The Terri Schiavo case is very controversial as we have seen in class. Some websites take one side while other websites and articles take the other. Everyone has their own opinion of what they would have done in a situation like Terri's. Some people think it was unjust to take her off of the feeding tube. Others think that it was justified to take her off her feeding tube. In class, I took a side: the decision to let her die of starvation and dehydration was justified. But now that I have been thinking about it in the back of my mind, I believe that the decision regarding Terri Schiavo was unjust. If it was regarding someone who was brain dead, or the irreversible end of brain activity, then it would have been just. But in Terri Schiavo's case, she was alive and breathing. In other words, she was still a person. She wasn't the same person she was before the accident but she still is a person. My definition of a person would be someone who has human DNA, alive, breathing, and able to feel emotion. And Terri was able to do all of that. She would move her eyes around the room when people moved, she would talk to her mother, and her bodily systems (her lungs, heart, brain and digestive system) worked. She had trouble getting food down her esophagus. In addition, the feeding tube process was not painful for her and it was not difficult. (slate.com)
Her husband did not help in this situation. He was appointed her legal guardian on June 18 , 1990 by the court. Surprisingly, the Schindlers (parents) did not disapprove of this appointment at the time. Michael Schiavo filed a petition to remove her feeding tube in May of 1998. As we have discussed in class, Terri told Michael that she didn't want to be kept alive "artificially". When Terri was in a nursing home, Michael was in a relationship with a woman named Jodi Centonze. Jodi and Michael Schiavo supposedly met at the dentist's office. She had been through a divorce and his wife was in a nursing home. According to some of his friends, he was lonely and heartbroken all those years and finally bonded with someone after such a long time. Michael had a child with Jodi and still claimed that he should be the one making the crucial decision for Terri. (sptimes.com) Some websites have stated that Michael wanted Terri's insurance money after she died so Michael and Jodi could have a good life. Jodi was in the middle of this situation but she never wanted to be a part of it. With that being said, I believe that the Terri Schiavo decision was unjust. Terri was still a living person who was breathing, could experience emotions (she was happy when she saw her parents), and could move her body to a point. I think she should have been still on the feeding tube because scientists could still develop something that could help her get better. Science has been improving all these years. Maybe if she was still on the feeding tube, she would have been treated with new medication.
I have decided to answer the questions about AUTONOMY (Who should decide for Terri Schiavo? When and why should people decide for me?). I really think the Schindlers made a mistake by being quiet when the court announced Michael Schiavo as Terri's legal guardian. Furthermore, he was not the person to make the decision. Terri's friend stated that after watching a movie about a girl in a coma, that Terri said that she would want to be kept alive even in that state. Terri's parents should have been the legal guardians. According to our class discussions, her husband, Michael, didn't allow treatment and the her parents secretly allowed Terri to get the treatment they though she needed when he wasn't there. As you can see, Michael Schiavo was not the right guardian for Terri. If something were to happen to me, I would want my parents to make a decision for me because they have known me all of my life and there is no one else in the universe who would know me better. Also, I would want them to make a decision for me when I am not able to respond, am in an irreversible coma, or brain dead. If I was on life support, I would not want to live artificially.
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