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To: syriacus
If it were I, I would have wanted it all stopped 12 years ago. I would not want to live under those conditions and in fact that is stated in our Will. But, that is me, and I am able to make that statement. Unfortunately, Terri is unable to state what she wants, leaving the decision to her husband. If she were on oxygen and it was removed and she died quickly, it would be okay but starving her just does not set well in my mind. Thanking GOD that I have never had to make such a choice and praying that I never, ever have to.
193 posted on 10/17/2003 9:15:26 PM PDT by Dustbunny
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To: Dustbunny
It is good to have a living will.

I'd like to sign one of those that says I don't want to be killed or allowed to die just because a doctor decides it is "best" for me.

The right-to-die waters are awfully muddy. We can see that by the way the people who want Terri to die are playing word games.

Word games are a good indicator of something amiss.

I was just reading an article which says that Physician Assisted Death, voluntary euthanasia and removal of life support are ethically equivalent. The author mentions that more people accept removal of life support than the other two methods of bringing about death. He suggests that, if people could be convinced of the ethical equivalency of all three, they (and physicians) would be much more accepting of Physician Assisted Death.

http://www.hemlocknj.org/equivale.html

Whether that physician responds to the patient’s repeated entreaty to "Help me die" by removing a life support system, by PAD or by euthanasia, in all three cases both intention and result are the same. In sum, there is no principled ethical difference among these three means to serve the dying patient. In this context, helping the public and physicians to recognize this ethical fact may well bring acceptance of PAD and euthanasia up to the 90% mark now current for refusal of treatment. (Interestingly, this is about the level of support for the Dutch way of dying now current in the Netherlands.) In such an environment it would appear that decriminalization of PAD and of euthanasia under reasonable rules barring abuse could easily be achieved.

196 posted on 10/17/2003 10:04:32 PM PDT by syriacus (Judge Greer---YOU should have looked into Terri's eyes and asked her if she wanted life.)
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