3.31.2005
I have been pondering the events surrounding Terry Schiavo. It is hard not to. I came across this , and thought it was well put. I don't know what to think of it all. On one hand you have a real person trapped in a malfunctioning body. Nobody knows for sure how much of the real person is left after all this time, and what they actually want. We have no way to roll aside the veil and truly see. Being raised in our media-saturated society, the obvious thing that came to mind was the old video from "One". It is absolutely chilling to think of being fully concious in that state for so long, and to contemplate the end in that situation.
On the other hand, there is the nice, clean, convenient medical argument. She has no brain activity, she is not concious, "She is a product of your profession, not mine" as the military man said to the doctor as they all walked out of the room.
And then there is the ever-present media circus. Political opportunism, hungry-eyed reporters and freakish protesters on both sides. They come out of the woodwork like... well, like worms. Wiggling about for all to see beneath the bright camera lights. You wonder where these people were a month ago, a year ago, or for the last 15. You wonder where they will be tomorrow. You have one governmental branch usurping the authority of the other, and then the reverse happening, and back and forth. The poster-reverend for the "liberal left" aligning his cause with the "conservative right".
The precedents that this sets are scary. The slippery-slope argument that we can arbitrarily disconnect a person we think is not functioning correctly has a ring of truth. It is meaningless to say that this is an isolated case, because there are thousands of others just like her, and this sets the bar. The next battle will be about whether people can arbitrarily disconnect the {aged, diseased, injured, depressed, undesirable} simply because we can, or because "they would have wanted it that way" or because it is convenient.
But yet, the dignity-in-death argument is not without its sense. I know I would wish to be disconnected in that state. Hopefully my family would just let me go before it gets to that stage. There are many worse things than death. I think even if I was fully concious behind that veil I would want to be disconnected.
But I don't know. In the end it is just a sad thing all around. There are no easy answers, and those who say there are should be looked on with skepticism. It is very sad.
On the other hand, there is the nice, clean, convenient medical argument. She has no brain activity, she is not concious, "She is a product of your profession, not mine" as the military man said to the doctor as they all walked out of the room.
And then there is the ever-present media circus. Political opportunism, hungry-eyed reporters and freakish protesters on both sides. They come out of the woodwork like... well, like worms. Wiggling about for all to see beneath the bright camera lights. You wonder where these people were a month ago, a year ago, or for the last 15. You wonder where they will be tomorrow. You have one governmental branch usurping the authority of the other, and then the reverse happening, and back and forth. The poster-reverend for the "liberal left" aligning his cause with the "conservative right".
The precedents that this sets are scary. The slippery-slope argument that we can arbitrarily disconnect a person we think is not functioning correctly has a ring of truth. It is meaningless to say that this is an isolated case, because there are thousands of others just like her, and this sets the bar. The next battle will be about whether people can arbitrarily disconnect the {aged, diseased, injured, depressed, undesirable} simply because we can, or because "they would have wanted it that way" or because it is convenient.
But yet, the dignity-in-death argument is not without its sense. I know I would wish to be disconnected in that state. Hopefully my family would just let me go before it gets to that stage. There are many worse things than death. I think even if I was fully concious behind that veil I would want to be disconnected.
But I don't know. In the end it is just a sad thing all around. There are no easy answers, and those who say there are should be looked on with skepticism. It is very sad.
3.26.2005
If you wish, try this. Some of it is pretty inane, but there are a few moments of amusement. Like the girl going to gay bars.
3.22.2005
Hello...
Awhile back I created a Yafro account, but never did anything with it. I uploaded my first picture yesterday, and will upload more as time/space allows.
jose3k.yafro.com is the place to be.
Awhile back I created a Yafro account, but never did anything with it. I uploaded my first picture yesterday, and will upload more as time/space allows.
jose3k.yafro.com is the place to be.
3.05.2005
that's right... fucking nazis!
