Terri Schiavo

So the conventional wisdom is that the Republicans botched this. They saw it as an easy way to pander to the pro-lifers, but polls indicate that majorities even of white evangelicals opposed federal intervention.

To me, the most surprising aspect of the situation was the involvement of liberals Ralph Nader and Jesse Jackson alongside scary psycho Randall Terry of Operation Rescue, best known for harassing women outside abortion clinics. My housemate Alex theorized that the mainstream media's conception of the Terri Schiavo issue as a simple right-left divide is imagined, and this is consistent with my experience...a couple of my very liberal friends surprised me by saying they supported keeping her artificially alive.

I am not sure why Nader and Jackson got involved, but I think perhaps it's good that they did, because it destabilizes the polarized discourse surrounding the so-called "culture of life". Maybe they hope to end the identification of a "culture of life" with a conservative social agenda that neglects obvious life issues like war. Perhaps Nader and Jackson sense that the "Save Terri" crowd are realizing that the republican interest in the issue was insincere, and are ready to look elsewhere for leadership. Cue Jim Wallis, talking rather predictably about consistent life ethics.

The best analysis I've read comes from Eric Santner, who reflects on the case in light of political theology.

Given the fact that many who oppose abortion also condone capital punishment, one has good reason to wonder whether what is really at stake here is not innocent life but rather living innocence, that is, a fantasy of protecting not a human life but a condition of purity and innocence that can, in turn, only be truly embodied by non-sentient life. Indeed, one cannot help but wonder whether what President Bush has referred to as the “culture of life” only refers to non-sentient life; as soon as one acquires feeling, perception, and awareness one is more or less abandoned to the minimally regulated vagaries of the market place. (read the rest)

Meanwhile, Julianne points out what ought to be the obvious lesson of this sad episode...so why is the media ignoring it?