Tragic intervention

Dallas Morning News: Now and again, someone's life imitates death.
Such is the tragic case of Terri Schiavo, who has lived the past 15 years in a "persistent vegetative state" attached to a life-sustaining feeding tube.
It's a pitiful existence that has left the nation in tears. Few among us are so presumptuous as to suggest to others when a life has ceased to be worth living. That decision is best the result of soulful family agreement in accordance with the previously expressed wishes of the incapacitated person.
But such agreement wasn't reached in this case, and Congress and President Bush have stepped into this most personal of issues in a troubling way. Perhaps there is no completely right answer, but congressional and presidential intervention is certainly the wrong one.
Like the president and Congress, we share the heartbreaking reaction to this case that makes intervention seem appealing. The Schiavo family has begged to become Terri's guardian, but her husband has not only refused but also succeeded in having her feeding tube removed, a seemingly cold move. As most parents would, Terri Schiavo's mom and dad hold out hope, no matter how unrealistic, for their daughter's recovery.
Intervention doesn't help
It's doubtful, however, that federal intervention has done more than complicate a family tragedy. In Florida, numerous judges in various courts have issued rulings upholding Michael Schiavo's decision. Across the country, state laws generally support the authority of a spouse to make such crucial decisions for a partner.
Moreover, this is a worrisome precedent for congressional intervention into cases in which families and state courts should have the final word.
The take-away from this case should concern all families. In the absence of previously expressed and documented desires of the person incapacitated, they too could face such a dilemma. A durable power of attorney, which appoints someone to handle financial affairs or medical affairs if a person is incapacitated, or a living will, to let doctors know that the incapacitated person doesn't want extraordinary measures taken to prolong life, are steps every family should take.