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Dear Editor: Many of us who are Catholic and disabled were pleased with Mary Beth Bonacci's informative column on the Terri Schiavo case (ACH 12/18/03). However, even she failed to note the "Roe vs. Wade" ramification of this legal case. Our battle may well be lost in the weeks ahead, placing those of us with significant disabilities in jeopardy. Hundreds of us are facing negative evaluations of the value of our lives every day. But in the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, the legal "right to kill" is being expanded by court decisions in a way never anticipated a few short years ago. In October the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, cited by the USCCB as the source of "consultation and assistance" in creating welcome and justice for 14 million Catholics with disabilities in the United States, joined a number of other national organizations to bring a disability perspective into the discussions of Terri's fight. "We come together for those who will be touched by disability in their lifetime and who will need our help to make their voices heard. . . . Can she think? Hear? Communicate? These questions apply to thousands of people with disabilities who, like Ms. Schindler-Schiavo, cannot currently articulate their views and so much rely on others as substitute decision-makers. . . . People with severe cognitive disabilities are devalued as lives not worth living. In truth, the lives of all of us with severe disabilities are often considered expendable." After citing a media report on how terrible it is to be kept alive artificially, we noted, "Meant to signal horror, the concept has no real meaning to us who live by 'artificial' means. Is a person on dialysis being kept alive artificially? Is a person taking insulin being kept alive artificially? Is a person who undergoes open-heart surgery, or cancer treatment, or intensive care in a hospital being kept alive artificially? It is a well-know fact among those of us who live with disabilities that a feeding tube is a low-tech support, and people who use them can and do live full and meaningful lives. It was invented in the 19th century and relies on nothing more than gravity to make it work." Each morning I get into my "artificial" mobility device: a wheelchair. I depend upon the "artificial" voice of my clock to tell me the time as I grab my "artificial" voice enhancement tool which I'll use to hear the noisy discussions of the day. After fixing breakfast and feeding my cat, I'll rush to get my ride to work, where I'll spend hours endeavoring to raise awareness of our Catholic bishops' call for accessible parishes and communities. If those who think God must be out of His mind to place the precious gift of life into fragile bodies aren't educated to the gifts which accompany human vulnerability, I fear for our society and for our souls.
Mary Jane Owen, TOP, MSW |
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