I agree completely, but the problem in the Terri Schindler S. case was that the decisions were being made by the wrong people. If Michael Schiavo wanted to make decisions for Terri as if she were his wife, then he should have acted as her husband. If he considered her to be dead and himself free to begin a relationship with another woman, then he shouldn't have been making Terri's decisions.
Very well said -- that was my problem -- her scumbag husband made the decision and he should not have been allowed to do that under the circumstances. When he wanted to date, he should have gotten a divorce.
the decisions were being made by the wrong people
I won't say that's an unreasonable conclusion considering how Michael Shiavo has been characterized--especially on FR. But that's one of the problems I have with this case. I haven't walked in Michael Shiavo's shoes. But if I had and knowing my wife wouldn't want to continue in such a state, I still would've pursued treatment to see if anything could bring her out of that state, just as Michael Shiavo did. If over time I found no treatment would work, I would give in and carry out her wishes. I would also see her wishes carried out regardless of what others thought. Once the decision is made, I wouldn't expect him to put his life completely on hold. And anyway, no one knows how his relationship with the other women began. She may have offered moral support which over time blossomed into a relationship. But that's speculation no different than speculating Michael Shiavo a wife beater, which BTW, the other women who bore his two children seems to be unaware of.
But what really bothers me is that all the arguments being made against Michael Shiavo can be used to contest a living will. "The surrogate is an adulterous cheater who doesn't deserve to make such a decision." "The person is not really in a persistence vegetative state." "Artificial feeding is not really artificial." Conservatives and the Republican Party entertaining such arguments disturb me to no end. This is enough to make me seriously consider leaving the GOP and becoming independent.