As a progressive liberal Democrat, I am surprised to find myself agreeing with some right-wing conservatives on one particular issue. I believe that it is wrong to starve and dehydrate to death a severely disabled person. Though none of us would like to live like Terri Schiavo, how can we be sure what a severely disabled version of ourselves would want once in that situation?
In videos of Terri that I have seen on TV, she does not appear to be suffering or in discomfort. She has a mother, father, sister and brother who desperately want to take care of her. I see no reason why they should not be allowed to do so. The hearsay of what she might have casually said in a conversation years ago should not keep her from the rest of her family. In a society where nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, do we really want to give spouses the absolute power of life and death over their mates?
Terri’s husband should get the heck out of the way. She should not have to dehydrate slowly to death just because Michael Schiavo prefers to be a widower, rather than get a divorce. Can we really be sure Terri does not feel hunger and thirst? It obviously means the world to Terri’s parents and siblings that they take care of her. They should be allowed to do so.
Gail Richardson, Lewiston
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