The Conservative Cat

An excellent (though lengthy) legal analysis of what happened can be found here. Essentially, the courts have established that Terri wants to die. Once the courts enshrined this belief as fact, the burden of proof shifted from Terri's husband to her parents. The public is more than welcome to speculate on the truth or falsehood of Terri's wishes, but the courts are limited to consideration of grounds for determining that the original finding was made improperly. Note, that's not the same as determining that the original finding was incorrect, only that the finding was the result of an improper procedure.

Unfortunately, we cannot go back and retroactively change the rules that enabled Michael Schiavo to kill his wife; however, we can establish a better criterion for euthanasia, one that relies less on hearsay and more on written proof. It won't be perfect, but it might be better.

In the meantime, I continue to be amazed at Terri's resilience. It doesn't make sense that someone who wants to die would cling to life for so long. Of course, the problem is that her will to live has no bearing in a court of law.

Respectfully submitted

Ferdinand T. Cat