I can't get the Terri Schiavo case out of my head at the moment, and the round the clock feeding frenzy on US TV is not helping much. I feel (as I'm sure many others do), that something important and fundamental is happening here. I'm not a citizen of the US, but in this increasingly connected world, I feel in some way 'involved' and emotionally invested in this story. Given the tragic circumstances, it's pretty hard not to.

My basic problem, is that I simply cannot see the justification for the action being taken by Terri's husband Michael Schiavo, and by the judicial and federal authorities supporting him. Upon what basis has it now become acceptable to starve a human being to death? Regardless of the severity of the condition, I fail to understand what possible justification could support the deliberate and prolonged assisted murder of this young woman?

It is equally distasteful that having upheld the husband's position, the courts then endorse a method, that helps to turn Terri's death into a long running, and ghoulish daily media event, complete with hourly updates, press conferences, and endless 'expert' interviews paving the way to her grave. Since when has this become an honorable or acceptable way for the judicial branch of US society to behave? How has a country whose constitution is meant to protect the rights of life and liberty arrived at such a horrible place?

I realize that some people champion the (so called) 'right to die' and believe there is a moral basis for this kind of action. Whatever merits there are to this position (I do not intend to argue them here), it seems to me, that the decision to remove food and water from Terri, rests entirely on the assertion by Terri's husband that this represents her final wish. He has argued that he is only carrying out these wishes, and in doing so, is serving her in his capacity as her husband.

The problem is that it has also emerged in a deposition that Michael Schiavo has been involved in relationships with two other women since his wife’s collapse. One a nursing assistant at the home where Terri was being cared for, told the attorneys acting for Terri's parents that Schiavo would “whine all the time” about how Terri’s illness had ruined his life, and that he couldn’t wait to collect the malpractice settlement. She described him as obsessive, and claimed he stalked her for more than a year after their breakup. (source MSNBC)

There are other unfavorable stories and rumors circulating about Mr Schiavo in the news media and on the internet, but I don't think it does much good to repeat them here. It should be understood though, that it in the final event it is the Florida courts that have made the decision to uphold Michael Schiavo's request that his wife's feeding tube be removed. The Schindlers (Terri's parents), have consistently opposed this, and argued that Terri would have wished to continue life-prolonging measures. Therefore the courts have acted as surrogate decision makers and have made a determination on Terri's behalf.

If the principle basis for the determination to remove life support from Terri is the testimony of her husband, I fail to see how it will ever be possible to know that he has honestly represented her final wishes. Personally I am very uncomfortable at the notion that the state should ever have the right to terminate an innocent adult life without absolute and verifiable evidence that this represents that individuals wish. There does not appear to be such proof in this case. Thus the sad saga is compounded and magnified still further by rumor and speculation as to the true motives and intentions of those involved.