So Terry Shiavo finally died, 13 days after the machines that go ping had pung their last.
When I first heard that big W had flown from his ranch for the express purpose of enacting a bill that would allow Terry's parents to fight yet another round in the battle for her life, I certainly didn't expect the story to get so big.
As the thing unfolded I found it hard to know which side to take.
In the blue corner; the husband - probably doing the right thing. Terry had been a veggie for 15 years, over which time her brain had literally dissolved away to almost nothing.
In the red corner; the parents, egegd on by the usual ill-informed, screaming pressure groups that seem to make up "polite" society these days. They couldn't even get a decent banner together.
But enough of that.
The thing I really wanted to talk about: Once she had kicked off her mortal coil, we saw Terry in various videos that had been shot at various times during the last year or so. IN these videos, one almost got the impression that she did have moments of understanding. Quite sad really.
So maybe the god-botherers had a point. But what these idiots always fail to do, is see anyone else's point of view. What if she was concious at times? And what if she hated being a veggie? I certainly wouldn't want to live like that.
What if her apparent attempts to communicate had been to say "end it now?"
The trouble with people who think they have all the answers is that they never leave room for questions.
Perhaps they should read more John Donne.
And finally, it's ironic that in death she's probably made more of a mark then she ever would have in life.
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It is pleasant to find people still know Donne. And the Terry Shiavo episode is indeed one for soul-searching. I am part of a retired couple; we are thinking of getting an order for preventing “heroic measures” of resuscitation. My husband is even more adamant and pragmatic about this than I am. BUT after the glimpses one had on television, even he said that Terry’s was not such a clear-cut decision…
Stuart in the blog says he was aware of “moments of understanding” in her eyes. Yes. But was that flash of intelligence a plea to let her go to the great otherwhere, or a plea to let her stay because she intended/hoped to “return” in the future? On the other hand, was her plea for the sake of those around her: let me go and free yourselves? And I imagine that every family, legal instruction against resuscitation or not, goes through some kind of dreadful soul searching.
I think blogs are wonderful! I needed to say this – and would not have written to an impersonal newspaper column. Here I feel I am having a dialogue, even though I am not looking for any answers!
DG/ow
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