It's All Over But the Sueing

So. Terri Schiavo has died.

Perhaps I should correct that. Terri Schiavo died 15 years ago. It just took until today for her body to stop functioning.

Her sad, sad case has been a rallying point for the right-to-life crowd, a political gold mine for the Republicans, and hell-on-earth for her husband and her parents, as thousands of people seeking personal and political gain worked to turn their very private family tragedy into a public spectacle the likes of which has never been equalled.

In fact, this case has so dominated the public interest that all I had to say to one of my co-workers in the break room was, "She's dead", and this co-worker immediately knew exactly what I was talking about.

What a sad, sad commentary on the state of our society.

But I have to believe this whole sorry mess is far from over. Here is what I predict will happen over the course of the next few weeks/months:

* Republican congressmen and senators running for re-election next year will plaster Terri Schiavo's picture all over their campaign literature. Pro-life groups will use her image to raise millions of dollars in order to further implement their radical agenda. The name "Terri Schiavo" will be part of every speech that comes from the lips of every Republican from now until 2009, and possibly beyond.

* The "liberal" media will continue to keep heaping praise on the "brave" actions taken by DUIbya (tm) and Congress to save this poor woman's life, and will continue to villify her husband.

* An autopsy performed on Terri Schiavo will confirm the extent of her brain damage and the fact that she had NO chance of recovery. This fact will be quietly ignored.

* Terri Schiavo's parents will quickly file a wrongful death lawsuit against Michael Schiavo, seeking whatever money may be left over from the malpractice settlement that has been paying for her care--regardless of the fact that that money is probably long gone.

* Michael Schiavo will then countersue Terri Schiavo's parents, the pro-life protestors, and possibly Florida governor Jeb Bush for infliction of emotional distress.


OK, so those last two may not happen, but I wouldn't bet against it.

Meanwhile, now people may finally talk about something else around the proverbial water cooler.

But I doubt it.

Farewell, Terri. Go with God.