Terri Schiavo and fundies

The House Republican leadership (gee, what a surprise) has decided to issue a subpoena that would prevent doctors from removing Terri Schiavo's feeding tubes today. That's "to allow Congress to fully understand the procedures and practices that are currently keeping her alive", they say. Hmm, I thought they have had fifteen years or so to achieve the full understanding. I mean, I can understand that our congress is slow, but that slow?

Terri Schiavo has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years. If our Congress doesn't know what that means, I can explain: it means that she has less brain function than President Bush. A lot less. As in, no cognitive functions at all. Her husband claims that she would have wanted to die. Her parents claim that she wouldn't. So claim thousands of religious fundamentalists who'd never met the woman but who know that their respective gods at least would not have wanted her to die. None of them seem to address the question of why their god has stopped her heart for a few minutes if he did not want her to die. These are the same people who always fight for the rights of the brain-dead, the unborn and the unconceived - apparently they feel a certain affinity with all the aforementioned groups as far as cognitive functions are concerned.

All of the above looks like a lot of trouble just because she never put anything in writing. Maybe I should mention it here, in avoidance of possible future confusion: if I am ever in a persistent vegetative state I would like to die. My parents would probably tell you otherwise, too, but they would be lying.

Also, if there is ever any public debate on whether I should live or die in any euthanasia or vegetative state situation, I really don't want any clergy to participate, at least any clergy that did not know me in person.

Probably should make a living will or whatever...