You’re right. I’m sure it will be more like 17 cents. Grubby nickels and pennies that were pulled out of the sofa and the cup holder in my car. I’m sorry about that, but it’s what I’ve got to offer.

With apologies to a-[e], mango, punditz and everyone who has already blogged about this subject, I want to say a few things about Terri Schiavo. I do not know if this woman should live or die. One could make an argument that she is incapable of keeping herself alive, so the natural thing is to let her die. One could just as easily make the case that we have the ability to keep her alive, and since life is precious, we should take advantage of that.

I can empathize with her husband. I have read many attacks on this man. When some one you love is a vegetable, then you may attack him. No one knows what this woman’s state of awareness is, but he is very aware. The woman he married, the person he was presumably in love with is gone, forever. But there is this shell of a person, who looks like his wife, who legally is his wife remains. Part of the grieving process is to let go. How can he let go when she lingers? He wants to remember his wife as a real person, not a husk.

On the hand, I can’t exactly criticize the parents. I do not want to see my sons die. I fully have every expectation that they will outlive me. But I can only imagine that if something happened to one of them, that I would not give them up easily. That I would hold on to any shred of hope, even if it defied all rational thought.

You see, I don’t have an opinion on this, because it’s none of my business. I am sad that the husband and the parents find themselves pitted against each other, but still who am I to take sides. I don’t know any of them or anything about this, not really. So why am writing about?

The same reason you are talking about it, everyone is. It has became an “issue.” Beware of issues. Really why is it an issue? Do you know? It’s not because some one’s life is in the balance. People die all the time, and it’s not even newsworthy. Almost 20,000 civilians have died in Iraq, but that’s only Page 5 news. Below the fold. So why is this an issue?

I’ll tell you. Abortion. I know, what does a woman who is living off of a tube have to do with unborn babies? The religious right realized a couple of years ago that they would not be able to get Roe v Wade overturned in court. Not even with conservative judges. So they have been on a mission. A mission to legislate life over death in any case that pops up. Congress is not involved with Terri Schiavo because they have compassion for her. Jeb Bush is not concerned about Terri Schiavo. They are using her. Posting pictures of her blank face all over the place. To set a precedent. That if she can live then, legally she must. If that precedent is set. It can be applied to Roe v Wade at some future point.

I’m not saying that abortion is good. I’m not saying this woman should die. What I am saying is this: it is sick to use this woman and her parents and her husband in this way. It is sad that they had to go to court to have her fate decided. It is an abomination that politicians from both sides of the aisle are using these people to further their own agendas. Terri Schiavo is not a victim, she is hopefully beyond suffering. Her husband, her parents on the other hand, are victimized every time a politician or journalist capitalizes on this “issue.”