Right To Die
Ok, so I'm going to take a break from my usual bitching and moaning to talk about something that's been going on in the news for the past few weeks. Something I have a strong opinion on. Before I start, let me say that this post is strictly my opinion and is not meant to offend anyone who may disagree with it. That being said...check out this article: http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050316235609990012
I'm sure most of you are somewhat familiar with this case. It's a terrible tradgedy being made worse by religious fanatics, politics, and a whole lot of strangers having strong opinions. This poor woman has been living as a vegetable for 15 years. Her husband has been fighting to have her taken off her feeding tube for 7 years. All the experts say she will never get better. Her parents disagree.
Being a parent, I can understand how hard it is to watch your daughter die. I pray that I never have to know what that is like. But she was lost to them 15 years ago and hasn't gotten any better. Her life is meaningless, just lieing there in a hospital bed, completely unaware of anything. How could anyone WANT their child to live like that? It isn't even really living.
My husband and I have talked several times about what we would want should we end up in a similar situation. Both of us would want to let go, to die and be at peace. If there was no hope for recovery, we would never want to be kept alive by machines. I can almost guarantee that Terri and her husband had had similar conversations. Once the child leaves the nest, marries, and starts their own family, parents really don't have a say anymore. I would say that the closest person to Terri, her husband, would know what she wanted.
I can't fault her parents for trying to hold on. God knows I would never want to be put in that situation. But I'd like to think that if I did, I would want what's best for my child. It's time for them to let go and start to heal. It's time to let her be at peace.
Of course my opinion doesn't matter a bit. I do not know the family. I do not pretend to know what they are going through. Which is why I think these crazed strangers parading around with signs outside of government buildings should shut the hell up and go home. Have your opinion, but realize it isn't worth spit. This is not a decision for a judge or governor or any one of the parading strangers. This is a decision for Terri's husband. The hardest decision he will ever have to make. I have heard nothing about this man that leads me to believe he wants anything other than for his wife to be at peace. This doesn't make him love her any less. I think it proves that he loves her even more, knowing that the right decision for her may not be the one that is easiest for him. Her parents are really only thinking about themselves. They don't want to lose her. That's understandable. But how can they think that letting her live like this is something she would want? Who would really want that?
I know I wouldn't. So I say it now, in front of everyone with an internet connection. If I were to be diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state with no hope for recovery...let me go.
That was thoroughly depressing....
I'm sure most of you are somewhat familiar with this case. It's a terrible tradgedy being made worse by religious fanatics, politics, and a whole lot of strangers having strong opinions. This poor woman has been living as a vegetable for 15 years. Her husband has been fighting to have her taken off her feeding tube for 7 years. All the experts say she will never get better. Her parents disagree.
Being a parent, I can understand how hard it is to watch your daughter die. I pray that I never have to know what that is like. But she was lost to them 15 years ago and hasn't gotten any better. Her life is meaningless, just lieing there in a hospital bed, completely unaware of anything. How could anyone WANT their child to live like that? It isn't even really living.
My husband and I have talked several times about what we would want should we end up in a similar situation. Both of us would want to let go, to die and be at peace. If there was no hope for recovery, we would never want to be kept alive by machines. I can almost guarantee that Terri and her husband had had similar conversations. Once the child leaves the nest, marries, and starts their own family, parents really don't have a say anymore. I would say that the closest person to Terri, her husband, would know what she wanted.
I can't fault her parents for trying to hold on. God knows I would never want to be put in that situation. But I'd like to think that if I did, I would want what's best for my child. It's time for them to let go and start to heal. It's time to let her be at peace.
Of course my opinion doesn't matter a bit. I do not know the family. I do not pretend to know what they are going through. Which is why I think these crazed strangers parading around with signs outside of government buildings should shut the hell up and go home. Have your opinion, but realize it isn't worth spit. This is not a decision for a judge or governor or any one of the parading strangers. This is a decision for Terri's husband. The hardest decision he will ever have to make. I have heard nothing about this man that leads me to believe he wants anything other than for his wife to be at peace. This doesn't make him love her any less. I think it proves that he loves her even more, knowing that the right decision for her may not be the one that is easiest for him. Her parents are really only thinking about themselves. They don't want to lose her. That's understandable. But how can they think that letting her live like this is something she would want? Who would really want that?
I know I wouldn't. So I say it now, in front of everyone with an internet connection. If I were to be diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state with no hope for recovery...let me go.
That was thoroughly depressing....
posted by Meghan at 2:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home