Sunday, March 27, 2005

On Ms. Shiavo

People have approached me (especially at work), wondering, as the "token conservative", which way my views fell on the Terri Shiavo situation.
Well, I have no views. In this case, everyone loses. I believe this affair is unique due to the laws of Florida and the profound disagreement between Terri's parents and her husband (who apparently cannot wait to be her ex-husband). I myself would have long wanted to be "put down" a long time ago under these circumstances; but I cannot speak for Terri. I think both sides feel as if they are acting with morality, although I feel the "pull the tube" bunch has been using a lot more hostile rhetoric; I guess the angry left cannot help itself...
The fascinating thing here (and I apologize if I offend by using that word in this context) is watching this moral drama play out. Is it possible here that to choose death is more moral than to choose life? Is it moral at all to pull a feeding tube from a sick woman so she may starve to death because it satisfies on man's wishes? (could you image if we failed to feed a sick terrorist at Guantanamo? - the Times would be screaming bloody murder).
The ironies abound - was not Ms. Shiavo hospitalized at one point for bullimia? And the fact that all of this plays out over Good Friday and Easter, with the spectre of the painful death and resurection of JC hanging over us (I do not celebrate Easter, but the archetype of the resurrection is practically iconic), adds yet another note of otherworldliness to this spectacle. A nation struggles with its conscious on some of its holiest days...how does it all play out?
A happy holiday to you.


UPDATE 430PM: Wretchard's take - http://www.wretchard.com/blogs/the_belmont_club/archive/2005/03/27/445.aspx
is, as usual, more insightful than most (including mine)

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