To those responsible for denying Terri water

By Kaye Grogan

Playing God is not going to work. Sooner or later, the ones daring enough to say when it's time to pull the plug on ill patients or liberal judges who think they have the right to order feeding tubes be removed, will one day see they overstepped their boundaries. The entire Congress and judicial systems need to be overhauled. And this fact has never been more obvious during the inhumane treatment of Terri Schiavo.

After my article "Urgent Message to President Bush: Use Your Executive Power to Save Terri" was posted on several sites, I received emails pro and con from readers on the subject. One email in particular caught my attention, because the reader kept projecting his own personal feelings about what he would want to happen to him, should he be in a similar health crisis as Ms. Schiavo.

First of all, the gentleman needs to thank his lucky stars he's currently not in a vegetative state, and secondly he needs to hope like the dickens he never is, given the fact, so many people have suddenly (in their own minds) decided to empower themselves with "godlike" characteristics.

Play the role while you can — because a day of reckoning is coming on judgement day.

And "Judgement Day" is going to be the day where a righteous judge will be sitting on the throne, and no amount of bribing or lying will thwart justice. This is one time where all the facts have been recorded on each individual, and when the book of accountability is opened, the facts will be flawless and indisputable. You might view this as just a far-out "never gonna happen" claim. But what happens if you're wrong and this is indeed how it's all going to play out after your death? You'll be in the lake of fire without any remedy or hope of someone rescuing you — just like Terri was forced to endure if someone doesn't save her from a horrible inhumane physical death.

The gentleman went on to inform me that the infamous ACLU has been involved with the case nearly from the beginning. Of course they have. But as usual, they are siding with Terri's husband. The ACLU like the reader maintains that Terri's wishes should be carried out. The only problem with that assumption: no one can prove beyond a reasonable doubt (afforded every defendant in a trial) — that the assertion brought forth by Terri's husband that his wife wanted to never be kept alive by life support is merely a heresy.

Mr. Schiavo cannot produce a "living will" document to prove his wife wanted to starve or thirst to death. So, his voice in the matter should be mute. Besides, I'm sure if Terri could speak — she would ask for a drop of water to wet her parched lips and mouth. All people dying are usually given fluids intravenously or a sponge moistened with water.

I doubt very seriously a lot of people have read in the Bible the parable where the rich man who treated Lazarus terrible in life begged God to send Lazarus with just one drop of water, because he was tormented in the place called Hell. Will the same people denying Terri one drop of water . . . be asking for the same drop of water in that awful place?

Then and only then — will the ones involved, denying one drop of water to Terri Schiavo be forced to remember: You are only given the same degree of mercy . . . that you grant to others.

And that's just my opinion!

© Kaye Grogan