Kill Me...

if it comes to this, y'all.
This whole Terri Schiavo business makes me sick. Her parents make me sick, the fact that the state government of Florida (of course it had to happen in Florida, because the nation needs more Bushes in the news) and lately the executive and legislative branches of the FEDERAL government jumping through hoops that have never existed for anyone else, ever, is making me sick.
This quote from Terri's mother is especially distrubing:

"When I close my eyes at night, all I can see is Terri's face in front of me, dying, starving to death," Schiavo's mother, Mary Schindler, said outside her daughter's Pinellas Park hospice. "Please, someone out there, stop this cruelty. Stop the insanity..."

I'm with her. I think starving a woman to death, even if she doesn't know it's happening, must be frightening. I imagine watching your daughter die is terrible. I'd advocate doing it quickly, because she's got no chance without that feeding tube. Here's where Mrs. Schindler loses me:

"Please let my daughter live."

What? WHAT? Your daughter is a vegetable. Sorry. That's mean and cruel, but it's also true. She is not your daughter. She is a human body, a shell of who she once was. She's not coming back, and she's not going to be your daughter or your son-in-law's wife again. The cruelty and insanity is arguing with your son-in-law for years, having your daughter's tube removed, then inserted, then removed again for years due to various court orders. She's nearly died several times. Keeping her body here isn't going to make her (or you) any happier. I'd imagine being trapped in your body without any control or any way to voice what you're feeling is hell. Personally, I'd rather be dead than live without the ability to care for myself. You are my witnesses. If I get knocked in the head while bowling or punched in the face by Sting's security guard and I'm brain damaged beyond all hope, take me out. I want the eternal slumber over a few more years in the mortal coil, parked in front of soap operas all day in some hospital room.
There's also this icky language creeping into this "national debate" that mirrors the language in abortion discussions. I hate that people are using this woman, who once had a full life and suffered an unfortunate event to advocate telling women that they can't remove a packet of cells from their uteruses. Terri has a "right to life." She does, and she told her husband that if she was incapacitated that she'd forfeit it.
I'm glad that the federal judge hasn't succombed to the pressure and put the food tube back in. Someone's got to have a clear head about this. I feel terrible for both Schiavo's husband and parents. Nobody wants to decide to end a loved one's life. God knows my Mom anguished over having my dog put down and the dog was miserable in her last hours on this planet. But at some point you've got to know when keeping someone alive is in your best interest and not theirs. (Yes, I know I just compared a woman to a dog. Yes, it's shallow, but I knew my dog better than this woman, so it makes sense to me. I feel like I am pissing my audience off more by the minute. I'll stop now. Now.)
::Steps off soapbox::
I'll get back to the funny tomorrow. I wanted to get that off my chest, because I'm sure y'all cared a lot.