From Deseret News archives:
Politicizing a private matter
But they can be made much easier if the person involved makes his or her intentions irrefutably clear ahead of time.
Schiavo's case, as tragic as it is, does not differ much from many similar cases that require tough decisions virtually every day in this country. Families and guardians deliberate with the help of competent medical professionals, clergy and, ultimately, their own consciences. Neither state legislatures nor Congress feels the need to get involved.
But in this case, the intensely private decision has now been turned into a political opportunity. The agonizing has become grand theater, with millions of Americans liberally offering their views of what should be done and which experts are to be believed.
Certainly, it would be cruel to criticize Schiavo for not having a living will. She was 26 years old when she suffered brain damage in 1990. Few Americans have living wills today, and few people in their 20s spend much time contemplating the possibility of such a tragedy. And yet her case has made very clear how important it is to have such a document and to make one's wishes known.
But the lessons stop there.
We sympathize with Schiavo's family and their desires for her to some day recover. We are aware of the concerns some have expressed about her husband and his possible motives for wanting her to pass away. Frankly, we are not in a position to judge. Nor are we in a position to say whether she should remain on life support.
However, for 15 years, medical experts have been studying this case. For seven years, 19 separate judges have heard evidence, commissioned independent medical evaluations and rendered consistent judgments. For Congress and the president to step in at this late juncture and to rule, without any hearings, study or evaluation of their own, that, in effect, all the experts and judges were incompetent is simply wrong.
Life is indeed precious, and its sanctity must be protected. But tragedies such as these, no matter how messy, need to remain personal and private.
Comments
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