I can't let March go without commenting on the slow, painful death of Terri Schiavo that played out before us one year ago this month.
Often when I'm giving my dog water or get that last drink of water before bed time (and how wonderful it is to slake that small bit of thirst), I think of Terri Schiavo being deprived of even having her mouth swabbed with a damp cloth. Dying for lack of water--and the whole process being overseen by a bevy of judges and watched by a nation.
Every major handicapped rights organization plead against this. They argued in court against it. To no avail. Handicapped people are not quite real people to those who don't see that the really awful handicap is lack of moral understanding rather than physical or mental disability.
It puts some things in perspective. How could people, good people like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, not only allow slavery but own slaves? How could people, good people like the Germans, sit back and allow horrible things to happen to fellow citizens in the 1930's and 1940's?
I think we looked at the answer a year ago and turned away.
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2 comments:
I think of her if I'm getting a dehydration headache. I get them within a day...imagine what hers had to have been like after a few days.
The cruelty of it really stands out. Especially when we look at the small pains just a little lack of water gives. Thanks for sharing, Tony.
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