Making Sure

The judge denied Terri Schiavo's parents the right to reinsert the feeding/hydration tube. To be quite honest, this came as a huge surprise, nay, a shock to me. Judges are supposed to make certain the rights of individuals are not infringed upon and their human rights are upheld and protected. Aren't they? Or do they simply not want to get involved in this particular set of ethics?

I don't blame them really, if you look at it. I mean, we as humans ourselves should have the common decency to keep one of our own alive. If you truly look at this case it is not a "right to die" case because this woman isn't dying. She is alive. She responds to loved ones as best as she can. Withholding sustenance from her is an act of murder. If she was on a respirator/ventilator and her brain was damaged to the point to where she was brain dead and could not breathe on her own, then I can accept the hard decision of "pulling the plug" and letting her body release her soul. What is happening with Terri Schiavo then?

The entire ordeal seems to be hinging on her condition "improving" it appears. Her condition is not going to improve. She is one of those unfortunate individuals who has had her life forever changed, but she still has a chance at living the best life she can with some medical assistance of a feeding tube. She responds to loved ones, just as my father did, and this speaks volume's for her as a living human being.

Killing her speaks volumes as well. It says we, as a race of intelligent creatures, created in the likeness of God, don't care and should not care about someone who has fallen from a healthy individual. What should come next then? If a child is found to have Down's Syndrome they should be exterminated because they are not perfect? And what of individuals such as myself who must rely upon my husband to have a good quality of life, to sometimes help me dress, to put my socks on me because I can't, am I in line for being murdered because I require assistance? And what of Superman Reeves? Should he have just been permitted to suffocate because he could not breathe on his own? Immediately the argument can be made that he could speak and say for himself. But, if you look at it deeply, there isn't a difference. He had a guardian in his wife. What if his wife had decided in a moment of his unconsciousness it was time to kill him, to withhold the air he needed to live? Would that have been considered putting him out of his misery by other human beings or as murder?

For myself, as a disabled individual, I am going to file documents, very carefully I must add, as to who should make decisions for me if I become incapacitated. I want to make certain someone who loves me, and loves me dearly will come and check me out to help decide what should or should not be done. It will not only be my husband, but it will also be one of my sisters. This decision with Terri Schiavo has so decreased my belief that human beings, as a race are intelligent and kind. In fact, it is quite opposite - they are, on the whole, cruel and rather quick to judge someone a problem and desire to get rid of them.

In fact, I urge everyone to make your decisions and make a claim for your own safety before they start bumping people off quickly. Don't laugh. Really. Should something happen to you the doctors, the world, will not give you a chance at life. A life God should have say over and not humanity. After all, humanity's track record with good decisions has not been that great. Look to yourselves people, look to your loved ones, protect yourself and them.