Terri Schaivo: Tortured Pro Life Poster Girl

Unless you're fortunate enough to live in a cave, you've undoubtedly been beat over the head with the latest attempt by the religious right to politicize a medical issue. If you're not familiar with Schaivo and the events that led up to this morning's ruling by a federal judge to deny an injunction that would allow Shaivo's parents to re-insert a feeding tube removed on Friday, then click here for a timeline.

As always seems to be the case, the Right to Life movement in this country has chosen quantity over quality. Nevermind that the President supported and elected by this hypocritical sect of bible-thumping control freaks has killed thousands of innocent women and children in Iraq and executed half of the minorities in Texas while Governor. Instead of listening to medical opinion, Schaivo's parents and Republicans want to save Terri's life.

Listening to conservatives tell the story, you would think that Terri's has a chance for recovery from her condition, if only given the chance to restore nutrition. If you listen to the conservative hive noise, Terri's husband Michael is a murderer. Terri must obviously be saved.

The problem with such thinking is that it's not based in reality. Medical experts agree unanimously that Terri's condition is permanent and terminal. In a sense, Terri is already dead. The only question that remains is whether that will be this week or after several more years of expensive hospice care.

When one examines the situation from a grieving standpoint, Terri's parents have obviously not accepted their daughter's condition. To be certain, no one in documented medical history has recovered from a persistent vegetative state. The permanent nature of her condition is one of the criteria that defines it.

In all their sensitivity to the complexity of this medical issue, Republicans and the media continue to paint a picture that Schaivo is being starved to death by her medical providers. The irony is thick here.

Recall that Schaivo is in this condition because of a heart attack related to a potassium deficiency from starving herself. The only thing more ironic would be if Terri's condition resulted from a suicide attempt. Right to Life is holding prayer vigils around the country, hoping that God will save Terri, but if we had left it up to God in the first place, Terri would have died in 1990 from a heart attack. The outpouring of prayers and support has been unbelievable, if only these self-righteous morons said a prayer for the thousands of American's who are in Schaivo's shoes every year.

Regardless of your feelings on the issue, get a living will. The way things are going, we'll all be hooked up to life support indefinitely unless you make arrangements to have someone pull the plug.