Why not just give Terri to her parents?

I've heard a few reasonable-sounding inquiries lately that ran something along the lines of "why not let Terri Schiavo's parents take care of her as long as they're willing to pay for it?"

So I thought I'd make a stab at answering that question.

They can't "take care" of Terri because they don't really have her best interests at heart. They don't want what's best for her. There's something sick and disgusting in the way they want to keep her alive - keep this brainless lump of flesh breathing as long as humanly possible - so they can pretend she's still there.

There's an old saying about cats - if only they could stay kittens or somthing like that. Well, that's Terri. She'll be a baby forever, cooing and gurgling, never sassing or answering back. She'll never turn away in anger, or refuse a caress.

The perfect "pet" for anyone cold enough to inflict such a fate on their own child. But this is a human being we're talking about. Should a human being - even one as broken and battered as Terri Schiavo - be someone's toy? Someone's plaything - even if that someone is a parent who supposedly loves her?

I don't think so. Would you want to live if you were in Terri Schiavo's shoes? If it was merciful to allow Sun Hudson to die - and based on what I've seen so far, it was - then it's also merciful to allow Terri Schiavo to die. And no, her parents can't have her to play with - they're just going to have to get used to the idea that she's gone.

I sincerely admire Michael Schiavo for his dedication to his wife and his fight to see her wishes carried out, especially since the right-wing whackjob contingent got involved and began trying to smear him. A lesser man would surely have given in faced with such overwhelming odds. His perserverance inspires and warms me, making me feel - if just for a moment - less of a stranger among my fellow humans.