The Case of Terri Schiavo

              Hello travelers, I bring a riddle to all of you.  Well, it is more of an ethical dilemma.  It is known as the Terri Schiavo case.  I recently, learned about it in my G+T class.  For those who are not aware of this case, continue reading.  For those who want to know my opinion and evidence, skip this paragraph to the next one.  In 1990, Terri Schiavo was a married woman at age 26 who suffered from cardiac arrest.  She was also bulimic. On February 25, Terri collasped on the floor at 4:00 a.m. from her heart stopping.  In November 1992, the husband of Terri Schiavo, Michael, wins a case against doctors that misdiagnosed her.  The real reason for her cardiac arrest was because she had a potassium deficiency from her bulimic habits.  She received $700,000 for her care and $300,000 for her husband.  In May 1998, Mr. Schiavo files to remove Terri's feeding tube; thus, cutting her off from life.  The Schindlers, Terri's family, fight to keep the feeding tube connected to Terri.  The feeding tube is removed on April 24, 2001, but it is reinserted on the 26th of the same month.  November 22 2002, Judge Greer rules that there is no evidence for possible recovery for Ms. Schiavo.  August 26 2003, Jeb Bush, govenor of Florida, asks the court to appoint a new guardian for Terri, but the court does not act.  October 21 2003, Jeb Bush passes "Terri's Law" which makes doctors reinsert the tube that feeds her.  September 23 2004, Florida's Supreme Court removes Terri's Law, and declares it unconstitutional.  The tube still remains of controversy of whether or not to be removed, kept in, or reinserted.  March 18 2005, the tube is removed.  March 21 2005, President Bush signs into law demanding a review for the case.  Judges, state and federal, reject parents' appeals and keep the tube out.  March 31 2005, the Schindler's announec Terri's death.  An autopsy was performed on her brain to assess the damage.  Throughout the entire 15 years of this case, the U.S. Supreme refused to be involved.  They refused 6 times.  There have been rumors that Terri has been abused by her husband who dated another woman during Terri's absence.
                As for my opinions of this case, I think the decision to remove the tube was justified.  Before you start to call me a heartless meanie, hear my reasons out.  First of all, Terri was bulimic, which is what caused her heart to stop.  Bulimia is something people do to themselves.  Obviously, Terri was not happy with herself.  As a matter of fact, there is evidence proving that bulimia does come from emotional distress.  In the article, it says that bulimia can arise from poor self-image and low self-esteem.  Hypothetically speaking, if Terri could have recovered, how do we know if she would want to recover.  For all we know, Terri could have been suicidal.  Her bulimia was her way to express that.  She may have figured that she will either get thin or die trying.  She did become thin, no more than 120 pounds; yet, she continued her bulimic habits.  The only option left for her was death.  Ms. Schiavo may not have wanted life support because she would not have wanted to continue living.  Remember, her husband saw Terri for who she was.  The Schindlers probably only saw her as the little girl they raised.  Terri's family may not have been able to comprehend Terri's negative outlook on her life.  How easy is it to think that a family member who you grew up with is emotionally disturbed?  Not easy, which is why Mr. Schiavo may have been able to spot it instead of her family.  Another important thing to consider was the fact this was a decision to end a human's life.  I think her human life ended as soon as her heart stopped.  When she was in her coma, there is evidence proving she had no chance of recovery.  She was completely in a vegetative state with no chance to recover.  Her brain was half the weight of an average human's.  She could not think, feel, see, or interact with her environment in any way.  You could not even classify her as a human.  Remember, it was her own habits of bulimia that caused her heart to stop.  I will include in my next blog post about Aristotle's Classification of Life and how it relates to this.  Also, the article said that there is no evidence that Terri has been abused by her husband.  Her husband wanted what was best for her.  People may point out that Mr. Schiavo was an adulterer for dating another woman while Terri was in her coma.  However, we must remember that Mr. Schiavo, who never abused his wife, knew Terri best.  He was determined to give her what she wanted.  In doing so, he accepted the fact that his wife was basically dead.  He no longer had a marriage with Terri because she was dead; therefore, it was fine for him to pursue other interests.  With no chance of recovering and the probability that she wanted it this way, it seems that this was the right decision.  However, you may feel free to disagree in the comments.  Just do not write any nasty comments.  Have a nice day.