I find the Terry Shiavo case very interesting and confusing. I can see how both sides have a case. Terry’s husband, believing he is fulfilling his wife’s wishes of not being left a vegetable, has finally filed enough legal documents to get the feeding tube, the tube that also provides her with water, removed so that she will die. Her parents and other family members have been fighting long and hard to have the tube maintained, or in some cases, reattached to keep her alive. They maintain that she can respond to their voices and they believe that with a little work and practice, some of Terry’s brain functions can return.
I find myself sitting on the fence with this one. Who has more right to say what Terry Shiavo would want, her parents or her husband. I don’t think you can blame either side for what they want, one wanting to end the suffering of their loved one, while the other trying desperately to hold on.
As a socialist, I tried to figure out the very best solution for this dilemma, and I also tried to figure out what exactly would be done if this situation occurred in a socialist society. I came to realize before writing this that there is no socialist solution, there is no scientific socialist response that could show the working masses how much better a socialist society would be over a capitalist one.
The reason why is because socialism simply does not have all the answers, despite some of our detractors who criticize us for such. And rightfully so. I think to often groups try to create a position for everything. They try to have an answer and response to every little issue out there to gain the attention of would-be members and to look like they keep themselves into every little social issue out there.
The problem is, if we as a socialist organization spent our time looking into every single issue out there on the planet, we would reserve very little time for what we are set out to do, end capitalism and bring about a new way to organize and run human society, a socialist society.
It seems to me that the case of Terry Shiavo is an extremely personal one. I don’t think politicians, the media, or the everyday American has a need or right to butt themselves into this situation. Having said that, there is no amazing socialist cure that might be formulated to solve this issue. While it might be the tactics of other socialist groups to make a position for every little issue that comes up, we simply don’t have the time…
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