Shape the 21st Century Perhaps

¶ … Shape the 21st Century

Perhaps one of the most significant social changes that will shape the 21st century is individual health and healthcare. Already we have seen the idea posited by government at the state and federal levels of care based on outcome prognosis. In other words, if the prognosis is death, why invest the dollars in treatment or therapy? This is the premise of managed care; the middle entity that oversees access to healthcare benefits, and which we see becoming more powerful as a special interest in Washington, and on Wall Street.

The state and federal governments have also put the idea of the right to die in public view. The case of Terri Schiavo, in Florida, where the Florida courts upheld this young woman who woke from a coma, but, doctors said, in a vegetative state. Schiavo's life was dependent upon the nutrition tube that was keeping her hydrated and nourished. Her family -- mother and father, because it was her husband who wanted to disconnect the feeding tube -- believed the young woman showed signs of awareness of what was going on about her. The expense of maintaining Schiavo's quality of life was high. The Florida courts ruled in favor of Schiavo's husband, and doctors disconnected Sschiavo from her feeding tube. She died sometime later, of dehydration and starvation -- but the courts, and her husband, believed that Schiavo had a right to die.

The State of Oregon also believes in a right to die. That state became the first state in the United States to actually pass an act for the right to die. That act was approved by voters in the State of Oregon. It meant that physicians could knowingly -- and, willingly, against their professional code of ethics -- prescribe drugs for a patient who would use those drugs to bring about his or her own death. What was even more remarkable is that there was very little public debate or surprise about the issue. The public is becoming accustomed to end of life termination scenarios. There is much work being done to create case law precedents that allow patients who might otherwise live for very long periods of time the right to die. This will be one of the most significant changes of the 21st century.

Another significant change that is on the horizon right now is same sex marriages. The state and federal governments have shown a willingness to support same sex marriages by law. The difficulty encountered thus far is that the moral majority continues to be a strong voting block, and has not yet -- except in Connecticut -- supported the change in law to recognize same sex unions on state-by-state basis. It appears though that the move to make same sex marriages legal and to put laws about it on the state books is an eventuality of the 21st century.

The moral majority will be defeated and we will begin to see each state pass same sex marriage laws. This is important, because making same sex marriages legal, puts the same sex partners into the higher tax level that is imposed on married couples. Also, same sex couples will inevitably suffer the same social and personal problems as do other heterosexual couples, and the cost of divorce will be high and profitable for divorce lawyers.