting this family and their cause. And to assist our evildoer were doctors, police, judges, and the law. We tuned in daily to see what was going to happen, could this family, mother, father, and brother to Terri triumph and save her life? The world looked on as the courts, politicians, and the media all seemed to be in concert as they presented this story as a soap opera. As I observed this over the past few weeks, I watched as the story focus changed from Terri, to family rights, to roles of government, and then to living wills. All the while, we were witnessing the battle between representatives of both sides doing battle. We followed this battle, will the law be overturned, will the Florida Governor ignore the courts and take Terri, what will happen next? Forgotten was the true story, Terri. We, as a society become so engrossed in fights and causes, that we lose track of what the issue is.
Then the inevitable, Terri passed away. But still the story carried on, people jumping into the story making public statements on the case. What upset me was the statements of the priest, the one who was supposed to be helping Terri’s family find peace and comfort, and come to a sense of closure, when he vilified Terri’s husband on national TV, I was angered. No, I do not agree with the husband, I believe that all life is sacred and should be preserved, but for a priest to makes the statements that he did, especially at the time at which he made them is unconscionable. As clergy, we are councilors and peacemakers, not prosecutors and blame layers.
Is Her story now over? No, it is not. There are fights over her funeral, a planned autopsy, and the promise to share the results of the autopsy. My prediction: The autopsy result on the brain examination will show damage, but experts opinions will vary with the majority saying she was in a vegetative state, and a small minority stating that she was in a “minimally conscious state”. But the cause of death will be indisputable: She died of malnutrition and dehydration.
Next will be a short article on Pope John Paul II
posted by Tony Eye @ 10:55 AM
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