The fate of Ms. Schiavo

A House of Representatives panel issues subpoenas for Terri Schiavo, her husband and others to appear at a hearing, but the trial judge blocks the move. The woman's feeding tube is removed. The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an emergency appeal by the House asking the justices to intervene.

As a public service, I am circulating a revised living will form that
I urge you all to complete and put on file as soon as possible.Florida Living WillI, _________________________ (fill in the blank), being of sound mind
and body, unequivocally declare that in the event of a catastrophic
injury, I do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial
means.I hereby instruct my loved ones and relatives to remove all
life-support systems, once it has been determined that my brain is no
longer functioning in a cognizant realm.However, that judgment should be made only after thorough consultation
with medical experts; i.e., individuals who actually have been
trained, educated and certified as doctors.Under no circumstances -- and I can't state this too strongly --
should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood politicians who
couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it.
Furthermore, it is my firm hope that, when the time comes, any
discussion about terminating my medical treatment should remain
private and confidential.Living in Florida, however, I am acutely aware that the legislative
and executive branches of state government are fond of meddling in
family matters, and have little concern for the privacy and dignity of
individuals.Therefore, I wish to make my views on this subject as clear and
unambiguous as possible.Recognizing that some politicians seem cerebrally challenged
themselves (and with no medical excuse), I'll try to keep this simple
and to the point:1. While remaining sensitive to the feelings of loved ones who might
cling to hope for my recovery, let me state that if a reasonable
amount of time passes -- say, ____ (fill in the blank) months -- and I
fail to sit up and ask for a cold beer, it should be presumed that
I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I
hereby instruct my spouse, children and attending physicians to pull
the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.2. Under no circumstances shall the members of the Legislature enact a
special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that
these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention
instead to the health, education and future of the millions of
Floridians who aren't in a permanent coma.3. Under no circumstances shall the governor of Florida butt into this
case and order my doctors to put a feeding tube down my throat or
through a hole into my abdomen to keep me alive. I don't care how many
fundamentalist votes he's trying to scrounge for his run for the
presidency in 2008, it is my wish that he plays politics with someone
else's life and leaves me to die in peace.4. I couldn't care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to
legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these
people, and I certainly haven't authorized them to preach and crusade
on my behalf. They should mind their own business, too.5. It is my heartfelt wish to expire quietly and without a public
spectacle. This is obviously impossible once elected officials become
involved. So, while recognizing the wrenching emotions that attend the
prolonged death of a loved one, I hereby instruct my relatives to
settle all disagreements about my care in private or in the courts, as
provided by law.If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a
political cause, I hereby promise to come back from the grave and make
his or her existence a living hell.--
Evan Marcus
evan@marcus5.net