
 |
|
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
March 25, 2005
/ 14 Adar II, 5765
If Terri Schiavo Could Talk
By
Tom Purcell
| 
|
|
|
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
If Terri Schiavo could talk, maybe this is what she would say:
I've been humbled and amazed that my life could generate so much attention and discussion, but please don't worry about me.
No matter what happens to me and I may be gone before you even read this I'll be well. If my feeding tube is reinserted and I live, I'll be surrounded by people who love me. If I die, I'll go to a better place, where I'll wait patiently to be rejoined by the people I love so much.
No, it is America I am worried about.
A Fox News poll showed that 59% of Americans believe my feeding tube should be removed. I'm not on a respirator, mind you, but merely need nourishment to live, and yet many Americans are eager to withhold my food and water until my body slowly shuts down.
The reasoning behind this thinking is what is troublesome. If you were in my situation, some of you say, you wouldn't want to go on living, and that is your justification for letting me die.
Others among you won't say it aloud, but you view me as an inconvenience. In your minds you compare me to your elderly parents or grandparents who may require extraordinary love and care one day sacrifices you're too selfish to make.
So you determine that if I am not 100% of what I was if part of my brain is damaged and I cannot take care of myself then I should be left to die. You feel this way, even though I clearly display a level of awareness, and even though my voice and facial expressions show that part of me is still there.
I think you are willing to believe I should be left to die because you have become a cynic. Your cynical worldliness blinds you to the fact that I am a human of extraordinary blessings.
Look at the love that surrounds me every single day. My parents, sister and brother adore me, nurture me and shower me with compassion. It is a gift that I wish everyone could experience.
I have given to them, too. Yes, they wish I was healthy and vibrant and had a family of my own. But the tragedy that befell me brought us all together it brought out a depth of love they did not know they were capable of.
Millions go to bed praying for me every night, and you have no idea how this calms my soul. I feel the pull of their spirits connecting me more closely with our G-d, who I know is watching over me.
Of course, the cynics among you say that if G-d existed, He never would have let such a tragedy befall me, but there you go again.
Whether or not you understand it, every human life has meaning and purpose even a life like mine. G-d works in mysterious ways ways that no human can fully grasp. And maybe this has been my purpose in this life.
Maybe G-d is letting my husband with the full sanction of the courts, rush me to my end to see how you respond. Maybe it's time that a country that celebrates individual freedoms and rights rethinks how the most vulnerable among us are treated.
Maybe G-d is using my pain and suffering to remind us all that there is nothing more precious than life, and that all life should be treated with dignity and compassion, as my family has done so beautifully.
Maybe G-d is trying to remind us all that it is His role, not ours, to determine when life shall be taken. And make no mistake, withholding food and water is tantamount to taking life.
I don't know why this fate has befallen me, but please don't worry about me. It is hard for some to see, but I've been very blessed. It is you I worry about.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and the media consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on JWR Contributor Tom Purcell's column, by clicking here. To visit his web site, click here.
ARCHIVES
© 2005, Tom Purcell
|