Reading my e-bag, one thing that comes out clearly is the profound effect

that death, especially a “bad” death, has on those who observe it. These

personal encounters seem to be a key determinant, though not always in a

predictable way, of people’s attitudes to the Schiavo case.

A reader, after recounting such an experience:

“But is it necessary for everyone to go through these experiences before

they can grow out of the denial that seems to be the standard attitude about

death in our society? Or can we bring about a healthier realization of its

naturalness and inevitability at the same time we work to extend length and

quality of life? (And by the way, aren’t good conservative Christians

taught, especially this week, to see death as a beginning, not an end?)”