family jewels

[threeplusfire]

What Congress and Bush did last night was absolutely disgusting. The fact that one family's grief and the most difficult moment of their lives has become a political flag to be hauled from one end of the news media to another... ugh. I don't even have words to discuss my abhorrence of these actions.

There's not an easy answer to this. But one thing is certain- this shouldn't be the President's decision or anyone else in Washington. The only people who should be involved in this are the family and doctors.

There's something grimly ironic about Bush touting his devastating social security project and taking a break to deal with the Schiavo case. The Republican right doesn't give a damn about the sanctity of life and the dignity of the elderly and disabled. If you believe that, I have some nice bridges to sell you.

I think perhaps I should make my own living will. Until I get that all settled, I'll write this entry. I've made my wishes crystal clear to Alan and expect everyone to abide by them. If you quibble, I'll haunt you in a most annoying manner.

For the record:

Should I get hurt, make every effort to save me. That part should be easy.

Should I become incapacitated in such a matter that I become brain dead or locked into a permanent vegetative state- do not keep me plugged into machines. Do not keep my body breathing when my mind is gone. Inject me with lots of painkillers and give me a dignified death. Don't let me starve and waste away. Just make it end quickly.

Take me and send my body to Life Gems. Make me into a beautiful diamond. I am personally very fond of the radiant cut. Take me out into the sun and rain sometimes, and keep me somewhere that I won't get lost.

If there are ashes leftover from the Life Gems process, throw them from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava early on a Sunday morning when the streets are empty and the bright sunlight shines through the towers. Make it is a beautiful morning.

Don't put me in one of those scary caskets, or in the ground. Don't hold my corpse up for everyone to see. Don't give me a grim funeral. Make me a diamond and drink to me.

Comments

[silentjack.livejournal.com]

So far, the most concise (and correct, in my opinion) analysis of this purveyed as of yet. This whole situation makes me vomit a little bit each time I think about it, and it frankly baffles me that the separation of powers and state sovereignty apparently no longer exist, let alone that more people the country over aren't seeing all of this for what it is and not going beyond whatever Brian Williams or Peter Jennings are telling them.

As for your last line: I find that incredible, and too good not to use in a piece of music somehow. With your permission, I'd like to borrow it at some point in the future. I'll give you as much credit as possible.

[sammka.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a nice way to be remembered.

I'm so sick of everyone talking about how all this is about "keeping Terri alive or not". For all real intents and purposes, the poor woman is already dead. Persistent vegetative states aren't life. *sigh*

Also...

[silentjack.livejournal.com]

After a small bit of snooping, I found this, written by an acquaintance of mine (the s.o. of one of my closest friends)... That doesn't lend it credibility, but the fact that he's a final-year med student at UNC concentrating in cognitive/neuro medicine and medical ethics and at the top of his class does... Maybe. But it hammers a few points about the whole scenario that media and politicians aren't considering.

[cjwriter.livejournal.com]

Totally inappropriate for the government to get involved. IMO: It all boils down to a husband carrying out his wife's wishes and her parents being in denial about her medical condition.

The only good I can see in this situation is that it might get people thinking about their wills, medical power of attorney and such like. (I already knew about those things because I used to work at a hospital and I had to ask people if they had 'a living will or medical power of attorney'. I must have asked that 20 times a day at least.) I know my husband and I were watching the news last night and he told me what he wanted.
Thanks for posting the link to the medical student's blog. Very interesting.