Throughout this unit on bioethics, I've learned a lot. We learned a lot of different ways to look at the situation of Terri Schiavo, and have learned almost everything there is to know about this case in general. This case began in 1998 and ended after her death in 2005. After learning all about the Terri Schiavo case, I've decided that I do agree with the husband, but not the actions of the husband. He provided some very unnecessary actions, and I'm not sure his heart was in the right place, but in the end, I guess I was on his side.
So, after learning all about this case, I do believe that the decision to disconnect Terri Schiavo from life-support was justified. I think this, because while she still is a human, I don't think she should be considered a person. I define a human as somebody who is alive and has DNA, but I describe a person as somebody who communicates and has interactions with other people. To be considered a person, I think people should be able to do what they want in life and make decisions for themselves. So, Terri is a human, but not a person. However, this argument can become very controversial.
There are a few known facts that I found very interesting while researching this case. I searched if Terri was able to feel pain while she was unconscious, but I got a few different answers. Some sources said yes, some said no, and some sources even said she was able to feel some pain, but not all. Like this question, my answers were very diverse on most of the questions I asked. Though, I did find some other facts that were very odd. For one, her husband had completely moved on and created a new family, yet still wouldn't give up guardianship. Why? Was it for the money or did he still love this unconscious woman? Also, not long after her injury, he melted down her rings and made one for himself. Why would he do this? He just seems very odd and a little messed up. Though, in the end, while he believes this for reason different from mine, we both believe that taking Terri Schiavo off of life-support was justified.
When you look at this dilemma, you can view it from a few different perspectives. I first chose RIGHT TO LIFE: Does Terri Schiavo have the right to be kept alive? Does every person have a "right to life"? Obviously, Terri does have the RIGHT to be kept alive, but SHOULD she? I do believe she, like everybody, has the right to life, but in a case like hers, I don't think she should. She cannot do the things a normal person can do, she can't keep stable relationships with people, and really can't do anything. Then, you're brought into the QUALITY OF LIFE questions: Is her life still worth living? I say no, because of all the things she cannot do. I do feel bad saying this, but I just don't see the justification in keeping her alive. It's been so many years, and she obviously wasn't going to get better and just wake up one day, so shouldn't the time wasted on her be used for somebody that actually has a chance of being cured? It's sad to say, but she's a waste of time, money, and feelings. She's affecting so many people and letting people down. She obviously can't help it, but she is taking up a huge chunk of everyone's life. It's hard to say, but I don't believe Terri Schiavo's life is even worth living.
I also chose AUTONOMY: Who should decide for Terri Schiavo? When and why should other people decide for me? When I look at these questions, I immediately think the Schindlers should be the legal guardians, since they've known Terri the longest, and they are her parents! However, Micheal, her husband, is the court-appointed guardian, so he has complete control. I think people should only get to decide for me when I can no longer decide for myself, and in this case, Terri couldn't. So, while I do agree she should have somebody else making decisions for her, I disagree with who it was making the decisions.
SOURCES:
http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/schiavo-facts/
http://www.miami.edu/index.php/ethics/projects/schiavo/schiavo_timeline
http://www.blogsforterri.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case
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