Terri Shivo Should Still Be Treated As A Person And We Should Act As If We Are People Too.

Terri Schiavo has surfaced many issues for Americans and certainly M.G.’s last post brought to light several other issues for “Pro-Life” Americans today. Although I don’t think food and water constitute “artificial” life support, I do think that it might be better to euthanize her instead of starving her to death. If you are going to end someone’s life, then do it properly and admit that you are doing exactly that. I don’t care for “let nature take its course.” I am generally opposed to euthanasia, but I am more opposed to euthanasia by neglect.

Legally I don’t know what are the limits and acceptable actions, but certainly there are some rights every person has even if they are handicapped. I don’t buy into this “vegetative state” rhetoric. There have been people who have been in similar states who have recovered when doctors said this was not possible. Even if recovery does not happen I don't think it is a wise practice to insure that it does not. I am well aware of the consequences of this ides because I have worked with all levels of disabilities as a direct care worker, and I have changed the dippers and fed people like Terri. She is still a person and not a vegetable. I also don’t think that a person’s mental life is strictly limited to brain function, and neither should you. If your mental life is strictly limited to states of your brain then you need to accept the fact that you are not conscious. The medical field will never be able find the center of consciousness in the brain because it is not there. Another implication if that were the case is that you would not have free will. Your decisions would be direct consequences of your body chemistry, and so all actions by physical organisms are determined such that no one could be ethically accountable for his or her actions. Now, I know there is much here I have asserted and not properly argued for, and have read attempts by philosophers and physicians to account for a physcialist (that is one who believes that the world is strictly physical) form of consciousness. I think these fail. Additionally, I think the testimony of experts is a weighty thing that one should not overturn lightly, but I don’t think that Neurosurgeons have a complete picture. I don’t think I do either, but I believe I have enough information to rebut, if not refute their claims…at least enough to have my own opinion of dissent in THIS case. Terri is a person, and if we can not provide her with food and water, lets not pretend that we are not taking her life and “let her die” slowly.

On the other hand these issues are very difficult. As human beings we should be thoughtful about these things and think though whatever we believe very carefully. I think that too many people have instinctively chosen sides because their party says one thing, or in the past they thought one thing. What do you think now? Why do you think THAT? How certain are you that you are correct? May we all dig into the issues with courage and hold our convictions with humility.