The Terri Shiavo case and that of the Chippewa Indian killer are remarkably similar, particularly as the major news stories of the week. These stories question mental illness, the brain, and the image of the self, along with killing and dying. There are some very interesting points we can pick apart for them, and learn so that we can make better public policy in the future. First, let's pick apart Terri Shiavo then we'll look at the Chippewa Indians and the school shooter.

Terri Shiavo

Terri Shiavo was a brain dead adult who was put into what doctors call a vegetative state in the year 1990. Most of us would be strained to even remember what the major events of that year were, much less know what major things we did back then. Since her rare disease left her thoughtless and unable to move or give anything but the most primitive reactions in 1990, she has been kept alive by artificial methods of feeding, namely what is called a feeding tube.

Some argue that's not artificial life support, but instead just basic dignity to keep a human alive. Most of us would not leave our dog chained up and without water or food. That would be horrible and lead to starvation. At the same time, a seriously injured dog with no ability to eat or drink on his own probably would be quickly euthanized by its owner shooting it or other method to put it out of it's suffering.

The question is ultimately does Terri Shiavo suffer from not eating or drinking? The expert opinion of doctors, as reviewed by nearly 30 different courts in appeals to all the highest state and national courts have said no. She has the right to die, particularly if that's what her wishes are. The bond of marriage is sacred, and the wishes of the husband should trump the parents. The courts made the commonsense choice, while our elected officials spent ridiculous sums of money interfering with the courts to try to keep somebody alive who need not be or want be.

There is a strong argument towards making the definition of life what the author proposed previously, Life as the Freedom of the Individual, and why society should Legalize Sucide. Terri Shiavo not only seemed indifferent to pain or other response, she could not enjoy the simple of pleasures of life. She could not go for a walk in the woods, smell a daffodil in the spring, or drive a car. Nor could she recongize other human beings. There was some evidence of her having some basic behaviors left, like noticing people when they came in the room or touched her, but there is no evidence to show that she goes any benefit out of it. Even the most brain dead and paralyized retains some behaviors, but those behaviors have no meaning in our society.

Keeping Shiavo alive is much asking to how we keep people alive in life sentences in prisons. Back in the days of the wild west, we didn't lock people up, we shot them with a firing squad or we hung them. Life was simple back then, and a lot more affordable. The so-called scarcity of life was replaced with the reality of frontier life. Depriving freedom is far worst then depriving death, as it wastes valuable resources and it prolongs misery in the human realm. Why is mother earth not sacred, while life made out of a small amount of biological materials and learned behaviors so valuable? Think about it for a minute.

Chippewa School Shooter

There is much to be saddened about these events. Jeff Weise killed ten people and himself, and what is more important disrupted the supposed placidness of a troubled rural Indian reservation in northern Minnesota. It showed the desperate poverty of the region where only about a quarter of adults can find work, and where drugs and alcohol destroy relationships. Jeff lived in a house where his dad committed suicide after his mom's terminal illness, and was raised under the authorian control of an Indian police officer who clearly instilled authorian values. Like most high schoolers, he was harrassed and teased, but unlike most he did something far more violent. The environment created a monster.

Jeff clearly lived in a destructive social environment that leads to the creation of both self-destructive behaviors and attempts to destroy the society around it. It is easy to be disgusted by the glorification of violence on television from news cameras that show the hell of war to cops holding shotguns and walking around the scene of the crime. Yet, that protraying of violence is only part of the problem. Poverty is the real issue. We may never know what Jeff's true motivations whereas he killed himself, but we can guess that something in his environment would ultimately lead to destructive behavior. In a society where secretiveness and oppression in the norm, Jeff was prohibited from exploring his feelings and experiences in an open way.

If Jeff could have only written a paper on it or conducted a debate on the merits of revenge, things might have been different. If terrorism and killing could have only been discussed openly, maybe his values and experiences could be made to correspond with the laws and norms of social behavior. All of those things are often strictly prohibited in our society. You're not allowed to have violent feelings or thoughts, as they might predicate behavior. We know that is not true. The author can write about being a farmer on paper, but neither makes him either. He can read many books, draw pictures, plot out gardens on paper, but that doesn't make him one.

To argue that there where warning sign doesn't get us any farther. Anytime there is any rather social offense, people claim to see warning signs. Some are proposing that society should have stopped Jeff as he likes to discuss nazism in appropriate forums, likes symbols of hate, and makes vague remarks on his thoughts on death. Then again, people have argued that Alfred Kinsey should have been prohibited from doing his research as it might encourage sexual violence. In some cases, did people read Kinsey's research and commit violent sexual acts? Probably, but that does not discount the importance of free inquiry and thought on issues.

We need to remember that Jeff is just as much human as the rest of us. We have the same feelings and thoughts, and experience much of the same terrible things on TV. Most of us get angry, and we may want to get revenge, but most of us don't get our guns and shoot up schools. We may want to, but we sublime our desires into something positive. We need to learn to love our brothers, and not be revengeful. As many of us repeat every Sunday morning: We must forgive our debtors, as we forgive those who tresspass upon us. As I once noted, Revenge Never Works, except to escalate a problem even worst.

Another important thing to be noted from this school shooter is that Jeff was able to bypass multiple levels of school security. There was metal detectors and a security screener, but both of those failed when he shot the screener. A determined individual can not be stopped. The author can not stress that point enough. It's a tragedy of what he did, but his actions are a product of a society that is both close minded and creates destructive social environments. Had the tribe spent more on improving the community and creating jobs, things might have been much different. Instead, they spent money on security that ultimately failed.

Finally, like Terri Shiavo, Jeff is now dead. We won't be able to question or analyize him so to find out the truth behind his motives. We can only guess. While that function of trial and ultimately pre-sentence investigation would have shed some light on the issue, it would have come at the cost to a society and to Jeff himself. The rampage is over and we now have closure. You could argue that he was mentally ill when he shot himself after killing ten others, or maybe he was acting in everybody's best interest. At least we don't have to now procecute him.

Conclusions

In both of these stories, people died. When people die it upsets us and we view it as a tragedy. Too often though, we get side tracked on one individual's life and forget about society. Jeff is a villain, and we did not like his actions, but we can't do anything about it. Terri is a hero for holding on as long as she did, but there comes a time for all to end. Terri's last hours have proven to be an incredible waste of court and legislative resources. Whatever you may think of Terri or Jeff, we have the right to express our anger when senseless violence is prepectuated. At the end of the day, lets not focus on individual but on the environment, and make our society one for opportunity for all.