I have been trying very hard to stay away from controversial issues on this blog. I often find, looking back a few months later, that my opinion on the matter has softened. It's actually a bit embarassing to see what I once considered important ended up meaning so little.

So it is with caution that I write something about the current hot topic of the month: the Terri Schiavo case.

The case is doubly-sad. First, there is the deep sympathy I feel for the woman at the center of it all: Terri Schiavo. 15 years ago, she was a normal, healthy woman. Then she suffered a heart attack that caused severe brain damage. She has been somewhere between comatose and barely conscious ever since. Court-appointed doctors have said she is in a “persistent vegetative state“.

The other sad aspect of this case is how this case has become a lightening-rod dividing people all across the United States. In fact, this case has attracted such a odd assortment of characters and issues, that you need a scorecard to figure out who's who.

What this whole case smacks of is hypocracy. Don't worry, there's plenty to go around for all sides.

Maybe I'm cynical, but when all those Senators flew into Washington two weekends ago to pass a special bill to give her parents standing in federal court, and then the President was woken at 1am to sign it into law, it seemed to be a publicity stunt. It's been almost two weeks, and we have not heard one peep out of the vacationing President on the issue. I bet he wishes it would just go away - one way or another.

At the time he signed the bill, the President made a statement like, “All life is precious“, or something like that. But while Bush was governor of Texas, there were 131 executions in 5 years. Many of those cases had serious legal questions about guilt - including 40 cases where the defence lawyer presented no evidence. There seems to be something odd about passing laws in the middle of the night to save the life of someone who is almost comatose, and letting 131 people, some of which COULD be innocent, die without blinking.

You can't even blame traditional Democrat versus Republican bickering. Politicians of all parties are using this to push their agendas, whatever they may be. But when it got too hot, like it is now, they are nowhere to be found.

The parents seem to be stuck in some type of legal infinite loop. I feel sad for them, because what they are doing is fighting for their daughter's life, but they have appealed this case at least 10 times (6 times to the Supreme Court), and been rejected each time. They should probably just drop the legal appeals of this case, and focus on getting the public on their side. It's probably their only hope.

Jesse Jackson annoys me to no end. “Jesse, come on down to Florida and help us with this case.” “Will the media be there?” If I thought he was the least bit sincere, I wouldn't mind so much. But with Rev. Jackson, it's all about the publicity value. I do appreciate a comment he made a couple of weeks ago, before got involved with the case, about how he opposed the way congress sped through a law in 24 hours to save one life, while they blindly ignore the millions of other people starving in America. Of course, now he's fighting for the camera time, oops I mean fighting for Terri, alongside those same politicians.

Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida, is in a tough spot. He's sort of thrust himself out there, to lead the political fight in Florida. But now, everyone has sort of abandoned him - including his brother - so now he fights alone. Activists are calling on him to do something, and will no doubt blame him when Terri dies. So there's a kick in the pants for you - the one guy who I think really genuinely tried, and still tries, to help becomes the biggest goat in all this. Poor Jeb.

Lastly, there is an interesting contradiction here. Apparently, most states currently would allow what Florida allows - for a hospital to remove a feeding tube at the request of a legal guardian. But that causes the person to be starved to death - what a horrible way to die. Since most states clearly allow people to be starved to death in this way, shouldn't there be an option for a more compassionate way to die? This is the contradiction - every day people watch their loved ones travel a long and painful road to death (ie: the last weeks of cancer), with nothing but morphine to ease the pain. There should be some other compassionate options, if doctors, patient and family members all agree.

Also, it should be noted that Terri Schiavo, thankfully, feels no pain. According to an article on CNN.com, people in a persistant vegetative state are not conscious, and thus neither suffer nor feel pain. I really, really hope this is true.