I never understood this entire debate! Do we love our pets more than we love each other? When your family dog or cat is gravely ill and facing a long, painful death what do we do? Euthanize, not always but why? Because we don't want to see the animal suffer or we feel obligated to do our best. When a family member is gravely ill and facing a long and painful death what would some people like to do? Keep them on a feeding tube or respirator. Why? Because they can't bear the thought that someone they love is going to die. Is that selfish or should be cling to hope?
If that person has been a devout servent of God who is looking forward to meeting his (her) Saviour, we are KEEPING THAT PERSON FROM HIS LIFE'S REWARD! Those on the religious right should remember that "A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife." Both biblically and legally, the authority (responsibility) over the wife transfers from her parents to her husband (the same applies if the dying were the husband). If the courts were right, I hope Tom Delay and his cohorts will have sense not to force yet another constitutional crisis on the American people by challenging the Courts on this one.
Thankfully the American constitution allows for a separation of powers! The free world fought two wars against an enemy who has a fervent belief in a government that is controlled by their political or imperialist dictators. On this and many other issues we are at great risk of becoming our own enemy.
Great debate like satire always spurs change, because we are forced to review our real feelings versus appearances. This is when hypocracy is revealed.
Trouble is to save face people move even further to cover hypocracy with ever more ridiculous beliefs on both sides of the issue. Hitler played that card brilliantly. So extreme right and extreme left are actually at the extremes of the same circle where they touch each other - rather than face 180% seperation at the poles.
The thing is it would be dead boring to be say a North Korean with everyone in the country supposedly balanced on one extreme. Imagine having this debate in P'yongyang?
