Why do you think I would say I am opposed to abortion, if I was not opposed to abortion?
Why do you claim to be in favor of the sanctity of life, and then want to artifically alter it, in the manner you seem to be demanding--forcing someone who in the natural order would die in peace, to be kept alive against their will, by means very different than those provided by the Creator.
Make no mistake, as I point out at several places in the essay (Terry Schiavo: An End To Rational Analysis?), people have a right to expend their resources to keep their bodies artificially alive, even when cognitive functions have ceased. I believe in that Freedom. But why would anyone who claims to believe in the Sanctity of Life, want to make a cause out of forcing people to decide on such a course?
You totally ignore the reality; that spending resources on keeping people alive against their will, deprives the younger members of a family, from the unborn babes on, of the use of those same resources. The culture of the "Living Death," that you seem to want to force on others, is most certainly not a culture of Life. Through all the ages of man, death has been a part of the life cycle. It is not a denial or trivialization of the importance of life, to understand the characteristics of life--one of which is the fact that at a certain point, death naturally ensues.
The fanaticism of the Schiavo protesters undermines the chances of curbing abortion, because it frankly terrifies a large part of the living population, who see in the Terry Schiavo case a true nightmare--not the one you imagine. Very, very few of us would ever want to be kept alive for 15 years in the condition of poor Terry. But you do not see that, and imagine it a sound issue on which to take the ideological field. You simply do not see the forest for the trees.
William Flax
You spell her name wrong and you already have been apprised therefore we already know that you care about her. Why would anyone want to listen to you?
You appear to make broad general statements re: Terri's condition that are untrue therefore you speak in generalities and are willing to base life and death decisions of people with disabilities or who "appear" to be in a certain condition due to your limited knowledge of their "true" condition. Therefore why would anyone want to listen to you?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1395091/posts?page=656#656
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1395091/posts?page=656#656
I rest my case.
You believe that "some" can/should judge others and see that they are not around to "waste resources".
And, again, I do not believe you are anti-abortion because, of course, why should a mother bear a child she does not wish so that that child will be a burden and "waste resources".
And, I do not intend to go wade through your "analysis" no matter how many times you mention it. Your views are clear.
Now - just WHO is supposed to be the judge of "aliveness" for each of us, including you?
Oh, and "against their will".........
We don't have proof of Terri's will. As someone mentioned when Terri was 26 and supposedly made that statement, food and water were not considered "medical treatment" so she never - ever - made a decision about food and water.
And, this whole discussion has not been about those who have stated in writing of their wishes - this is about the state using the "claimed" non-written statement of her wishes and with a 50/50% chance of error, erring on the side of death rather than the side of life.
We are not forcing any of the victims to do anything. We are preventing the willful decision by others that they must die (so as not to waste resources, etc, etc., etc.).
EternalVigilance::I've said it many times, but I'll say it again: 'Quality of life' is nothing but another name for the slippery slope into barbarism."
Ohioan:
"You have that backwards. In barbaric times, no one cared about the quality of anyone else's life. It was all self-centered. It is only with the increase in enlightenment and the growth of philosophy that we begin to look more closely, and develop more complexity in our values."
Ohioan, ET said that this would cause us to go down the slippery slope into barbarism, you accused him of having it backwards, then you go on to justify and prove what he said. That "In barbaric times, no one cared about the quality of anyone else's life. It was all self-centered."
That's what he is warning about! We don't want to go into barbarism where no one cared about the quality of anyone else's life. That's why we are against what happened to Terri. That path is the path back into barbarism. We don't want it!
You are a very very confused person.