the terri schiavo dilemma

i've never really given a second thought to euthanasia cases like this before, but the sensation caused by this case as of the moment brings numerous issues to light.

first of all, who does hold the right to decide whether the woman literally lives or dies? is it her husband? her parents? the supreme court? or the laws governing the United States of America? and i had always thought that decision was up to a supreme being... an omnipotent creator... an almighty God.

aside from the issue of valuing human life, there is also the defining of human life - what quality of human life may be defined as acceptable? is being a vegetable on life-support defined as living?

as much as i'd rather have terri herself speak up to decide her fate, that isn't an option so now everyone's at each other's throat trying to decide what's best for her... or in my opinion, more for themselves... whichever.

after 15 years on life support...

• does husband have the right to cut it off so he could start anew?
• can parents sustain having her attached to an artificial existence?
• will the justice system now have the authority to determine the life or death (not of a criminal but) of a victim?
• will george bush ever make up his mind? (Passing that stupid bill in Florida and now contradicting it as president)

i find it quite annoying how people debate on the fate of an entirely separate person. it is just such a shame she could not speak for herself at this time, and so people put different words in her mouth - making her live through or rather not permitting her to live at all, if living is what you call the state she is in now.

God forbid that i be in a situation similar to that though. if i had to make a choice between keeping myself and consequently my family as well as her alive at the same time, in contrast to the lifestyle i could have, it would be torture to the conscience (to weigh who would be more significant and thereby worthy of such monetary allocation). however, i still say why uproot a tree if you have no better use for the land? if her staying alive as she is does not impede on the life of someone else and if someone can afford to keep her alive then why not?