I do not argue this point much because I believe that I am ahead of the curve on this. Society is not yey ready to give up this type of terminal punishment for wrongdoing. But I do not believe that it is the deterrent that they say it is.
It jus seemed to me that to respect life, one cannot pick and choose which to repect. to make that decision is a judgment that we really never were given the power to do.
I think it is more for the victim. An eye for an eye and all that Old Testament stuff.(not a bible wonk)
Anyway, the statement felt like the right thing, and serious offenders really are in hell while in long captivity. Death is too easy for them.
now, to get to your point which I belive is the current case of Terri.
The legal precedents are to, when a family member is deemed to never recover and to be totally incapacitated and would die without medical intervention then this decision of life or prolonged dying can be made by the family menber with legal standing.
As I understand, the girls family has been using every method possible to take that standing away from the son in law. Every method.
Up to now, none of the accusations seem to have merit. the legal system there has not agreed to them and the courts have ruled to allow this under protection of law.
Therefore, it cannot be called murder.
I suppose I would call it mercy killing. It is more to the point.I do not know if I would do this to my wife. I really do not know, but I have thought about doing something like that to a brother of mine. he has passed now, but he sure would have been spared a lot of misery if I had done what was on my mind. (I would have been arrested for murder however)