The law matters in a nation of laws.
Do you remember what Paul Scofield, in the character of Thomas More in "A Man for all Seasons," said to his son-in-law, who said he would cut down laws to defeat the devil?
“This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast-man's laws, not God's-and if you cut them down-and you're just the man to do it-d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.”
We don't cast aside laws when we don't like them. We change them.
So, civil disobedience is always morally wrong?
However, the judge is within the law. The problem is with the law.
I had NO idea that a feeding tube and hydration could be considered "extraordinary measures." I read in the Indiana paper today that there was a case very similar to this one back in the early 90's, which resulted in the removal of the feeding tube. I didn't even remember it, because it got such little press attention at the time.
A lot of the controversy about this case is because people didn't know that a situation like this was possible. Now we do.
The laws need to be changed. By the way, I looked up living wills in Indiana, and while you can REFUSE treatments through one, you can not ORDER that treatments be continued. There is something I had not thought about, either.
Lots of things to think about in this issue, regardless of the character failings of Michael Schiavo OR the Schindlers.
An excellent post, sinkspur; I agree with everything you've said.