but, who am I to decide?
Click on the link post 3.
A question for you. When you see something happening that is totally unjust, do you stand by and do nothing?
Or do you stand up for what is right?
I was paralyzed from the waist down, so I guess you would call that half living?
You're right--you do not--or should not--be the one to decide whether someone else, an innocent person, lives or dies.
In regards to some of your later posts, where you are accusing us of wanting the taxpayers shoulder the "burden" of Terri's care, I wonder if you are aware that there are tens of thousands of people in this country who are in a condition similar to or worse than Terri's? As a society, we have already decided to provide these people with hospitals, doctors, nurses, teachers, and caretakers at taxpayer expense. They will never leave the hospital. With Terri, there is some hope of improvement with therapy, but the severely retarded CANNOT improve, although they are provided therapy on a constant basis. All, may I reiterate, at taxpayer expense.
The issue here is not just Terri. Our immediate goal is to protect her life, but, longterm, if we cannot save her, we're looking at a very real possibility of some people deciding that, since the severely retarded have no chance of recovery, we should implement a more permanent solution for them. Think of all the money we could save if every person who cannot take care of him or herself would just be euthanized? It doesn't even have to be humane euthanization--as Terri's case shows, any pain they might suffer is irrelevant, since we're talking about saving money here, not the importance of human life.
"I wouldn't call that living"
If you haven't watched the videos of Terri you might think about watching them. She is living the best she can under the circumstances.
If you watch them pay close attention to Terri's reaction when she sees her mother. It very nearly made me cry. She is more alive than the media will give her credit for.