Regarding the Shiavo matter

[Dob]

...if they really wanted to honor God's will, wouldn't they advocate taking her OFF the life support? Isn't making her remain on life support using the will of man to trump God's will?

In order to answer those questions, we must presume to know what God's will actually is. What if God doesn't want either one of those things? What if God didn't want her to get sick in the first place? If a drunk driver had killed her in a hit and run, would that have been God's will? If every action of man is (directly or indirectly) God's will, then removing the feeding tube would be God's will as well.

But without getting into a deep philosophical discussion, I think most people would agree that the ideal outcome would be a miraculous recovery. Some might say that we should keep her alive in order to hold the door open for such a miracle ("through God all things are possible"), but I believe that "To every thing there is a season...a time to be born, and a time to die."

What's really ridiculous, IMO, is calling the removal of the feeding tube "murder." Let's suppose that Terri ended up this way as a result of being shot. So the person that removes the feeding tube is the murderer...not the person who pulled the trigger? Or are they both "equally guilty" of murder?

[dudelsack]

I heard on the radio this afternoon that the Vatican has weighed in on this question. According to them, the feeding tube is not a form of extraordinary "life support" but instead just the way Terri happens to eat. *Removing it* would, in their eyes, be "playing God" and deciding who lives and dies, not leaving it connected.

It's not like the Vatican cares if she's brain dead...the power to think has never been a requirement of Catholicism.


(too easy, yes)

[Rob P]

In order to answer those questions, we must presume to know what God's will actually is. What if God doesn't want either one of those things? What if God didn't want her to get sick in the first place? If a drunk driver had killed her in a hit and run, would that have been God's will? If every action of man is (directly or indirectly) God's will, then removing the feeding tube would be God's will as well.

But without getting into a deep philosophical discussion, I think most people would agree that the ideal outcome would be a miraculous recovery. Some might say that we should keep her alive in order to hold the door open for such a miracle ("through God all things are possible"), but I believe that "To every thing there is a season...a time to be born, and a time to die."

I didn't want to get too philosophical either, because I don't think anyone knows what God's will is, except in their own mind. To me, the will of man, and science, is keeping her alive at this point, not God's will (if one chooses to believe in God).

The Schiavo family is waiting for a miracle, partially because they are strict Roman Catholics, and partially because they have an emotional attachment that I could never fully understand unless I went through the same ordeal with a family member. However, there's the husband, who is with all judicial precedents the one to make this kind of decision, and the will of the courts, who have consistently supported the right of the husband. The husband is no saint, which brings his motives into question. But, he's right when it comes to her not wanting to stay alive in that kind of state. Who among us would? In a hypothetical poll, I can't imagine a lot of people answering affirmatively that they would want to remain alive in a persistent vegetative state, with their cerebral cortex liquified.

[lukpac]

The whole politicizaiton of the right-to-die thing is mess enough, but something is REALLY bugging me: can someone please explain how the hell the family gets 'SHY-voh' from 'Schiavo'?

Why not? I suppose it could be 'shy-ah-voh'. But I guess the 'a' is silent.

Where I come from if you pronounced 'Schiavo' any way other than 'SkeeAHvo' or 'SheeAHvo', people would think you're retarded.

You know people with that last name?

[krabapple]

The whole politicizaiton of the right-to-die thing is mess enough, but something is REALLY bugging me: can someone please explain how the hell the family gets 'SHY-voh' from 'Schiavo'?

Why not? I suppose it could be 'shy-ah-voh'. But I guess the 'a' is silent.

er....maybe in Wisconsin. Or anywhere else where they think Domino's is pizza.

Where I come from if you pronounced 'Schiavo' any way other than 'SkeeAHvo' or 'SheeAHvo', people would think you're retarded.

You know people with that last name?

Sure. I grew up in the Bronx and all my buddies were Italian and Irish. I also knew a "Schiaza". Which I assure wasn't pronounced 'Shyza" . Ever.

[lukpac]

How can you argue with how someone pronounces/spells their *own* name?

[Dob]

Folks with strong ties to their heritage sometimes bristle at others from the same heritage who "americanize" the pronunciation of their names. Of course, it's none of their business, but there it is.

My favorite case of mispronunciation was on the show Absolutely Fabulous, where the surname Bucket was pronounced "bouquet" in an attempt to give it some class.

[CitizenDan]

I knew a girl in college whose family did just the opposite: The family name was Bigot (pronounced Bee-JOH), but they didn't want to sound all highfalutin so they pronounced it like the word bigot. Weird.

[krabapple]

How can you argue with how someone pronounces/spells their *own* name?

On matters this important, I can argue easily and often.

[balthazar]

How can you argue with how someone pronounces/spells their *own* name?

It's pretty easy to argue when their pronunciation goes against the rules of whatever language the name comes from.

My wife's dentist's last name is Theis. Forgiving that there's only one "s" I want to pronounce it so it rhymes with "ice." The poor bugger rhymes it with "fleece."

[Rspaight]

I will defend to the death my right to make fun of Versailles, KY being pronounced Ver-SALES.

Even I'm not pedantic enough to complain about our Paris pronounced PAIR-us, but I will, however, note with derision our Athens, pronounced AY-thens.

Ryan

[Ess Ay Cee Dee]

My favorite is Cairo, Illinois. The locals pronounce it KAY-ro.

[balthazar]

My favorite is Cairo, Illinois. The locals pronounce it KAY-ro.

Must be the same people down there who "warsh" their clothes.

Must be to get all the corn syrup out of them.

[dudelsack]

.

Must be to get all the corn syrup out of them.

Is that SUR-up or SEER-up? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Rspaight]

Back home, we warshed all our clothes in the crick.

Ryan