Terri's Watch: A Life That Matters

I spent the weekend reading "A Life That Matter's" The Legacy of Terri Schiavo. The book is due out to the public tomorrow but after being sent an advance copy I read it cover to cover.

This book is written by Terri's family. Her parents, Mary and Bob Schindler and her brother and sister Suzanne and Bobby. Any of you how have read this blog on a regular basis know I followed Terri's story and still do to this day under the "Terri's Watch" posts.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo also has a book out (I was not sent a copy and have not read it). He was making the media rounds this morning and has not said what he plans to do with the money from his book.

I can only imagine how painful it must have been for the Shindler's to write this book. To have to recall and in essence relive what no person should have to endure even once, much less twice, had to be agonizing.

Two things come to mind as I read this book. One, how twisted and cold blooded our legal system is when it come to these matters. We are pretty good and imposing punishment on criminals in most cases, but when it comes to compassion, that's a foreign concept within the American legal system. Sometimes the laws of the land are in direct conflict with morals, sympathy and the human aspect is buried under case law and legalesse.

Second is how a some in the Roman Catholic church abandoned Terri's and her family in a time of their greatest need. Father Frank Pavone and Pope John Paul II did speak and defend Terri. However. Terri's own Bishop, Bishop Lynch remained silent and refused to assist. Father Gerard Murphy spoke in favor of the termination of human life by removing Terri's feeding tube.

This obvious lack of clear Church teaching by a Bishop is an outrage. If we can not count on our clergy to defend the sanctity of human life, give a voice to the voiceless, and defend those who are too weak to defend themselves, then we have failed in our Christian mission to each other and the God.

Terri's story is not about one person or one family. This is about all of us. We have handed over the right to decide what life has value to a heartless and Godless legal system built upon power, greed and totally devoid of compassion that is not scripted into approved case law.

I do believe their is a higher court. Higher than the highest court in the land. Someday all those responsible of the murder of Terri Schiavo will stand before that court to plead their own case. May God show afford them more mercy then they gave Terri.