[FreedomCalls]

But Terri doesn't have a plug to pull. She is NOT on life support. She breathes on her on. Her heart functions on her on. She simply receives food and water via feeding tube as do a lot of people. She's much like an infant in that she can't feed herself but otherwise functions independently. If you denied food and water to an infant would that be considered "pulling the plug" or would that be considered murder?

[peyton randolph]

If you denied food and water to an infant would that be considered "pulling the plug" or would that be considered murder?

If a mother did it, she'd get a Lifetime Channel movie of the week, a book deal, and better than even odds of being found not guilty by reason of insanity.

[GOPrincess]

During the last weeks of his life, my dear grandfather was on a feeding tube and was not "there" mentally, pretty much incapacitated. But he could breathe on his own, etc. While we would not take "extraordinary measures" to keep him alive, it never would have *occurred* to us not to feed him just because he wasn't "with it" or not "there" mentally.

What's scary about this case is that it could start a snowball down a slippery slope...for instance could insurance companies pressure hospitals, etc., to deny food? It's a short step from Terri's case to someone like my grandfather also being tortured to death by starvation, instead of treated lovingly and with respect, cared for and made comfortable to the greatest extent possible in his final days.

[whadizit]

Didn't she supposedly have a heart attack due to anorexia or bullemia? Michael probably hopes it will happen again due to lack of electrolytes, potassium, etc.

The longer this takes, higher the chance of something happening to her kidneys, heart, etc. This is so cruel.

Wish Congress had acted sooner.