Incoherent Babble

OK, I’m sure by now everyone has heard about Terri Shiavo. She’s the new Iraq, literally. No matter what, the American news media must always have something to focus all their meddling might upon. Whether this something should actually deserve the attention it derives or not is not the point, we as a nation must wake up and take notice of something as a whole for no other reason than to do so.

Ever since the “War on Terror” has started to quiet down and people have come to realize that hey, maybe we really did do something good over there, the media has had to turn its distorting killer eyes upon a new “evil” the American people have to face. The ritual sacrifice was decided for some reason to be this poor woman. No, I don’t know who “broke the story” first, nor do I really care. That’s the entire point of this entry: I DON’T CARE!

In this entry, I would like to, if nothing else, stress the point to foreigners that not all of America consists of self-righteous hypocritical politicians and “do-gooders”.

Not all of us give a rat’s ass. I know I certainly don’t. Sure, if the decision were left up to me, I certainly have my own opinion, but my god, how many millions of people do we really need to get in on this f***ing decision?! The bottom line is: according to the law, her husband has the right to decide her fate. Sure, she probably should have drafted a living will if she felt this strongly about the matter, but the point is she didn’t, and that that decision now falls upon her husband’s shoulders. It doesn’t matter why her husband might want to let her die, the fact is, HE DOES. It’s not the American peoples’ decision, nor is it the government’s decision. It’s not even her parents’ decision for Pete’s sake! The law, as we have drafted, established, and thus far obeyed, allows him the right to decide whether she lives or dies, and I think everyone needs to shut their mouths and accept that.

Simply because you don’t agree with the decision doesn’t give you the right to interfere at all. The law is the law, and it needs to be respected. Even if we decided to change the law, who do we give the power to? The legal power of attorney was given to the spouse (if one exists) for a reason when the law was originally drafted, simply because it’s the best option available. Or perhaps we just shouldn’t give anyone the power to “murder” someone in such a way. If you’re part of this argument, you have to handle the problems that come with it. How long do we let them hold on in a vegetative state if there’s no sign of improvement? Should we just let them lay there until they finally die of some other, possibly unrelated, cause? What if there is some sign of improvement? What then? You can’t just flat out say that no one has the right to disconnect them. You have to set up provisions for all these possible instances. This is yet another reason the spouse was initially given the power of attorney, and therefore the right to disconnect any form of life support.

As we’re slowly getting into my opinion on the matter, and since most of you have probably already figured out how I stand on the subject, why don’t I just go ahead and blurt it out? PULL THE FRIGGIN PLUG! There, I’ve said it. After 15 years, her condition hasn’t significantly improved in any aspect. Even if you accept that there has been some improvement over the years, at this rate her normal lifespan will long since have ended by the time she’s returned to any state considered even remotely near “competence”. The bottom line is, she’s not contributing to society and is instead placing a significant drain thereupon, utilizing our resources and occupying our time to provide care, and she should be removed from the system in the easiest, quickest, least painful manner possible.

While we’re talking about pulling the plug on the old bat, why has there been so little attention on the manner in which it is done? Simply removing the feeding tube and allowing her to lay there and slowly dehydrate into oblivion and eventual agonizing death? I heard on the news the other day that after less than a week, her tongue and eyes had already started to bleed due to dehydration. I know that I sure wouldn’t want to go out in such a painful and humiliating manner. I mean, hell, we give murderers and rapists a lethal injection. According to the State of Texas’ Death Row Facts [www.tdcj.state.tx.us], it takes approximately 7 minutes for a properly administered lethal injection to claim the life of an inmate, and it is totally painless. However, Mrs. Shiavo isn’t entitled to such a right. No, we simply stop feeding her and let her wither away into an agonizing nothingness.

In any case, I’ve drifted away from the primary point I was attempting to make. Not only is it not my business to care, but I’ve done everything I can to keep my opinion to myself thus far. This is the first (and only) time I shall mention anything related to Terri Shiavo, and you can rest assured that, whatever happens, I simply hope everyone shuts the hell up about it, as I’m sure many of you do as well.