I don’t plan to post much more about Terri Schiavo. In late 2003, When I started blogging about Schiavo, it seemed that I was one of a bare handful of lefty bloggers who even knew the case existed. Now, however, lots of people are thinking about it; and many of them are doing a better job of it than I could.
For me, there are three central issues to consider in the Terri Schiavo case.
1) First, the constant claims that Terri may be conscious, Terri is trying to speak, Terri has spoken, Terri could get better with treatment, etc, demonstrates both a failure of the American media to educate the public about the basic scientific issues involved, and also demonstrates the fruits of the right-wing cultivation of anti-science sentiment (see also the “controversies” over global warming and evolution). Terri Schiavo lacks her cerebral cortex; without a cortex, she cannot speak, or feel, or suffer, or think, or experience anything at all. Every part of her capable of any desire or awareness died many years ago. There is no legitimate controversy over this question.
Since I posted a CT scan of what Terri’s brain looks like, dozens of blogs have reproduced it or linked to it. That image, or ones like it, should have been constantly on display in the mainstream media; and what it tells us about the claims that Terri is aware, could suffer, or could recover should be repeated in every news story. As far as I know, no mainstream news outlet has reproduced any images of Terri’s brain; instead, they’ve reduced the controversy over her diagnosis to “side A says, side B says” quotes without real analysis. As a result, too many people have been easy marks for the lies told about Terri.
2) Second, the controversy over Terri’s treatment is about the rule of law versus theocracy. The law says that Terri has a right to refuse treatment, and if she cannot, then either Terri’s chosen guardian or a court can determine what Terri would have wished. Right-wing Evangelical theology says that’s not acceptable, and Terri must be kept alive regardless. (I realize that not everyone who opposes removing Terri’s feeding tube is a right-wing Evangelical, but that doesn’t change the fact that virtually all the political muscle being flexed to keep Terri’s body alive is coming from the religious right).
When right-wing Evangelicals and the law are in conflict, what happens? I hope the law will end up carrying the day, but it’s not certain it will.
3) Finally, in both “Terri’s Law” in Florida and in the more resent actions in the national Congress, this is about maintaining the Constitutional separation of powers. The courts conduct trials and protect Constitutional rights; the legislature can change the laws (within constitutional limits) and thus affect future trials, but they shouldn’t be able to conduct a trial by legislation.
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On a personal level – and I acknowledge that Terri may not have felt the same way – the more I think about this case, the more horrified I become imagining myself in Schiavo’s position.
Here’s what gets to me: After I’m dead, the main way I’ll continue existing is in the memories of my friends and relatives. It’s macabre to imagine that my loved ones, rather than remembering me as I was, could instead focus on a shell, animated by a brain stem and reflex motions but completely empty of self. Over the years, all the dominant memories of me – what I was like before the accident – would be gradually replaced by memories of my mindless body making random motions and sounds in a hospital bed.
And then I’d really be gone, gone even from the memories of my friends and relatives, removed from their brains in favor of an empty shell. It’s hard for me to imagine anything more gruesome.
(Here’s a free online source of Living Will documents, by the way.)
Regarding the comment on media responsibility in this case for incomplete reporting, when the big story broke last Friday, most news outlets weren’t including the March 17th appeal by the Schindler’s to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Court’s refusal to hear. That was true even of Voice of America.
I finally had to complain to them about leaving that detail out, and painting the scene as if there was this sole state judge in Florida who was doing this, with the Florida governor, Congress, the President, and the nation disagreeing.
I also think more people should read the Cruzan v Director decision from the Supreme Court [Cruzan v. Director, MDH, 497 U.S. 261 (1990)] before they go flapping their mouths off about what’s in the Constitution and what isn’t.
that was a very powerful remark.
About the CAT scan: You’re wrong.
It’s not the evangelicals–it’s the Catholics. The Schindlers’ lawyer even used that line of reasoning–allowing her to die is against what the Pope has degreed, so it shouldn’t be allowed. This is arguing that the views of religious leaders should take precedence over legislated law–an Islam idea, to be sure, but not an American one.
Yehudit: CodeBlueBlog is not a particularly credible source. They’ve run articles claiming that Clinton has AIDs, and that’s just the start of their weirdness.
The agendized far-right “whackos” are supporting “life” and and do not have Terri Schiavo’s best interests at heart. She is second to their agenda. They hear a rallying cry and immediately gather and begin making nuisances of themselves. They make ridiculous statements, have no sense of propriety, and don’t care who they hurt. They are what they are and nothing will change them. (Many of them seem to be “ciphers” who depend on these melodramatic moments to feel alive and important.)
Of greater concern is the general ignorance of “regular folks” who refuse to educate themselves. Rather, they take an easy mental leap and “put themselves” in the situation in question and then (superficially and without specific information) determine “how they would feel if it happened to them.”
They cannot conceive of “nothingness” because it is a difficult exercise, so they cannot believe that Terri has “no thought.” Therefore, they cannot conceive of eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, a mouth that does not speak, a throat that does not swallow, a mind that has no thought, and a body that moves at random, all as permanent conditions.
Likewise, they cannot conceive of going without food and water (because they have experienced hunger and thirst in their past and it is quite uncomfortable) so they determine that going without these basics is “torture.”
While it is easy to understand the separate concepts of handicapped conditions such as “blindness” (because they have seen blind people who function at a reduced level), and “deafness” (because they have seen deaf people function at a reduced level), and the “inability to walk” (because they have seen people in wheel-chairs), and “mental retardation” (because they have seen the mentally retarded function at a reduced level), but it is much more difficult to get it through their heads that a person without a functioning cerebral cortex is not merely “handicapped” but simply does not exist as a person.
There is an almost “storybook” flavor to this bizarre situation, as if Terri Schiavo is merely a “sleeping princess” who will eventually wake up and give an exclusive to perky Katie Couric by chowing down a veal cutlet with asparagus, then spend an hour telling Barbara Walters what she thought about during those 15 years of persistent vegetative state, and then hit Oprah and Dr. Phil to explain how she dealt with 15 years of peeing and pooping in bed and how she really feels about Michael and her parents.
Sadly, this is not a reality show, but real reality, otherwise known as life.
I am not a doctor. I am not a lawyer. I am however a mom. I love my children with all my heart. I feel deep sorrow for Terri’s parents. I don’t have to agree with what is going on with Terri. I can say that it is my opinion that her parents are seeing and hearing what they want to see and hear… their daughter. Because it is to painful to let her go, they hold on to her body. I can’t say I agree with her husband. In closing, I hope and I pray I am never in the situation to have to make that kind of decision for one of my children. But I can tell you that if I did have to, I love them enough to find the strenth to do it. They do live on in our hearts. Their memory in life is far to precious to be replaced by a lifeless mind in a bed.
I have to add to this as of Ampersand´s personal comment because I keep wondering whether there has been a discussion on Mrs. Schiavo´s medical history as a background to what her wish would have been in this matter. Terri Schiavo suffered from bulimia, a “pathology that involves body image and the desperate desire to appear thin.” It is an expression of a strong need to control your body, your physical appearance, more than that of a “normal” person´s concern. While it is a tragedy in itself that she suffered from bulimia wouldn´t you assume that this former condition would imply an absolute horror to be held to life in a vegetative state with “strangers” (nursing personal, doctors…) having access to your body and your picture circulating around the world?