What's life? What's death? One of these days I ought to pontificate. The problem is, I've seen much too much death -- more than most people my age. I've known death up close and personal. Familiarity with it does not qualify me as an expert though, so I should probably shut up and let this post die a graceful death. Otherwise I'll set myself up as an expert on something I admit know less about precisely because of my familiarity with the subject matter than the people who claim to know a lot about it but don't.

At least I know something about the unknowable.

Knowing what I don't know is knowing something.

So, rather than pontificate, I'd like to leave a suggestion, based on my experience with 20-plus deaths, and my own close brushes, glimpses if you will, with what's on the other side (I should add what isn't for those who want to see it that way).

It isn't about politics.

Politicization of death ought to be the last straw. Based on my experience, I really ought to be furious by the denial and stupidity that's been on display these past weeks.

The only reason I'm not in a total rage is that I've been there, and I know it's about letting go -- and in the most personal way imaginable.

Politics is the absolute antithesis of that.

So the people who want to politicize death are in reality more ridiculous than they are despicable, which is some comfort. They're more in denial than in touch.

And they too will die.

UPDATE: Lest anyone get the idea that I am condemning Terri Schiavo's supporters, I am not -- because I was one of them. I don't think I need to repeat that I thought it was wrong to pull her feeding tube. My point is that the exploitation of death -- especially the human fear of death -- is terribly misguided.

Via Glenn Reynolds, here's a religious blogger who feels pretty much the same way (about politicization):

I disagree with the position of the Instapundit (and others), but then again he, and others, are looking at it from the perspective of a law professor. I on the other hand am not so constrained to see it merely as a Constitutional issue, but one of a concerning cultural paradigm shift. A good topic for a good healthy debate - not to spew venom at those who disagree. Stop It!

Third - expect voices from the euthanasia lobby to get very loud very shortly.

Fourth - expect members of the Body (both conservative and liberal) to exploit this for all sorts of political and/or financial gain.

All in all, a sad day.