Posted on 10/23/2003 8:04:26 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel
I would prefer the afterlife. And that's a beautiful question.
I agree in principle with your answer and agree completely with your statement.
Thanks, I hope to, but don't make much effort. I do know I would rather not 'live' as Terri does. From this world I will not be dragged kicking and screaming. I'll enjoy the ride, while it's fun.
Having a tube stuck directly into your stomach and making absolutely no decisions regarding your existence is not extraordinary or artificial?
There is nothing to suggest she is suffering,
Only logic - could you consciously live like that for 13 years without suffering? The only way she is not suffering is if she is brain dead - as the doctors and the court have determined.
but even if there were, we don't terminate life on those conditions, do we?
Not usually - unless it is the life of a pet. We use compassion with our pets but we seem to think it is virtuous for higher life forms to endure suffering for as long as possible. I'm not sure where "Give me liberty or give me death" fits in there but it certainly seems to imply that quality of life matters. I know of men who chose to die rather than become a prisoner of war. I can't say that decision was right or wrong but I know the men who made it were better than most others I've met.
Having a tube stuck directly into your stomach and making absolutely no decisions regarding your existence is not extraordinary or artificial?
Feeding tubes have been used for over 100 years, and are often used today even with patients who are capable of consuming food orally. If a patient cannot easily feed himself and is not expected to be able to feed himself within a reasonably-short period of time, it will often be more convenient for patient and caretaker alike to tube-feed the person rather than have someone spoon-feed him.
Unlike, say, a ventilator which is an external machine to which a person must be connected 24/7, a feeding tube is simply an oriface to which an oversized syringe may be connected. Open a can of Ensure, put it in the syringe, squirt the liquid into the patient, and remove the syringe.
If you think feeding someone and supplying them with water is a heroic life-prolonging measure and should be denied for the disabled, I would suggest that you stop exposing yourself to such heroic life-prolonging measures.
There is nothing to suggest she is suffering,
Only logic - could you consciously live like that for 13 years without suffering? The only way she is not suffering is if she is brain dead - as the doctors and the court have determined.
Perhaps the previous poster's statement should read: "There is nothing to suggest that she would be suffering if she were allowed to receive therapy, spend time with her loving relatives, and not have to worry about a sadistic husband trying to kill her."
but even if there were, we don't terminate life on those conditions, do we?
Not usually - unless it is the life of a pet. We use compassion with our pets but we seem to think it is virtuous for higher life forms to endure suffering for as long as possible. I'm not sure where "Give me liberty or give me death" fits in there but it certainly seems to imply that quality of life matters. I know of men who chose to die rather than become a prisoner of war. I can't say that decision was right or wrong but I know the men who made it were better than most others I've met.
About 140 years ago, the Constitution was changed so that people would no longer be regarded as chattel. How far we've backslid.
So he thinks Gov Bush controls God. Wow, he's a better man than I thought. </sarcasm
Having a severely mentally and physically disabled daughter who had a G-Tube (feeding tube) for a few years several years ago and who NO LONGER NEEDS IT AFTER THERAPY, I would say it would probably HELP A LOT IF TERRI COULD GET THE $750,000.00 of THERAPY her "LOVING" HITLERESQUE-HUSBAND MICHAEL RECEIVED THROUGH APPARENTLY FRAUDULENT AND PERJURIOUS TESTIMONY!!!!!!!
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