Story a sad chapter in country’s history

Published 9:00 pm Monday, March 28, 2005

The damage has been done and Terri Schiavo should be allowed to die. However, it seems clear that she would have lived for many more years if she had been allowed to receive basic nourishment.

Also, if it was clear that this is what she would have wanted I don’t think that this would have become a national issue. But, everyone must realize that Terri Schiavo left no living will and the decision to pull her feeding tube is based on information provided by her husband and his family.

And it should be also noted that Michael Schiavo, Terri Schiavo’s husband, is living in a common law marriage with another woman with whom he has fathered two children. This is not a simple “right to die” case. It is much more complicated.

I believe that Michael Schiavo has also denied Terri Schiavo the evaluation and therapy which may have allowed her to eat on her own, thus removing the need for her to require a feeding tube.

It seems that there are enough questions in this case that we should have given Terri Schiavo the benefit of the doubt, but unfortunately that time has passed. I believe this to be a very sad chapter in American culture.

Michael Klein

Stanwood