BCT Editorial – 3/30/05

This page was last updated on April 2, 2005.

Letting go; Editorial; Beaver County Times; March 30, 2005.

Very few of us know enough of the facts in this case to draw many conclusions. I am not one of those few, and I suspect neither is the editorial’s author.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“What defines a disability, and who determines that status?

“When the anger over the life and death of Terri Schiavo burns itself out, those questions will still remain. We must not let the controversy surrounding this innocent woman contaminate that discussion.

“What makes the Schiavo case so compelling is that when emotions and legalities are put aside, both sides make convincing cases to which many of us can relate emotionally. The parents want to see their child live; her husband wants to carry out her wishes.”

[RWC] In a seemingly innocuous statement, the editorial revealed the true Times position on this issue. When the author wrote, “her husband wants to carry out her wishes,” he should have written “alleged wishes.” The editorial fails to note Ms. Schiavo did not express her wishes – whatever they were – in writing. The court relied on hearsay evidence from Mr. Schiavo’s family that Terri Schiavo expressed this wish during some conversations years before her heart attack.

Though I acknowledge I don’t know enough of the fact to draw conclusions, Michael Schiavo at least appeared to have a conflict of interest. While still married to Terri Schiavo, Michael Schiavo took a common law wife and they had at least two children. Mr. Schiavo may have been acting according to what Terri Schiavo may have wanted, but it’s hard not to see a potential conflict of interest.

“Although events have spun far out of control from those irreconcilable but understandable positions, one can’t help but feel that the nation has been dragged into a family quarrel, a custody dispute between a husband and parents where winning - or denying the other side a victory - is now what matters most.

“It hasn’t helped that their family quarrel has been hijacked for political, theological and ideological purposes. If anything, it’s brought out the worst in the media and politics. There have been too many rush-to-judgments and far too little contemplation of the consequences.”

[RWC] As noted above, even the Times made a rush to judgment.

“Terri Schiavo’s life and death will mean little if we as a nation continue on this path. People will continue to use her, her parents and her husband to advance their agendas. But that will not answer the questions raised above. What defines a disability, and who determines that status?

“Let’s not forget that families and physicians quietly make these life-and-death decisions somewhere in the United States on a regular basis. We need to have a national discussion on who makes these decisions - families and doctors; priests, ministers, rabbis and imams; judges and lawmakers; governors and presidents.

“The only innocent here is Terri Schiavo. If we fail to answer these questions, her life and death will have been in vain.”

[RWC] Is the author of this editorial serious? Regardless of what else she may have done in her life, Terri Schiavo’s “life and death will mean little” and “her life and death will have been in vain” if we can’t answer some questions? I don’t know how to respond to positions like those.