Terri's Fight: "In a personal telephone conversation on March 11, between Terri Schiavo's father, Bob Schindler, and actor/director Mel Gibson, Mr. Gibson encouraged the Schindler family to 'never give up and continue to pray.' Shortly after the telephone conversation Mr. Gibson sent a fax to the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation with the following statement to be read at a March 12 rally for Terri:
'I fully support the efforts of Mr. & Mrs. Schindler to save their daughter, Terri Schiavo, from a cruel starvation. Terri's husband should sign the care of his wife over to her parents so she can be properly cared for.' -- Mel Gibson"
Monday, March 14, 2005
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3 comments:
i like celebrities that use their status for something other than selling cars and shaving cream, yay for mel getting out on that limb past the level of obvious consumer products into something more grey-scale. ;-)
on the point of clear arguments::::::::::::::::::::::::::
i'd like to put this right back into black and white. the two sides of the debate really seem to be focussing on two legal issues, right? (a)what Terri's wishes were (apparently this was not made clear in a living will etc.)and
(b)if in fact her wish WAS for DNR (do not resuscitate), and she is shown to be in whatever health status her wish specified for DNR, then: is that legal for doctors to perform in the jurisdiction in which she resides?
sounds like the DNR action in (b) is currently legally an option and being fought in the courts on technical issues.
if (a) is not clear, and her family cannot resolve their differences through scientific evidence, intellectual debate or spiritual guidance and cooperation, then it seems that it is now thrown to the public (and lobbyists) to rewrite the law at the nth hour to perhaps save this woman from a conniving husband, or to perpetuate an undesirable vegetative state, or to effect a miracle recovery from the jaws of death. i'm sure terri herself was a unique and deserving young woman and we'd all like to see her come back to earth, honestly.
so, there are a lot of seemingly tangled issues here but it sounds more like the nitty gritty is a debate over who in a family has power of attorney over someone who is legally incompetent/has not made their final wishes clear. Any other arguments over other issues such as the ethics of DNR orders seem to me to be using Terri Schiavo to promote and legislate a certain viewpoint which obviously not everyone shares. Is Terri a right-to-lifer herself? was she passionate enough about these issues to become a political pawn when unable to speak for herself?
this is a really good advertisement for planning your living will. other than that, i have to say that in the debate over an individual's right to choose healthcare options, which this has expanded to become in terri's determined parents' path, i personally prefer freedom over regulation.
on the method/fora of the debate:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
it is definitely tragic that Terri's husband and parents are engaged in this bitter battle and pulling out all the stops and media tools to accuse one another of wrongdoing in the public eye. maybe it's the packaging of the issue, but it doesn't feel to me like a clearcut case of good vs. evil, so why try the case in the media? i guess it has become the modern way to legislate, but this method focuses on emotion and doesn't focus on the merits.
i checked out some of the Terri blog information briefly. while the story of the "mother of two" in the 70 day coma is compelling, i right away wonder if it is statistically relevant. of course, if it was my own family member i'd be pulling out all the stops and miracle stories to argue my case, but when it comes to blanket legislation i think it is unfair to try to base a regulation that affects everyone, on what may be a statistical lightning bolt that happens to support my personal beliefs in my personal situation. if it was my own family member who clearly wanted DNR and a natural passing and a bunch of lawmakers made that individual choice illegal i might find another amazing counterpoint story from my POV to pull out and use as an example.
my point being, how is this (Our Dumbed Down Media) a smart way to change minds or argue for legislation? even the (small) sampling of propaganda i've read online, even as my heart goes out to Terri's parents, feels intellectually insulting.
on the role of the church in politics:::::::::::::::::::::::
i have the vague feeling that when an issue is this religiously polarized, setting legislation around an individual case is not the way to solve the problem. you get to the point where you are mixing church and state and that is not fair for people who choose not to ascribe to the laws of a particular church. i have an inkling that getting to the spiritual root of the issues would be a better way for this family. how can they be so very far apart if they all love this woman? in negotiating for her life or release therefrom, why did they choose to become so combative? could this be the problem the church and the right-to-life position (can i call that the religious right?) could be expending their efforts to solve at the grassroots level for their congregants - social issues such as eating disorders, domestic violence, family communication...? is this not the role of the church?
when you roll with the pigs (politicians + big money) you're going to get dirty. i listened to a radio piece a few weeks ago that described the highly organized big-bucks lobbying efforts of a certain church/religious media group that promotes the religious right. it feels wrong to me, and against the intentions of the framers, that a religious organization could and would build a corporate shell to funnel their followers' money and become involved in massive fundraising to change the laws to fit their religious beliefs at the expense of other individuals' choice. in simple terms, it looks like a recipe for emotional manipulation – you get people to worship at your temple (no problem), motivate them with the wrath of God (that's fine), and then put them to work on a picket line (what the...!).
here's what bothers me most about organized religion - it doesn't trust me to do the right thing. with the notable exception of buddhism, most every religion that i have read about or dabbled in is judgmental of other religions and non-believers. i have rarely met someone regularly participating in a Christian church who didn't gently and continually chide me on some level for not sharing their system's values, who didn't seem to communicate that my way was morally inferior. that makes me think that their church makes them feel somehow insecure about their moral choices. in my core, i seem to have been born feeling that i could never believe in a system that did not respect those who choose another way. i believe one can have positive ethics and morals, and a full spiritual life, with or without joining a congregation or releasing one's moral fate to the compassion of an ancient holy icon.
so terri, our state is run by corporations, and your parents' supporters seem to me to be proposing, in the long run, that we'd be better off being run by a Christian church. while in the short run the church looks more compassionate, I'm afraid we will have to disagree with each other on that one. That doesn't mean that I won't pray for you, in my own way.
let's debate this in a spirited fashion!! i'm open to ideas. and yes, jim, it took me an hour to type this up and i'm terrified of what you're going to blast my wee brain with. forgive me for being poorly read on the issues... although, one could say it would make me a better juror :)
Christina,
Thumos -- spirited, but not mean-spirited.
We don't see anyone forcing Christianity down anyone's throat in this case: the Schindler's just want to see their daughter cared for, and not left to starve to death.
Also, this has nothing whatsoever to do with "do-not-resuscitate" (DNR) orders. Terri does not need to be resuscitated. Her heart, lungs, and brain are working on their own. She has a feeding tube. If it is withdrawn, she will slowly starve to death.
Sorry that the Christians you have met do not measure up. Alas, it is a Church of sinners, liars, and hypocrites, and we love her just the same.
We can't speak to "what Buddhists are like" as we don't know anyone who is committed to Buddhism. But "everyone should do as they like" doesn't seem like it's the central tenet of Buddhism from our limited reading.
What seems to be bugging you about "big bucks" promoting "the religious right" is the specific point of view, not the "big bucks" per se. Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and Emily's LIST dump millions every cycle, but you don't consider that scandalous.
Christina,
Let's not forget that Michael Schiavo has already fathered 2 children by another woman while married to Terri.
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