Your view: Pursuit of happiness

Finally, Terri Schiavo is dead! Now can we all get back to our individual Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of our happiness? After all, the most important thing March 31, 2005, is my Happiness! God wants me to be happy!

I've heard all the passionate arguments on all sides of this so-called "right to die" issue. Unlike most issues, those arguments do not fall strictly along political party lines. I am saddened at how so many good people and their idea of "justice" and "privacy" and "mercy" have been manipulated, by the "grim reaper crowd."

I think the ones who so passionately promoted death by "starvation and thirst" of an innocent American citizen based all reasoning, and conviction on a false assumption. Is it possible that Michael Schiavo has just pulled off the perfect crime with the sanction and assistance of our beloved judiciary? After seven years of Terri being in a "questionably vegetative state," Michael, blessed by a new socially conscious justice system, eager to hand out malpractice awards like party favors at a birthday bash, awarded Michael over a $1,000,000 ostensibly per Michael's claim, in order for Michael to take care of Terri for the rest of her life. But, Michael upon winning the award had a sudden change of heart. Suddenly, he remembered something that he had never mentioned before. Due to an apparent epiphany an instant remembrance came to Michael. Terri, many years earlier (he suddenly claimed) had told him of her life's wishes to die of thirst and starvation.

Over-taken with honor and duty to stay faithful to Terri in this one, and only this one, "un-provable" request, Michael began immediately to demand Terri's death. After all he suddenly had money for a top-notch shyster lawyer, expensive cars, and hot babes to wine, and dine. So Terri's wish, as suddenly remembered by Michael became a cause celeb and a magnet for the "right to die lobby."

After another eight years of legal wrangling based on a merciful judge's ruling, sympathetic to the "right to die lobby" eager to hear only testimony that supported his prejudiced views hastily sanctioned Michael's death request for Terri. "Terri must die of starvation and thirst." "Let it be written, let it be done."

But Terri's stubborn parents out of their cold calculating scheming treachery just for pure spite, hell-bent on thwarting sweet lovable Mike's new found "Hugh Hefner life style," begged all who would listen for their daughter's life. How low can some parents get? Oh, but wait. They didn't want to do anything to change Mikey's newfound life style, did they? They didn't want any money! In fact they didn't even want taxpayer's money. They simply begged to take their daughter home, and care for her themselves. How old fashioned, and out of touch could they be? Yep, these cold calculating parents were guilty as sin; guilty of loving their daughter with a selfless protective love just like you love your children. (O.K., well, some of you.)

They just wanted to take care of Terri, give Terri food and drink, nurturing love and nourishment, and maybe a CAT scan, or an MRI, or a PET scan even, to find out the facts and the extent of Terri's brain damage. But, nooooo! That would violate "Terri's constitutional right to die!"

I know this may be a little taxing for you. But, I challenge you to find anywhere in the constitution any wording that suggests the "GOVERNMENT" including even an arrogant judge with a "god complex" has any constitutional authority to issue a written order of "death by thirst and starvation" of any innocent American citizen. Or, for that matter even a citizen guilty of murder, condemned to die after due process.

Oh yeah that's right, instead it says something about our government's primary duty being to protect our God-given right to life, number one, first and foremost before there can be any liberty for that life, or any pursuit of happiness! Ah, that's it, isn't it? Poor Terri couldn't have been happy! How could she be? It made us unhappy just to look upon her in that condition. "So, be done with her!" "Away with her I say!" "Get rid of her, and let's focus on something else!" "Move on!"

Friends we are doomed, if we continue with this mindset as a nation. But, then again as long I get my social security check, or my welfare check, my Medicaid, my Medicare, and (free health care?) how does Terri Schiavo's demise affect me, you may ask? If the appearance of your health condition begins to offend the senses of the wrong person, or persons, you may find out sooner than you think.

John McMillen