The James Bond character may live dangerously, but he's got nothing on Terry Schiavo. Bond has the bad guys after him, but I don't recall anyone ever attempting to dehydrate him to death.
Ms. Schiavo is unable to communicate clearly at this time. Her husband has been doing what he can to get her to die, despite the wishes and beliefs of her parents.
She had been left to slowly dehydrate, a penalty we couldn't impose on the world's most heinous criminal. Thanks to legislation by the state of Florida and Gov. Jeb Bush, she had her feeding tube restored.
But the Florida judiciary, previously distinguished by their attempt to throw the last presidential election to Al Gore, has intervened. She can't communicate, you see. So she can't express the wish to stay alive. So according to Pinellas County Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird, Gov. Bush violated her rights by ordering her feeding tube restored.
Now check out the news coverage. The WaPo covered this as Brain-Damaged Woman's Rights Were Violated, Fla. Judge Rules (washingtonpost.com).
Yep, that's it. Her rights were violated by an order that saved her from slow dehydration.
Justice must be served, you know. Perhaps some day the judge who came up with logic will be found unconscious and needing help somewhere and the onlookers will apply the same logic. "Well, why didn't he say something!"
It's possible that Ms. Schiavo would wish to die under such circumstances. That has been her husband's position all along, but he can't document it. And there are reasons to be suspicious of his motives. Her supporters' website is here.
I've had a relative die slowly. I can see why people might want to die under certain circumstances. But I can't see anyone wanting to do it this way.
If euthanasia über alles types think she wants to die, fine - let them kill her outright and have a test case. But the ones who would hide behind an Orwellian legal decision that would kill her to "defend her rights" can drop dead.
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