Terri Schaivo's Death Scene
A reporter on the scene in Pinellas Park told us on PCCboard the events surrounding the death of Terri Schaivo and was quite upset that the Schindlers were not allowed to be present and Michael Schaivo immediately left. The reporter was also upset by a phone call he had with Michael Schaivo's brother because Michael, in the reporter's opinion, "was too much of a wuss to talk to me." Michael's brother chose his words very poorly. The short version of the story is this.
Michael Schiavo, faced with the prospect of spending even more time with the corpse of his wife not different in any way to the time he's had to spend with her body for the last 15 years, understandably leaves the scene as soon as he can, quietly and with more dignity than the Schindlers will ever have. It is not an act of cowardice for Mr. Schiavo to refrain from jamming his face into a reporter's microphone at a politicized moment of fame. "Ask the Schindlers about their $3.5 million book deal and selling their supporters mailing list," I said.
Continuing the narrative: Terri Schiavo's family is not allowed to continue to act like media whores and turn the death scene into a circus, as if this transition of Terri's was somehow more important than the transition that happened to her fifteen years ago. Michael's brother doesn't want to come out and say so outright, so he hems and haws with spiritualized-sounding words like "spirit" that he probably doesn't really believe but our religious society demands. Michael's brother's choice of the phrase "damage control" when he called the reporter indicates someone intimidated by the politicization and rhetoric accomplished by Operation Rescue's Randall Terry and the rest of the Schindler's crack team of cynical spin doctors. He should have said just single-word sentences. Privacy. Dignity. Michael treated this event with all the emotion and ceremony that it merited: none at all.
Does that seem harsh? Disrespectful? Quite the reverse. The idea that what happened at 9:05 AM today is somehow more important than the change that took place fifteen years ago is what truly does disrespect to Terri and her memory. To the Pro-Lifers, Terri Schaivo was worth no more than a wad of flesh just so long as it's pulsating. The last time Terri actually spoke to her parents, fifteen years ago? Unnecessary to them apparently, just so long as they have their life-like baby doll to cuddle. Do you want to know why those who support pulling the plug are so passionate? This is an example of how the right-to-life movement cheapens and denigrates all our lives. Our love and hate, our laughter and tears, our feeling and thinking, our friendship and struggle, is what makes us human, not being a hunk of flesh containing sacred DNA. Life in the sense of a biography is more valuable than life in the sense of a metabolic process in a petri dish. That's true respect for life.
Comments
bardicwench on Apr. 1, 2005 2:09 AM
Thank you for putting into words what I've been thinking.
paranthropus on Apr. 1, 2005 1:51 PM
Well said. Very well said.
I heard about the mailing list, but the book deal is news to me. Some day, I hope, these "Pro-Lifers" are going to wake up and realize that they are being used, that they are just another demographic. When Jesse Jackson shows up whoring for attention, you know that some kind of line has been crossed.
Michael's brother should dismiss all talk of "spirits" and focus on one thing: respect. Even though our loved ones are gone - gone for the past 15 years - we can respect their memory by allowing their remains to die quietly and privately. Thanks to the Schindlers (now $3.5 million richer), their beloved daughter will be remembered forever as an insensate bag of organs rather than the thinking, feeling, loving human being that she once was.
Here's a photo of a guy who infiltrated that mob scene to deliver a dose of common sense. Priceless:
http://www.horrorshowproductions.com/schaivo2.jpg
flutterby68 on Apr. 3, 2005 8:06 PM
I think I love you. At last, someone who GETS IT. Sigh. I guess the fundy Christian perspective often blinds people to reality, dignity, justice and basic humanity. Let's hope she gets some dignity in death that her parents refused to allow her for the past 15 years.
scottym on Apr. 4, 2005 3:17 PM — Wow...
Thank you for putting into such graceful words the message I have been trying to get across since this whole debacle started.
I think I love you.
sibbidy on Apr. 12, 2005 1:02 PM
God, have mercy on this country.
matt-arnold on Apr. 12, 2005 1:43 PM
Sibbidy,
Jesus said when you pray, to do so in your closet, not on a street corner. So if you are a Christian, why have you come on a livejournal full of unbelievers and spoken this prayer for mercy where only they can hear you?
If you have a view to offer, what is it? Do you have any arguments to offer to support your view? Or just a rebuke with no reasons?
sibbidy on Apr. 12, 2005 3:19 PM
Christ also says to profess our faith to all the nations. Why is it with such venom you attack anyone who does not share your view? If it isn't ok for people to speak freely on your live journal, why do you post it for the public to read and comment on? Consider a friends only journal. That way you never have to encounter someone who might disagree with you. Why is it you take such offense at the prospect of someone praying for their country? Did I ask you to take on my faith? Perhaps you feel convicted?
matt-arnold on Apr. 12, 2005 3:30 PM
Where have I attacked you or spoken with venom about you? Can you point to it? I have never made a statement about you in my life, since I don't know you.
I want you to speak freely and express your views here. In fact, I even asked you to do so. I just reminded you about what Jesus said about prayer. That is all.
Where did I take offense to you praying? I do not agree with Jesus about this; I want you to support our country on my livejournal as much as you want. The one who does not want you to pray in public is Jesus, not me.
sibbidy on Apr. 12, 2005 4:31 PM
The context of that verse is as follows: Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees- who would often stand out on the street corners praying when they lived wicked and deceitful lives in private. He wanted to illustrate the fact that prayer should be a lifestyle, not just something you do for a show, and then not follow it in your private life. He did not mean for people not to pray in public.
matt-arnold on Apr. 12, 2005 4:43 PM
Oh. I see. I warmly invite you to visit my blog often and pray. Perhaps you can post a prayer about your grandmother's health in my next blog entry. This will be an ongoing feature of my livejournal. I haven't got your god on my livejournal friends list, or Allah or Buddha either, but I'm sure they read it anyway. My livejournal will serve as the conduit between you and your god.
Bow your heads and close your eyes everybody, Sarah is here. Then afterward we will return to actually sharing our views and differences to each other. But Sarah will not express her views to us, she'll just open my livejournal entry with a word of prayer.
Sounds good. How about it?
twoofdtm on Apr. 12, 2005 4:46 PM
It sounds like a form I am willing to join in on! *bows head*
sibbidy on Apr. 12, 2005 4:49 PM
Aaah, I see. Sarcasm now. That's good. It shows a mature attitude and a great way to deal with your problems, and obviously I am one of them. Don't worry, I will leave you to your own views and opinions and not share any of mine, because obviously, it's too upsetting to you to have someone share what they believe if it conflicts with your views.
Remember what I said about that venom that you couldn't understand what I was talking about? Read your above post.
Please everyone, only those who share Matt's beliefs may post here. Enough said.
temujin9 on Apr. 12, 2005 7:37 PM
You haven't shared anything, yet. You've just prayed on the street corner. His street corner, I might add. And he has every right to be snarky. Praying loudly on his street corner is a really underhanded way of saying "I think God is offended at you".
And now (twice) you have put words in his mouth, calling him insulting and closeminded. I'm surprised he hasn't just killfiled you for your impolitness; apparently, he's trying to take the high road. A word of caution, Matt: this doesn't work well with mealy-mouthed Christians, because they're convinced they own the high road.
There. Now you can complain about venom. There's more of that awaiting your next snide remark, too. I have little tolerance for those who cast underhanded insults, especially when it's at those I know don't deserve it.
jeffreyab on Apr. 13, 2005 12:20 AM
Why?
Leave a Comment