A Simple Question

I've read a lot of stuff on both sides of the Schiavo case. I've looked at the videos of the lady responding to events around her, and read some affidavits from nurses who cared for her, apparently "under-the-radar" of a menacing Michael Schiavo. There even seems to be a line of evidence that Michael is some sort of Scott Peterson who didn't finish the job, yet. But I do not conclude this, because a storm of hearsay is not the way to judge such a case. Also, it would be nice to know more about when the videos of Terri were taken. There's something a little underhanded about that not being stated. From the videos, it looks to my untrained eye like we have a person trapped in a damaged, mostly unresponsive body, who is desperately trying to communicate. I've read some "experts" say that all she is capable of is "vegetable reflexes". It doesn't look like that to me.

All of these issues aside, isn't the core question whether anyone, guardian or otherwise, can order a "retard" starved to death? If a parent had a severely retarded kid, would the law allow him to order the kid starved? Does guardianship confer any such right? I doubt it. Or do "retards" only have rights when the right people say they do? I guess that's why everyone on the "let her starve" side claims she's a vegetable and not a "retard"...

So the only crucial question is whether the de facto divorcee, Miss Schindler, is a "vegetable", or merely severely handicapped. Surely getting some "second opinions" on this couldn't hurt anything?

My mind is completely open on the whole affair. My main concern is that the whole situation to this point reeks of injustice and a lack of due process. Maybe Michael is squeaky clean and on the side of the angels. On the other hand, maybe he really deserves to be on trial for the attempted murder which put his wife into her present condition. I honestly have no idea. But someone needs to be looking into it.

Rachel Lucas has a pretty good rant about the whole affair (hattip: The Anchoress).

Also, Lileks finds a pretty amazing tie-in of this case to a famous episode of the original Start Trek series.