terri schiavo

It's the rare day when I am in strong agreement with my Senator, Bill Frist. But I am 100% behind his last ditch effort to try to save Terri Schiavo's life.

First of all, she is not on "life support." In fact, she simply requires an alternative way to get food and water. Her husband wants her to starve to death. Her parents, who are willing to take on the expense and hardship of caring for her until she dies of natural causes, do not want to see their daughter starve to death before their eyes.

Her quality of life is not the issue. This is subjective. You don't get to starve someone to death because you would not like to live in the way she is required by her medical condition to live. This is, indeed, a very slippery slope.

And she is not her husband's property -- not an inconvenient, infirm pet to be euthanized.

As a mother, a daughter, a pro-choice feminist, and as someone who was once married, this case really bothers me. I do not believe that the marriage contract should allow a man to make this decision for the woman to whom he is married. She cannot express her wishes, her choice, so we must assume she would prefer life to what will certainly be a very ugly death.