The Terri Schindler Schiavo Crippled Kickball Team

excerpt:

Then, to add insult to injury, we started hearing the groups that we would like to think are on the side of disability rights, groups that some of us belong to, one by one start to take the side of Michael Schiavo and Terri Schiavo's "right to die."

I was not surprised when N.O.W. didn't sign on to a statement in support of Terri Schiavo and disability rights when our activists at a conference in DC tried to enlist them. . Only a few years ago I had the painful experience of writing a letter to a personal hero of mine, Gloria Steinem, protesting her vote that a humanitarian award go to Jack Kevorkian.

The ACLU's deciding they were gonna support Michael Schiavo -- that didn't surprise me either. They have not been a friend to other causes Not Dead Yet has found important, either.

I think on all the years I spent giving energy to various movements and causes. I gave my all to the women's and queer rights movements. When still a teenager, I was involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements. But since I started using a chair, the progressive communities I'm involved in have discriminated against and excluded me. I have had more tomatoes thrown at me than I can remember for marching for the rights of all these groups. Yet my issues as a financially-strapped crip have never become their causes.

entire editorial posted at Ragged Edge.

You state that you will fight until your body has left this plane. That is most certainly admirable, and your choice. Why are you so interested in denying someone else from making thier own choices? Mrs. Schiavo is not disabled, she is UNABLED. Her body may still be on this plane, but her spirit has left it. Why do you want to deny her the right to fufill her own wishes and depart this plane? the only record of her wishes are those that she expressed to her siblings and her husband, that she not be kept alive by artificial means, if she was unable to express that decision for herself. Personally, I think the best way to respect someone is to respect their wishes, even if that is painful for us to deal with. Just as everyone has the right to the best medical care and standard of living possible, they have a right to refuse that care.

Mrs. Schiavo is not being 'killed because she's diabled' she is being allowed to die to fufill her wishes.

Those are her husband's siblings.

So, you really think it is OK to deny a person therapy for 10 years, and then starve them to death because they didn't miraculously get better without help?

I support a person's right to choose for themselves whether to live or die, bbut I also think the default position should be that, when there is no living will, there is a presumption that the person wants to have as much done as possible to help them live. Are you comfortable with the idea of the default position being to kill a person who is severely disabled? And, yes, she is *disabled*, not unable. She can't do most things, but she can still responsively interact with her environment. And, yes, we are talking about killing someone who is alive, by slowly starving them. Seems that everyone here is up in arms over starving those boys in NJ, but is OK with starving a disabled person to death.

to death. I'm one of the DUers who has been posting against Terri Schiavo's death sentence.

Thanks for posting this. DUers need to learn more about disability issues.

that there have been so few liberal voices raised on Terry Schiavo's behalf. And the article is directly addressed to just the sort of people who participate in DU. I was really hoping it would engage folks in useful debate.