Sixteen month-old Emilio Gonzales of the small town of Lockhart, Texas is going to be taken off of the respirator that his keeping him alive. Those making this decision contend that Emilio has no hope of recovery and that keeping him alive merely prolongs his suffering. Here is the brief article that ran in yesterday's Austin American-Statesman.
There's no question that little Emilio is dying. He suffers from a disease that eating away at his central nervous system, which is why he needs the respirator to survive. And the administrators at Austin Children's Hospital are probably correct in their assessment that further treatment is futile and perhaps the best course of action would be to let the child die peacefully rather than take heroic measures to keep him alive just a little longer.
But who gets to make this decision? For the right wing, especially if you're Michael Schiavo, the answer is--the conservative activists and the state get to make the decision. But where is the conservative outrage and concern for life for Emilio Gonzales? Sean Hannity isn't camped out in front of Austin Children's Hospital with hundreds of protesters; Congress is not putting all business aside to pass a special "Emilio's Law." President Bush--who signed the Futile Care law as governor of Texas, it should be noted--is not cutting short his Latin American tour to push for Congress to pass such a law so he can sign it. Why not? What's the difference between Emilio Gonzales and Terry Schiavo?
Right-wing hypocrisy is nothing new, and is not diary-worthy particularly. But this really galls me, more than just about anything else. Fellow Kossack Michael Schiavo's life was made a living hell by zealots determined not only to insert themselves into the most private and painful decision a person can be expected to make, but also to override over a dozen legal rulings, most of them issued by politically conservative judges. But where is the weeping and gnashing of teeth for Emilio Gonzales? Where is the compassion for his mother, Catarina, who is unable to have more children due to complications she suffered Emilio was born? Where are the crusading conservatives helping this woman find a hospital who will give this child the aggressive treatment that she, as his mother, wants for him? I'm waiting...
Nothing. Crickets. I guess life isn't precious unless it helps you advance a political agenda.