[supercat]

Listening to the radio this afternoon, specifically the sit-in for Michael Savege. Did a good job. But he didn't make the point that Terri is not, I repeat, NOT on life support. She is in fact phycically in good health. we don't know if she can swallow or not. He made the point that starvation and dehydration is not compassionate, but in fact painful and prolonged. He made a good case for all the other points in Terri's favor.

IMHO, one of the biggest points that needs to be hammered home is that despite the existence of affidavits claiming that Terri used to take food by mouth (after her 'collapse'), Michael forbids such and such prohibition will remain in effect if gastrostomic feeding is discontinued.

If the parents were allowed to make bona fide efforts to feed Terri by mouth (and have her tested for sedatives or other drugs), with the consequence that if they succeeded she'd live and if they failed she'd die, I wouldn see that as vaguely acceptable (probably because I have faith that if God wants Terri to live, she'll be able to take food by mouth). But any person, no matter how healthy, will die if they are prevented from receiving any food or water.

Many people don't realize that the primary reason Terri needs "life support" is that Michael won't let her be fed any other way. I think if they realized that, they'd find his actions entirely repulsive.

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Check out the song "BIRD IN A BARREN CAGE"
Lyrics available here.Recorded performance here (20kbps).

[Diva Betsy Ross]

How about the nurse who has sworn out testimony that she would feed Terri with a spoon. And that she liked Jello.Some people do know that she could eat by spoon if she were allowed to.