2600 in 2006 - Theresa Marie Schindler (Schiavo)

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Theresa Marie Schindler (Schiavo) was forced to give up the ghost one year ago today, as a result of 13 days' forced dehydration. The media portrayed the issue as a contest between spousal rights and parental rights, and between a person's expressed will to die and other people's will that the person live. The media are liars.

 

Although a person's spouse should generally be trusted with that person's care, there are exceptions. While Terri was alive, Michael Schiavo sired two children by his mistress, Jodi Centonze, and openly pledged to marry her. That is undisputed fact. To suggest that a married man who only pledges to marry another woman should have any continuing rights as husband of his legal wife is to make a mockery of marriage. (Note that I'm not suggesting that Michael shouldn't have been allowed to get on with life, but rather that if he wanted another woman he should have divorced his wife).

 

As for Terri's supposed wish not to live, the only "evidence" of that is the recollection of Michael Schiavo and two of his relatives, first recalled seven years after Terri's collapse, that she supposedly told them that. Supposedly, Terri had conversations with each of those Schiavos singly, and the three conversations were quite different. Judge Greer thought the variety of conversations constituted clear and compelling evidence of the seriousness of Terri's intentions. IMHO, a more rational person would think it more likely that the Schiavos simply invented the conversations out of whole cloth, and made them different so as to avoid any need to corroborate each other.

 

I could go on and on about what's wrong in this case, but that would proably be rather boring. If anyone's interested, I can discuss more in comments. I would like to mention, though, a song I wrote, arranged, and recorded last year. A Bird in a Barren Cage (adapted from a song by Arthur J. Lamb and Harry von Tilzer, circa 1900). The link points to lyrics, sheet music, and a recording. I'd be curious what people think of my musical efforts.

 

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