Culture of death

As most are aware, Terri Shiavo died today.

Don't get it twisted. She was not "allowed to die." She was killed, period. She was not terminally ill. She was not on life support. What she required in order to live was food and water, same as you and me. No plug was pulled. Lunch was pulled.

Can you hear it? The reverberation of the collective high-five from our emerging culture of death?

If you read the AP story I linked above you'll learn that Michael Schiavo, the swell and compassionate "husband" that he is, who is only giving mercy to Terri and fulfilling her wishes, who has legal custody of Terri, ordered her parents and brother and sister out of the room and would not allow them to be with her when she died.

Were I one of them, I would likely be in an orange jumpsuit soon.

And yet, while I'm devastated that our system failed us, I'm heartened that our spirit did not. While I'm saddened that my country could not save Terri, I'm heartened that my country tried. And though the culture of death has tried to minimize this life, they have lost. Terri Schiavo, a disabled, silent, solitary life, has proved to be an inspiration to millions. All of the attorneys, judges, pundits and politicians put together who sought to hasten her death and undermine the perceived quality of her existence will never have the impact on the world and the soul of mankind that Terri's beautiful life alone has had and will continue to have. Therefore, I take heart. She has proved them all wrong.

She was a gift from God.