Terri, Forever in Our Hearts

On behalf of the Capitol Hill Coffee House management, columnists and CHCH Forum members, I wish to express our condolences to the family of Terri Schaivo. The death of this young woman is a deep tragedy, not only for her parents and siblings and those who knew her, but for the nation as well. It is a moment when literally millions, who have been following this story, have felt the tug on their own hearts. We may have never met Terri, but we knew her smile from the pictures we saw. We never met her parents, but we certainly knew their devotion to Terri. And we all watched, as an innocent woman fell prey to a litany of lawyers and judges who cared not that she was a fellow living and breathing human being.

Terri’s story is one that carries with it profound implications for us all, as we struggle to comprehend that which would not have seemed possible only a few short years ago. The notion that one must prove that someone wishes to live sounds convoluted to the point of being absurd, yet, that is indeed the position taken by the judges involved in this case. Instead, they presumed she wished to die – strictly on the word of a husband who had clearly moved on with his life, having fathered two children with his girlfriend, while doing everything in his power to end Terri's life. He said that she would want it that way, but in the absence of a living will, that is heresay – something that would be inadmissible in a criminal proceeding. He could merely have stepped aside and allowed Terri’s parents to assume guardianship and full responsibility, allowing her to live. He chose not to. Indeed, he thwarted the Schindlers at every opportunity. Even as Terri died, he wouldn’t relent in his efforts to gain entry into the Hall of Fame for the cold-hearted, refusing to even let them be with her when she took her final breath. For this, Michael Schaivo will stand in front of the Lord someday – I would not want to be in his shoes.

I think that when Terri died today, a piece of America has died with her. We’ve lost something precious that goes beyond just the death of Terri that can’t be put into mere words – an innocence perhaps. I recall a pop tune of the more recent past, The End of the Innocence, and the images of innocence lost that it conveyed. Indeed, we have seen the end of innocence – with the law upholding death rather than life.

It’s been mentioned by other writers, including Dave Hoffman and Kerry Marsala, that there is one thing good that could come of this. I merely reiterate their thoughts when I say, let Terri’s death not be in vain. With the end of innocence comes awakening. We have had a very rude and loud wake-up call, one that should spur us all toward making certain that there are no more Terri’s. Voices must be heard, legislators must be called, judges should be forewarned and laws must be changed. The tragedy of Terri Schaivo has left a large red stain on our nation and existence. For Terri, we must not forget, nor fail to act.

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