In what the media perversely calls a "right-to-die case," Terry Schiavo will be slowly executed by starvation beginning today, her inherent right to live negated because Florida courts agree with her husband that she is an undesirable.

This, unfortunately, is not a watershed case because we've been starving undesirables -- particularly undesirable babies -- to death for years. Ms. Schiavo's situation merely brings the issue finally into the consciousness of the public.

With dead-hearted, ivory-tower legislative dithering blocking several efforts in Washington and Florida to stop this atrocity, the House of Representatives has begun an investigation of the matter, subpoenaing doctors to prevent her death.

Quite frankly, Gnomon is rather pessimistic of the outcome. Miracles happen and the last election gives some hope that over half the country may still have conscience and good sense. But since at least 1973 we have been a society increasingly comfortable with the idea of quietly eliminating inconvenient people, regardless of what they may suffer in the process.

The "slippery slope" warned of back then, has become a headlong slide into the abyss.

Once again, we will point out: This is not a woman being kept artificially alive by machines; this is an invalid who only needs to be fed and cared for like any sick person. This decision means we are refusing to feed a disabled woman who cannot feed herself.

By any moral standard -- even those we would apply to a sick dog -- starving her to death is wrong. In fact, it is actively evil.

The foundation battling for her life can be found here.