Terri Schiavo

I do not live in Florida, have met neither the Schiavo nor the Schindler families, nor do I have relatives attached to feeding tubes.

I have nothing but contempt for the entire Bush clan, little respect for the Congressional majority and I think the direction the neo-con movement is taking America is abyssmal. The current leaders of Congress, time and time again, do nothing but intervene when they should not, do not intervene where they should, and as opposed to doing what is expected of them - that is look after the best interests of the U.S. citizenry - they repeatedly act to undermine the rights of ALL citizens while continuing to deepen their own pockets and push forward an absurd idea of morality that is taking us back generations in terms of societal growth.

I respect Judge Greer for his steadfast conviction, Michael Schiavo for the years of pain he has had to endure, and Congressional Demos and the ACLU for trying to repress the tyranny that is the New Right.

Terri's parents have the audacity to say they believe she is NOT in a vegetative state, and Bob, her father, has been quoted saying the only true victory Terri and the Schindler family will see is, "when we take Terri home and we get her therapy." I understand the not wanting of a family member to die - my mother passed away last January and my father 13 years ago. But to believe an adult woman, who has been a vegetable for OVER 15 YEARS, can recooperate and regain lost brain capacity with therapy is ludacris. When Terri passed out in 1990, her brain stopped receiving oxygen. She became brain damaged and was left in a state that made it impossible for her to eat by herself. She can not swallow, she can not talk, she can not move. The woman is all but dead. Without the support of machines - she would cease to exist as a person.

I say let her go.

According to her husband, Michael, who - by the way - is her legal guardian, Terri would not have wanted to remain in this condition. Makes sense to me - I would not want to be like that. My mother didn't either. She passed away peacefully - giving us, as her family and friends, closure and comfort of mind knowing she is finally at peace. The days before my mother died, she could not eat on her own, drink, communicate. But she was peaceful. That is how she would have wanted to be remembered.

I would like to see our government learn to do what is right for the populus it is entrusted to protect. Do what is simply on the side of absolute right v. wrong - NOT what is wrong simply because it comes from the Right side of the aisle.