To put someone to death in the manner for which she is suffering under, they would have done better to at least kill her with the kindness of a lethal injection, even a bullet to the brain would have afforded her more justice, but because of the cowardly courts, and the cowards who don't wish to face the reality of an uncomfortable life, because we refuse to be reminded that one day, we could wind up in the same condition, having the same fate, and so we wish for Mrs. Schiavo to just disappear.
I think that you are oversimplifying. Yes, this is a complex case, but if you are going to blame this on "activist judges" as so many on the right want to do, you are only falling for their propaganda and playing right into their hands. This case does have implications for our whole way of life as Americans...but unfortunately, these implications are at the whim of the politicians who are such good manipulators and the press, who are so lazy these days that they are a mere mouthpiece rather than the "fourth estate" that they once were purported to be. To me, this raises the question of "why is Dr. Kevorkian in jail?" His machine helped people like this who had no hope, had decided that they wanted to die with dignity and sought his help. It would certainly be more humane than a death that takes two weeks or so.
Also, you mention life time appointments being a thing of the past....well, I have a real problem with this. Here it is, nearly 5 years post-clinton....and right wing people still blame everything that they can on Pres. Clinton. I wish they'd just shut up already. Last time I checked, the republicans have controlled both houses of congress since 1994 and the Gingrich revoloution. They are the ones who confirmed these judges. What did they think that they were doing? If they had objections, they should have spoken then, just as the dems have done on about 10 of GW's more whacko nominees.
I'm glad that people are spurred to think on these issues, though it's unfortunate what this woman and her family have been put through. I think it brings the point home that you cannot leave these issues undecided until the last minute.
Ern