Right to die Right to life Terry Schiavo Debate

SHARON M. KOLANKIEWICZ STAFF WRITER SMK724@CABRINI.EDU

After hearing that Terri Schiavo passed away last week, I was saddened. However, I also felt a bit of relief after hearing the news. I was relieved knowing now that this woman can now rest in peace. I just want to make it clear that both the husband and the parents have legitimate reasons. On the other hand, I am siding with Schiavo’s husband, despite any legal matters or current personal lifestyle. I am mainly supporting this side for my ethical beliefs.

First of all, I know that if someone very close to me was on his or her death-bed, like Schiavo, I would be devastated. It is not right to have someone living in a hospital while being connected to tubes and machines. If my child or any relative were that sick and was basically a “vegetable,” I would not want him or her to suffer.

When I was younger, one of my family members was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. I watched her suffer and I watched her live in agony while she was going through chemotherapy. I loved her so much that I kept praying that she could get through it. At the same time, I also wanted her to be happy. I realized that it was selfish on my part to want her to live if it meant she would have to deal with pain on a daily basis. I do not believe that it is shallow to feel that sometimes I thought it would be better if she died. I knew that she would be happier and better off than in agony.

Obviously we want the best for the people we love. However, what is best for the individual may not be the best for us. Many people use the term regarding love and relationships that, “if you love someone, let them go,” but I think this term can be used in situations regarding life and life support.

Obviously you love the person and you want what is best for him or her. Sometimes what is best is letting them go.

I think having someone who is in a vegetative state and hooked up to tubes is a horrible situation to put someone in. I think of it as if that person is already gone. You are not interacting with the person on a normal basis. Instead, you are watching them get worse and you cannot connect with that person on the same level as you would if he or she was healthy.

Even though we want to keep loved ones in our lives, do we want them still “living” if they cannot function or enjoy the everyday joys of life? I believe that a person is alive if he or she can interact in daily activities and with the people in his or her life. Honestly, I see keeping someone alive with machines and feeding tubes does not replace the missing bond with that person. Obviously, the bond between you and that person is not there anymore. Your love and memories still remain in your mind and heart. However, the memories are in your mind, not the other person’s mind.

Sometimes we have to step back and let nature take its