Thursday March 31, 2005
Not long ago this morning, Ms Schiavo died. As difficult as this was for members of Terri's family, I suspect battling publicly and privately over the momentous decision to let her go was more so. Many sympathies to all who loved her.
The Washington Post's article includes two items on the second page that in my opinion bear discussion and publicity.
In the right-to-life-at-any-price debate the media coverage could have been more balanced with a simple "ask the audience" reality check. A survey done recently did provide a glimpse at the big picture:
An ABC News poll issued March 21 showed that the public supported the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube by 63 percent to 28 percent. ... Nearly eight in 10 Americans (78 percent) said they would not want to be kept alive if they were in Schiavo's condition.
So did ABC change its coverage tactics? Hopefully they didn't do the poll just fishing for some stats to bolster their participation in the media circus. But even if they didn't like what the numbers told them, it looks like most Americans were tired of the whole thing - why keep reporting on it?
In a curious twist it's only been the past few days that reports have included background on what caused Terri's vegetative state. To say she suffered heart failure is technically correct but omits relevant background information, information that might save other lives as a cautionary tale:
By the time she suffered cardiac arrest in 1990, she was down to 110 pounds. The heart attack was later attributed to a dramatically reduced potassium level in her body brought on by bulimia, an eating disorder.
No doubt there's much more to this troubled life than we can know or understand. If her story helps others with eating disorders get help then some good will have come of her tragic experience after all.
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