How We Die: Choice and Chance (washingtonpost.com)

How We Die: Choice and Chance (washingtonpost.com): "Along with all of its unexpected political implications, the Schiavo case has had the effect of exposing the enormous gap between what Americans imagine death should be like and what death actually is like for most people in the 21st century."

The above column reminds me of what I learned in my History of Death and Dying class at KSU. Americans don't see or talk about death today like they did in 1900. Perhaps this is why we fear death more. Add to this the medical advancements that can prolong the process of dying, the lawyers with their DNRs, living wills, and power of attorneys, and the new and arguably less influential role of the physician in the information age, and you have what amounts to an incredibly difficult dilemma. End of life issues are not easy. I just hope the political, social, and legal outcomes of the Schiavo case help us as a society to better deal with death/end-of-life issues because we certainly don't do a great job now. My fear is that the religious right's efforts could move us backward instead of forward.