The Terri Schiavo Debate

The whole debate over Terri Schiavo (search) really boiled down to which is more important: her death or her life?

Terri’s husband wanted her to die. Terri’s parents wanted her to live. The rest of us, almost everyone, had a strong opinion about who was right. I couldn’t find anyone who was neutral.

On Easter Sunday, I hosted a dinner with some very good friends. The subject of Terri Schiavo came up, and suddenly good friends were getting mad at each other. We were all kind of shocked to hear anger in our voices, so we changed the subject. But that’s exactly why this case is so important. It cuts right through our usual associations, including labels like liberal (search) and conservative (search), and challenges all of us to question the very core of our feelings about life.

Legally, the Schiavo case probably won’t change anything, because bad cases make bad law. Politically, it probably won’t change anything, because most politicians have found a way of taking cover. Medically, we’re no closer to understanding the mysteries of the human mind. But morally and spiritually, we were all forced to take time out from our daily routine to ask whether there is anything on earth more sacred than human life. And just asking that question is an important part of living.

And that’s the Asman Observer.

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